A manufacturing industry that tends to locate near its customers because the final product is heavier than the inputs

• A. Bulk-Reducing Industry
• B. Bulk-Local Industry
• C. Bulk-Gaining Industry
• D. Bulk-Export Industry

Answer: (C)

Bulk-gaining industries are those whose final product becomes heavier during production. When the output weighs more than the inputs, transporting that heavier product long distances would be costly. So these industries locate close to their customers to minimize shipping heavy finished goods and to speed delivery. A classic example is a beverage bottling plant or other packaged goods facility near a city, where inputs (liquids, packaging, ingredients) come in, but the heavier finished product is sent to market. In contrast, bulk-reducing industries ship in bulky raw materials and finish with lighter products, so they tend to locate near the source of the raw materials.