Closed, idled or on watch ()
Tiers
Tier 1 plants assemble products with many moving parts (vehicles, heavy and farm equipment, aerospace, rail, engines, appliances), so tools are used on the line and in maintenance.
Tier 2 plants cut, machine, weld and assemble (fabrication, machinery, electrical equipment, firearms, furniture), so they buy tooling, abrasives and power tools.
Tier 3 plants are process sites (refining, steel, food, chemicals, plastics) where MRO spend is driven by maintenance crews and shutdowns.
Opportunity
A marks a large site (about 1,000+ people) or a plant that is tooling up right now: a new plant, a new line, a ramp-up or a restart.
B is a mid-size site or a solid signal. C is a smaller site or one with older data.
Tool buyers are usually the maintenance manager, MRO or indirect purchasing, the tool crib lead and the plant manager.
Sources
Built for tool reps, tool truck routes and industrial distributors. Compiled from public sources: state facility records, company announcements, job postings and local news. Every plant links to its source. Headcounts are estimates and the note beside each says how old it is.
Spot something out of date? Plants open, close and change hands, so confirm before a visit.