Industry Cluster Definitions

Aerospace: Operations engaged in research, design, and manufacturing aerospace and space technology, products, and parts, including commercial aircraft, military craft, and unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).

Agribusiness & Food: Operations engaged in raising, harvesting, processing, and manufacturing crops, food, and beverage products. Operations include farming, dairy, ranching, hunting, fishing, and all support activities, such as pesticide manufacturing. Also includes manufacture of tobacco and processed food products, such as sugar, flour, and canned goods.

Apparel & Textiles: Operations engaged in processing natural products such as cotton and leather into consumer textiles and apparel products. These include fabric mills, textile mills, and cut and sew apparel manufacturing.

Automotive:  Operations engaged in motor vehicle manufacturing, including vehicles, body/trailers, and parts, as well as motor vehicle parts and supplies distribution.

Back Office: Operations engaged in support activities for the day-to-day operations of other businesses, including office administration, facilities support, employment services, and business support.

Biomedical Supplies & Labs: Operations engaged in manufacture and wholesale of medicine, pharmaceuticals, and medical equipment. Also includes medical and diagnostics laboratories.

Construction: Operations engaged in construction of buildings and engineering projects, such as highways and utility systems. Also includes operations manufacturing products related to construction, such as lumber, clay, glass, cement, and lime.

Consumer Goods Mfg.: Operations engaged in manufacture of household appliances and other miscellaneous nondurable goods for consumers.

Creative Content: Operations engaged in print media, film, sound and music, television and radio, design services, and advertising and public relations.

Education: Operations engaged in education, including elementary and secondary schools, colleges, universities, professional schools, trade schools, and educational support services. 

Electronics: Operations engaged in manufacture, wholesale, and repair of electronic equipment, including computers, televisions, semiconductors, and other electronic components.

Energy: Operations engaged in all vertically aligned elements of the energy sector, including oil extraction, coal mining, pipeline transportation of oil and gas, and electric power generation, transmission, and distribution.

Entertainment: Operations engaged in leisure and accommodation, including hotels, restaurants, bars, casinos, museums, performing arts, and sporting facilities. Also includes independent performers, artists, and direct tourist activities.

Finance: Operations engaged in financial, insurance, and real estate activities, such as banks, insurance carriers, and real estate brokers.

Furniture: Operations engaged in manufacture and wholesale of household, office, and commercial furniture and cabinets.

Government: Operations of federal, state, and local government agencies, waste collection and management, and water treatment.

Healthcare: Operations engaged in direct provision of healthcare and social services, including hospitals, doctor offices, elderly care, child day care, family services, and home nursing care.

Industrial Machinery: Operations engaged in manufacture and wholesale of industrial application machinery, including agricultural and mining equipment, HVAC systems, metalworking machinery, turbines, lighting, and other equipment.

Materials: Operations engaged in design, wholesale, and manufacture of traditional and complex materials, including paper, chemicals, plastics, rubber, and other advanced materials.

Metalworking: Operations engaged in processing minerals into metal products and manufacture of components and products from metal. This includes steel mills, foundries, fabricated metal and structural metal manufacturing, and hand-tool manufacturing.

Mining & Logging: Operations engaged in forestry, logging, and mining: not including oil, gas, and coal extraction.

Non-Profits: Operations engaged in non-profit activities, including churches, social advocacy, and civic and professional associations.

Professional Services: Operations engaged in consulting services for businesses, including legal, accounting, architecture, engineering, and other professional services.

Research: Operations engaged in scientific research and development and management consulting services.

Retail: Operations engaged in retail sale of goods and services to consumers, including car dealers, grocery stores, clothing stores, gas stations, auto repair, personal care, and equipment rental.

Shipbuilding: Operations engaged in construction of ships and boats.

Software / Information Technology: Operations engaged in information technology sectors, including software publishing, internet service providers, computer system design, data processing and hosting, and other information services.

Telecommunications Services: Operations engaged in wired, wireless, and satellite telecommunications, including cell phone and cable providers.

Transportation & Logistics: Operations engaged in transportation of goods and individuals; warehousing and storage of goods; and delivery of post and packages. This includes commercial, personal, and tourism transportation on air, rail, water, and roads.