Chicago v. Cleveland: The Manufacturing Matchup

By Elizabeth Brotherton-Bunch
Oct 25 2016 |
Game 1 of the World Series is set for 8 p.m. ET on Tuesday night at Progressive Field in Cleveland. | Photo by Wikimedia Commons

Both World Series teams hail from manufacturing cities. Here’s how they compare.

History will be made during this year's World Series. Neither the Chicago Cubs nor the Cleveland Indians have won a Major League Baseball championship for decades — the last time the Cubs won, the Ottoman Empire was still around — and even casual baseball fans are pumped up.

Along with all that history, this year's contest puts the spotlight on the cities of Chicago and Cleveland, both of which were built on manufacturing. Likewise, both have continued to invest in manufacturing. Here's how the two match up.  

 

TEAM

 

 

 

 


CITY

 

 


CHICAGO

 

 


CLEVELAND

 

 

LAST WORLD SERIES WIN

 

 

1908

 

 

1948

 

 

POPULATION

 

 

2.7 million

 

 

390,000

 

 

NUMBER OF MANUFACTURING JOBS IN REGION

 

 

411,900

 

 

119,200

 

 

MANUFACTURING AT A GLANCE

 

 

Motor vehicle parts manufacturing, including companies like Ford, Navistar and Omron. Food manufacturing, including brands such as Kraft, Wrigley and Sara Lee. Fabricated metals subsectors, including forging, stamping and wire manufacturing. Plastics and chemicals. Steel.

 

 

Auto manufacturing, including companies like Ford and General Motor, along with tire maker Goodyear. Speciality chemicals, including Lubrizol. Precision parts. Steel.  

 

 

HIPSTER CRED

 

 

Chicago Made highlights the Windy City's startup culture and maker mindset. It's estimated a new startup launches in the city every 24 hours.

 

 

Apparel maker Homage pays tribute to local sports teams (including the NBA champion Cavaliers) and vintage pop culture moments. LeBron James is a noted fan.

 

 

BUILDING THE FUTURE

 

 

Shared office space Catalyze Chicago empowers entrepreneurs to bring new products to market. It is now becoming MHub, which bills itself as the city's "first innovation center focused on physical product development and manufacturing."

 

 

Cleveland is home to MAGNET, the Manufacturing Advocacy & Growth Network, a nonprofit that helps manufacturers compete and grow with the goal of transforming Ohio into a global manufacturing player.

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Tootsie Roll's Chicago headquarters was described by the Wall Street Journal in 2012 as "a modern-day Willy Wonka factory."

Paint manufacturer Sherwin-Williams displays a massive 10-story banner honoring Cavaliers star LeBron James at its Cleveland headquarters.