Description

Firms that produce materials play an important role in the economy by creating the building blocks from
which final products are created. In fact, the industry often refers to its products as "enabling technologies."
Materials range from such products as harvested cotton, mined iron, and ceramics, chemicals, semiconductors,
as well as materials that are largely in their research and development phase, such as photonics.
This profile of the materials industry focuses on seven industry groups that are notable in Virginia and
known for innovation in materials design and application. The following six of the seven groups are classified
as manufacturing:
1. chemicals and allied products
2. fabricated metal
3. measuring and controlling devices
4. miscellaneous materials
5. primary metal products
6. rubber and miscellaneous plastics products.
The seventh group, research, development, and testing, is classified under the services industry.