MAJOR EMPLOYERS: A DIVERSE LIST MEANS A DIVERSE ECONOMY

A number of economists have remarked that the St. Cloud MN region is somewhat recession proof because of its diverse economy: the area is not dependent upon only one major employer. Indeed, the region boasts a mix of small manufacturers, agricultural and agriculture-related entities, a growing health care industry, emerging professional services, a thriving printing industry, an active retail component, and several large public sector employers. That diversity is reflected in this list of the area's largest employers:

Company	Description	Employees
CentraCare Health Systems/St. Cloud Hospital	Health care	6,232
Coborn's Inc.	Grocery (20 mile radius of St. Cloud)	2,062
State of MN	SCSU, SCTC, Correctional Facility, Dept. of Transportation, Public Safety, Work Force Center/Job Service	2,182
St. Cloud Public Schools	Education	2,000
Electrolux Home Products	Freezer Manufacturer	1,472
Veterans Adm. Medical Center	VA Hospital	1,101
Gold'n Plump	Chicken Production, Processing, and Marketing	867
Cold Spring Granite	Quarry, manufacturer of granite products	850
St. John's University	Higher education	778
City of St. Cloud	City Government	735
Stearns County	County Government	698
Wolters Kluwer Financial Services	National provider of products and services to financial institutions.	650
Merrill Corp.	Managed communications products and services	640
Catholic Charities	Human services	607
Nahan Printing	Commercial and Direct Mail Printing	603
Verso Paper	Publication Catalog and Papers	588
New Flyer USA	Bus Manufacturer	580
Sauk Rapids School District #47	Education	562
Knife River	Aggregate, concrete products, asphalt	530
Fingerhut Direct Marketing	Direct mail catalog	530
Woodcraft Industries	Wood Cabinet Manufacturer	527
Antioch Company/Creative Memories	Photo album manufacturing	500

SOURCE: 2007 City of St. Cloud Assessor's Report, Partnership Data, Chamber of Commerce Community Profile