Citing a Manufacturers’ News Inc. story, the Sacramento Bee reports that manufacturing jobs in Pennsylvania have increased by nearly 4,000 from June 2011 to June 2012, following several years of decreases.

Says the Bee:

'Pennsylvania continues to see its manufacturing sector improve,' says Tom Dubin, President of the Evanston, IL-based publishing company, which has been surveying industry since 1912. 'The state's educated workforce, access to capital, and investments in innovative technologies have been a draw for a variety of enterprises.'

Bright spots for the state included Ocean Spray's announcement that it will open a new juice bottling facility in Allentown; the recent establishment of Pratt Industries' corrugated box plant in Macungie; the expansion of Alcoa's operations at its plant in Upper Burrell Township; and the opening of Glasswerks Inc.'s new glass plant in Easton. Pharmaceutical maker Daiichi Sankyo recently established a packaging plant in Bethlehem; Rehrig Pacific Logistics plans to open a fiberboard plant in Glendon Borough; GE Transportation announced the opening of a new diesel engine remanufacturing plant in Grove City; and PrintHarmony.com opened a printing plant in Easton.

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