2026-07-09http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/536284This paper examines three alternative explanations for manufacturing specialization in rural areas: 1) the greater efficiency of very large plants; 2) the "localization" advantages identified with a number of firms in the same industry locating near each other; or 3) a strategy to gain bargaining power by a dominant employer in the county.MANUFACTURING SPECIALIZATION IN THE SOUTHEAST: RURAL NECESSITY, RURAL POSSIBILITY OR RURAL VESTIGE?Text