Most industry is in small factories and workshops producing apple cider and other fruit wines, pottery, fireworks, coffee processing and breads. The best known factory is the Centenario Clock in the municipal seat. The making of fruit wines and dried fruits are an important supplement to agriculture. Fruit wine includes one called Fourteen Tortillas, made with herbs. Zacatlán processes about 10,000 tons of apples to make cider, with about eighty percent sold in December for the holidays. Most of it is sold in central and southern Mexico. The making of cider here is dominated by four companies which employs forty families directly but has an indirect economic benefit to 200 families involved in apple growing, and commercialization of the product. Handcrafts include the making of sarapes, overcoats, quexquémetls, wood utensils and pottery. The community of San Miguel Tenango is noted for its production of ixtle items. Although the neighboring municipality of Chignahuapan is more famous for its glass Christmas ornaments, Zacatlán makes them as well. The main producer is the Martínez Luna family, which creates spheres in various shapes, sizes and colors. There are ten other workshops in the city. There are deposits of minerals such as manganese, iron calcite, phosphorus, zinc, quartz, feldspar, gold, silver, lead, copper and antimony. These activities employ 17.9% of the working population.
