6-digit U.S. detail
311213
Malt Manufacturing
Description
Establishments in the malt manufacturing sector specialize in transforming grain into malt, a critical intermediate product used extensively in brewing, distilling, and animal feed production. While barley remains the dominant grain source, operations also process rye, wheat, and other cereal varieties through steeping, germination, and drying processes to develop enzymes that convert starch into fermentable sugars. These facilities typically operate as large industrial complexes equipped with automated machinery designed for high-volume output rather than small-batch customization. The business landscape is dominated by a limited number of major producers that maintain significant physical footprints, often located near water sources or rail ports to facilitate efficient raw material intake and finished product distribution. Some operators serve regional markets primarily, supplying local breweries and distilleries with bulk ingredients, while others function as national distributors with extensive logistics networks. The scale of these operations varies considerably, with the largest entities processing thousands of tons of grain annually and employing hundreds of skilled workers in quality control and maintenance roles. Unlike craft producers focused on unique flavor profiles, these industrial manufacturers prioritize consistency and efficiency, providing standardized malt that meets specific technical requirements for fermentation. This sector acts as a foundational element of the beverage and food industries, supporting countless downstream establishments that rely on its stable supply chain to maintain operational continuity.
Hierarchy
| Code | Title | Description |
|---|---|---|
| 31 | Manufacturing 2-digit sector | The Sector as a Whole The Manufacturing sector comprises establishments engaged in the mechanical, physical, or chemical transformation of materials, substances, or components into new products. The assembling of component parts of manufactured products is considered manufacturing, except in cases where the activity is appropriately classified in Sector 23, Construction. Establishments in the Manufacturing sector are often described as plants, factories, or mills and characteristically use power-driven machines and material handling equipment. However, establishments that transform materials or substances into new products by hand or in the worker's home and those engaged in selling to the general public products made on the same premises from which they are sold, such as bakeries, candy stores, and custom tailors, may also be included in this sector. Manufacturing establishments may process materials or may contract with other establishments to process their materials for them. Both types of establishments are included in manufacturing. Selected industries in the Manufacturing sector are comprised solely of establishments that process materials for other establishments on a contract or fee basis. Beyond these dedicated contract manufacturing industries, establishments that process materials for other establishments are generally classified in the Manufacturing industry of the processed materials. The materials, substances, or components transformed by manufacturing establishments are raw materials that are products of agriculture, forestry, fishing, mining, or quarrying as well as products of other manufacturing establishments. The materials used may be purchased directly from producers, obtained through customary trade channels, or secured without recourse to the market by transferring the product from one establishment to another, under the same ownership. The new product of a manufacturing establishment may be finished in the sense that it is ready for utilization or consumption, or it may be semi-finished to become an input for an establishment engaged in further manufacturing. For example, the product of the alumina refinery is the input used in the primary production of aluminum; primary aluminum is the input to an aluminum wire drawing plant; and aluminum wire is the input for a fabricated wire product manufacturing establishment. The subsectors in the Manufacturing sector generally reflect distinct production processes related to material inputs, production equipment, and employee skills. In the machinery area, where assembling is a key activity, parts and accessories for manufactured products are classified in the industry of the finished manufactured item when they are made for separate sale. For example, an attachment for a piece of metalworking machinery would be classified with metalworking machinery. However, component inputs from other manufacturing establishments are classified based on the production function of the component manufacturer. For example, electronic components are classified in Subsector 334, Computer and Electronic Product Manufacturing, and stampings are classified in Subsector 332, Fabricated Metal Product Manufacturing. Manufacturing establishments often perform one or more activities that are classified outside the Manufacturing sector of NAICS. For instance, almost all manufacturing has some captive research and development or administrative operations, such as accounting, payroll, or management. These captive services are treated the same as captive manufacturing activities. When the services are provided by separate establishments, they are classified in the NAICS sector where such services are primary, not in manufacturing. The boundaries of manufacturing and the other sectors of the classification system can be somewhat blurry. The establishments in the Manufacturing sector are engaged in the transformation of materials into new products. Their output is a new product. However, the definition of what constitutes a new product can be somewhat subjective. As clarification, the following activities are considered manufacturing in NAICS: <table width=100%><tr><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Milk bottling and pasteurizing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Water bottling and processing;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fresh fish packaging (oyster<br/> shucking, fish filleting);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Apparel jobbing (assigning<br/> materials to contract<br/> factories or shops for<br/> fabrication or other contract<br/> operations) as well as<br/> contracting on materials<br/> owned by others;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Printing and related activities;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ready-mix concrete production;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Leather converting;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Grinding lenses to<br/> prescription;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Wood preserving;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Lapidary work for the trade;</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td><td><dl><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Electroplating, plating, metal<br/> heat treating, and<br/> polishing for the trade;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Fabricating signs and<br/> advertising displays;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Rebuilding or remanufacturing<br/> machinery (i.e., automotive<br/> parts);</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Making manufactured homes<br/> (i.e., mobile homes) or<br/> prefabricated buildings,<br/> whether or not assembling/<br/> erecting at the customers'<br/> site;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Ship repair and renovation;</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Machine shops; and</dt><dt style='padding-left: 10px; text-indent: -10px;'>Tire retreading.</dt></dl></td><td width=10%> </td></tr></table> Conversely, there are activities that are sometimes considered manufacturing, but which for NAICS are classified in another sector (i.e., not classified as manufacturing). They include: 1. Logging, classified in Sector 11, Agriculture, Forestry, Fishing and Hunting, is considered a harvesting operation; 2. Beneficiating ores and other minerals, classified in Sector 21, Mining, Quarrying, and Oil and Gas Extraction, is considered part of the activity of mining; 3. Constructing structures, assembling prefabricated buildings, and fabricating at the construction site by contractors are classified in Sector 23, Construction; 4. Breaking bulk and reselling in smaller lots, including packaging, repackaging, or bottling products, such as liquors or chemicals; assembling and selling computers on a custom basis; sorting and reselling scrap; mixing and selling paints to customer order; and cutting metals to customer order for resale are classified in Sector 42, Wholesale Trade, or Sector 44-45, Retail Trade; and 5. Publishing and the combined activity of publishing and printing, classified in Sector 51, Information, transform information into a product for which the value to the consumer lies in the information content, not in the format in which it is distributed (i.e., the book or software compact disc). |
| 311 | Food Manufacturing 3-digit subsector | Industries in the Food Manufacturing subsector transform livestock and agricultural products into products for intermediate or final consumption. The industry groups are distinguished by the raw materials (generally of animal or vegetable origin) processed into food products. The food products manufactured in these establishments are typically sold to wholesalers or retailers for distribution to consumers, but establishments primarily engaged in retailing bakery and candy products made on the premises not for immediate consumption are included. Establishments primarily engaged in manufacturing beverages are classified in Subsector 312, Beverage and Tobacco Product Manufacturing. |
| 3112 | Grain and Oilseed Milling 4-digit industry group | This industry group comprises establishments primarily engaged in milling flour or meal from grains or vegetables, manufacturing malt, wet milling corn and other vegetables, crushing oilseeds and tree nuts, refining and/or blending vegetable oils, and manufacturing breakfast cereals. |
| 31121 | Flour Milling and Malt Manufacturing 5-digit NAICS industry | This industry comprises establishments primarily engaged in one or more of the following: (1) milling flour or meal from grains or vegetables; (2) preparing flour mixes or doughs from flour milled in the same establishment; (3) milling, cleaning, and polishing rice; and (4) manufacturing malt from barley, rye, or other grains. |
| 311213 | Malt Manufacturing 6-digit U.S. detail | Establishments in the malt manufacturing sector specialize in transforming grain into malt, a critical intermediate product used extensively in brewing, distilling, and animal feed production. While barley remains the dominant grain source, operations also process rye, wheat, and other cereal varieties through steeping, germination, and drying processes to develop enzymes that convert starch into fermentable sugars. These facilities typically operate as large industrial complexes equipped with automated machinery designed for high-volume output rather than small-batch customization. The business landscape is dominated by a limited number of major producers that maintain significant physical footprints, often located near water sources or rail ports to facilitate efficient raw material intake and finished product distribution. Some operators serve regional markets primarily, supplying local breweries and distilleries with bulk ingredients, while others function as national distributors with extensive logistics networks. The scale of these operations varies considerably, with the largest entities processing thousands of tons of grain annually and employing hundreds of skilled workers in quality control and maintenance roles. Unlike craft producers focused on unique flavor profiles, these industrial manufacturers prioritize consistency and efficiency, providing standardized malt that meets specific technical requirements for fermentation. This sector acts as a foundational element of the beverage and food industries, supporting countless downstream establishments that rely on its stable supply chain to maintain operational continuity. |
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Classification References
- 01Brewing malt beverages--are classified in Industry 312120, Breweries; and
- 02Manufacturing malt extract and syrups--are classified in U.S. Industry 311942, Spice and Extract Manufacturing.
Index Items
Barley, malt, manufacturing
Brewers' malt manufacturing
Corn, malt, manufacturing
Distiller's malt manufacturing
Flour, malt, manufacturing
Malt flour manufacturing
Malt manufacturing
Malt sprouts manufacturing
Malting (germinating and drying grains)
Rice malt manufacturing
Rye malt manufacturing
Wheat malt manufacturing
How Item Can Help
Advanced analytics predict regional demand fluctuations for specialty malt varieties, enabling manufacturers to adjust production volumes proactively and reduce waste.
