The industrial sector is a segment of the economy made up of businesses that aid other businesses in manufacturing, shipping or producing their products. The sector is what's known as a secondary sector because the products and services this sector offers to go to other businesses rather than directly to consumers.

• The industrial sector is a category made up of companies that make or sell machinery, equipment, or supplies used in manufacturing and construction. 
• It normally declines during economic recessions and rises during expansions, though its various subsectors can perform differently from one another.
• Some of the largest companies in the world can be found in this sector, and the Dow Jones Industrial Index has historically been weighted heavily to industrial stocks.