Flour Milling
Description
The flour milling industry transforms raw grains like wheat, rye, oats, and barley into various finished flour products and meal by-products. Establishments in this sector operate large-scale industrial grinding mills designed to crush and sift grain into different particle sizes ranging from coarse cornmeal to fine baking flour. Operators typically manage complex machinery that processes raw material through wet or dry milling processes, sorting out bran and germ to create specific product grades. The scale of these operations varies significantly, with many facilities functioning as massive commercial processors that serve a wide geographic area, while smaller units may function as regional suppliers for local bakeries and industrial clients. Production volumes are substantial, as these facilities consistently generate millions of pounds of flour daily to meet ongoing demand from the food service, manufacturing, and retail sectors. A common business activity involves the preparation of flour mixes and doughs, allowing for the creation of specialized products tailored to commercial needs without requiring end-users to perform additional mixing. The output from these mills feeds directly into downstream operations such as sugar milling, pasta manufacturing, and animal feed production, establishing a critical supply chain link. Most operators are part of larger corporate structures dedicated to grain processing, though some function as family-owned local businesses focused on niche regional markets. The industry relies heavily on seasonal grain deliveries and maintains rigorous quality control standards to ensure consistent product specifications across the supply chain.
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. |
| 311211 | Flour Milling 6-digit U.S. detail | The flour milling industry transforms raw grains like wheat, rye, oats, and barley into various finished flour products and meal by-products. Establishments in this sector operate large-scale industrial grinding mills designed to crush and sift grain into different particle sizes ranging from coarse cornmeal to fine baking flour. Operators typically manage complex machinery that processes raw material through wet or dry milling processes, sorting out bran and germ to create specific product grades. The scale of these operations varies significantly, with many facilities functioning as massive commercial processors that serve a wide geographic area, while smaller units may function as regional suppliers for local bakeries and industrial clients. Production volumes are substantial, as these facilities consistently generate millions of pounds of flour daily to meet ongoing demand from the food service, manufacturing, and retail sectors. A common business activity involves the preparation of flour mixes and doughs, allowing for the creation of specialized products tailored to commercial needs without requiring end-users to perform additional mixing. The output from these mills feeds directly into downstream operations such as sugar milling, pasta manufacturing, and animal feed production, establishing a critical supply chain link. Most operators are part of larger corporate structures dedicated to grain processing, though some function as family-owned local businesses focused on niche regional markets. The industry relies heavily on seasonal grain deliveries and maintains rigorous quality control standards to ensure consistent product specifications across the supply chain. |
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Classification References
- 01Preparing breakfast cereals from flour milled in the same establishment--are classified in Industry 311230, Breakfast Cereal Manufacturing;
- 02Manufacturing prepared flour mixes or doughs from flour ground elsewhere--are classified in U.S. Industry 311824, Dry Pasta, Dough, and Flour Mixes Manufacturing from Purchased Flour;
- 03Milling rice or cleaning and polishing rice--are classified in U.S. Industry 311212, Rice Milling;
- 04Wet milling corn and vegetables--are classified in U.S. Industry 311221, Wet Corn Milling and Starch Manufacturing; and
- 05Crushing soybeans and extracting soybean oil--are classified in U.S. Industry 311224, Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing.
Index Items
Barley flour manufacturing
Batters, prepared, made in flour mills
Blended flour made in flour mills
Brewers' and distillers' flakes and grits, corn, manufacturing
Buckwheat flour manufacturing
Bulgur (flour) manufacturing
Cereal grain flour manufacturing
Cereal grain germ manufacturing
Corn flour manufacturing
Corn meal made in flour mills
Doughs, prepared, made in flour mills
Durum flour manufacturing
Farina (except breakfast food) made in flour mills
Flour mills, cereals grains (except breakfast cereals, rice)
Flour mixes made in flour mills
Flour, blended, prepared, or self-rising (except rice), made in flour mills
Fruit flour, meal, and powders, manufacturing
Graham flour manufacturing
Grain mills (except animal feed, breakfast cereal, rice)
Grits and flakes, corn brewer's, manufacturing
Hominy grits (except breakfast food), manufacturing
Meal, corn, for human consumption made in flour mills
Mixes, flour (e.g., biscuit, cake, doughnut, pancake) made in flour mills
Oat flour manufacturing
Potato flour manufacturing
Prepared flour mixes made in flour mills
Rye flour manufacturing
Semolina flour manufacturing
Sorghum flour manufacturing
Vegetable flour manufacturing
Vegetable flour, meal, and powders, made in flour mills
Wheat bran manufacturing
Wheat flour manufacturing
Wheat germ manufacturing
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Advanced analytics tools help flour milling companies predict production yield variances based on raw grain quality and identify supply chain disruptions by analyzing historical data patterns and weather conditions.
Item.com Tools
External Resources
Census.gov NAICS Detail
Official US Census Bureau definition and scope for NAICS 311211.
American Institute of Chemical Process Engineers
A professional association offering resources for engineers and professionals working within the flour milling industry.
United States Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service
A government source providing statistics, reports, and data analysis specific to flour milling production and pricing.
Grain Marketing Association of America
An industry organization focused on the marketing and supply chain aspects of grain and flour products.
