PRESS RELEASE To be released November 1, 2016 Exclusive to The News Tribune until October 28, 2016 Contact: Madalain Merton, VP Business Retention & Expansion 253-284-5891 (o) maddie@edbtacomapierce.org Two Hundred Fifteen Qualify as Pierce County Major Employers TACOMA, WA – The Economic Development Board for Tacoma-Pierce County has published its 2016 major employers list – a list of the top employers in Pierce County, WA, based on 100 or more full-time equivalent employees (FTEs). This year’s list identifies 215 qualified employers – compared to 203 in 2014 (the last year a list was published) – an increase of 5.19%. Employers listed this year represent 161,802 jobs. Top 10 Largest Private Employers MultiCare Health System and CHI Franciscan Health remained the two largest private sector employers with 8,247 employees and 6,099 employees, respectively. Fred Meyer (2,560), State Farm Insurance Companies (2,050), Emerald Queen Casino (2,026), Boeing (1,750), Safeway Stores (1,512), Wal-Mart (1,287), Costco (1,205), and Milgard Manufacturing (1,061) qualified for the Top 10 largest private employers. Top 10 Largest Public/NGO Employers The United States Military (Joint Base Lewis-McChord) remains the County’s largest public employer with 57,210 FTEs, down from 66,054 two years ago, a decline of 8,844 FTEs or -13.38%. Excluding the military and the U.S Postal Service (1,214), jobs grew slightly in the public sector with Local Public Schools (13,408), State of Washington (6,844), Pierce County Government (3,001), City of Tacoma (2,138), Tacoma Public Utilities (1,417), Puyallup Tribe (1,099), International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 (1,026) and Pierce Transit (884) all reporting nominal increases. Top 20 Fastest Growing Employers Pierce County’s Top 20 fastest growing employers listed in order of percentage growth include: Umpqua Bank (86%), IKEA (74%), Nordstrom (52%), Sound Credit Union (49%), Print NW (48%), Continuant (44%), Franke Tobey Jones (39%), Coordinated Care (38%), Pierce County Security (34%), Milgard Manufacturing (30%), Tacoma Screw Products (27%), Western Institutional Review Board (26%), Brown & Haley (24%), Valley Freightliner (20%), MultiCare Health Systems (19%), Lucks Foods Decorating Company (19%), Harborstone Credit Union (18%), Tacoma Cabinet & Fixture (17%), Commencement Bay Corrugated (17%) and Cardiac Study Center (17%). Healthcare The local healthcare industry remained strong with MultiCare Health Systems and CHI Franciscan Health both seeing significant increases in employment from 2014 to 2016. MultiCare Health Systems saw a 19% increase from 6,904 to 8,247 employees. CHI Franciscan Health saw a 14% increase from 5,338 to 6,099 employees. Other major healthcare firms that qualified for this year list include: Group Health Cooperative (742), DaVita (660), Community Healthcare (379), Greater Lakes Mental Health (280), and seven others. Total employment within the healthcare sector grew from 13,767 to 17,613 employees at a 27.93% growth rate – adding a total of 3,846 employees. Aerospace Manufacturing Many of the aerospace manufacturing firms in Pierce County saw significant increases in employment over the last 24 months. Boeing continues to increase employment at the Frederickson plant growing by 5% to 1,750 employees. Toray Composites (America) continues to increase employment growing by 9% to 562 employees. Other aerospace firms that qualified for this year’s list include: AIM Aerospace (410), General Plastics (197), Cadence Aerospace (136), and Tool Gauge & Machine Works (120). Other Manufacturing Additionally, several other large manufacturers saw significant employment growth since 2014. Milgard Manufacturing grew by 30% to 1,061 employees and is now the second largest manufacturing employer in Pierce County following Boeing. This year also marks Milgard’s first appearance in the Top 10 list. Other manufacturers that grew or held steady include: WestRock (420), Manke Lumber (400), Bradken (353), Commencement Bay Corrugated (164), Northwest Door (165), Jesse Engineering (138), Carlisle Construction Materials (135), Georgia Pacific-Gypsum (113), and James Hardie Building Products (103). Page 2 of 6 Food Manufacturing & Food Processors Seven companies qualified this year that manufacture or process food products. Overall this sector of our major employers list increased slightly from 1,447 to 1,547 FTES for a net gain of 100 jobs or 6.9%. The seven companies listed in this sector are: Keurig Green Mountain (368), Brown & Haley (266), Mission Foods (250), Wilcox Family Farms (224), Shining Ocean (160), Golden State Foods (159) and Lucks Foods Decorating Company (120). Distribution Several of Pierce County’s distribution companies grew over the last two years. Amazon’s distribution center in DuPont is the sector’s largest employer with 700 FTEs. Companies that qualified include: City Beverages (409), Associated Petroleum Products (201), Southern Wine & Spirits (200), U.S. Oil & Refining (195), Auto Warehousing Company (192), IKEA (176), Burkhart Dental Supply (142), Tacoma Screw Products (132), and five other companies. Construction Pierce County’s construction firms saw increases in their employment base led by Northwest Cascade and Absher Construction with (250) employees and (230) employees, respectively. Several construction companies also made their first appearance on the list including AA Asphalting with (182), Insulation Northwest with (102), and Korsmo Construction with (100) employees. Note that these numbers do not include temporary construction workers who may be employed for months when mobilized for specific projects, often in succession. Banking & Financial Services and Insurance Many of the banking & financial services firms saw increases in employment from 2014. State Farm remains the largest employer within the sector with 2,050 employees between their two facilities in Tacoma and DuPont. Columbia Bank increased employment by 3.3% growing from 599 employees to 619 employees. Other firms that qualified include: Cambia Health Solutions - Regence (498), KeyBank (310), JP Morgan Chase (300), Umpqua Bank (262), Sound Credit Union (246), Wells Fargo (242), Harborstone Credit Union (230), Coordinated Care (220), U.S. Bank (193), Heritage Bank (144), and Bank of New York Mellon (130). Page 3 of 6 Transportation Several of Pierce County’s largest transportation companies grew their overall employment base within the last two years. BNSF Railway is the largest employer within the sector which saw employment grow to 390 FTEs. Others included on this year list are: FedEx Freight/Ground (250), Valley Freightliner (183), and Carlile Transportation Systems (137) and four other companies. Senior Services To avoid double-counting employment, similar services offered by hospitals, major health systems and independent physician practice groups are not included in this category. Tacoma Lutheran & Retirement Community is the largest employer within the sector with 295 employees, up 5% from 282 in 2014. Nine other senior care services companies reported a total 1,277 employees for the overall sector. Other Highlights Excluding JBLM, total employment by Pierce County’s major employers increased by 3,333 between 2014 and 2016. When you include JBLM, total employment declined by 5,511. SAFE Boats (137), Bass Pro Shops (130), South Sound 911 (208) and twenty other employers made their first ever appearance on the major employers list. Page 4 of 6 Top 10 Largest Private Employers 1. MultiCare Health Systems 2. CHI Franciscan Health 3. Fred Meyer 4. State Farm Insurance Companies 5. Emerald Queen Casino 6. Boeing 7. Safeway Stores 8. Walmart 9. Costco 10. Milgard Manufacturing Top 10 Largest Public/NGO Employers 1. Joint Base Lewis-McChord 2. Local Public Schools 3. State of Washington 4. Pierce County Government 5. City of Tacoma 6. Tacoma Public Utilities 7. U.S. Postal Service 8. The Puyallup Tribe of Indians 9. International Longshore and Warehouse Union Local 23 10. Pierce Transit Page 5 of 6 Top 20 Fastest Growing Private Employers 1. Umpqua Bank 2. IKEA 3. Nordstrom 4. Sound Credit Union 5. Print NW 6. Continuant 7. Franke Tobey Jones 8. Coordinated Care 9. Pierce County Security 10. Milgard Manufacturing 11. Tacoma Screw Products 12. Western Institutional Review Board (WIRB) 13. Brown & Haley 14. Valley Freightliner 15. MultiCare Health Systems 16. Lucks Foods Decorating Company 17. Harborstone Credit Union 18. Tacoma Cabinet & Fixture 19. Commencement Bay Corrugated 20. Cardiac Study Center ### About the Economic Development Board for Tacoma Pierce County. Since 1978, the private nonprofit EDB has worked with job and wealth-creating companies to grow the economy of the South Sound and Washington State, USA. In the past five years alone, the EDB has helped recruit or retain 3,338 jobs; generated $189 million in wages and salaries; and enabled $252 million in private capital investment.