Central Oregon Economic Development Authority releases annual list of largest employers
Bend, Oregon (KTVZ) – Economic Development of Central Oregon (EDCO) on Thursday released the 2024 Central Oregon Largest Employers List, which includes a breakdown of each community's top employers.
Collected annually by EDCO for the past 23 years, this data is the most comprehensive list of major employers in Central Oregon.
This year, the top 50 private companies collectively employed 22,340 Central Oregonians, which is about the same as the region's average annual non-farm payroll of 107,550 as of March 2024. Equivalent to 20%. St. Charles Health System is once again by far the leader, employing 4,791 people across the region, an 8.9% increase compared to the same period last year.
There are no major changes at the top of the region's list, with Mount Batchelor retaining second place and Les Schwab still in third place, but Meta's Facebook data center in Prineville has moved up from sixth place. Due to the jump, there is a new entry in the top 10. In the past year, the number of employees has increased from 350 to 600.
The top five companies in the trade sector that primarily sell goods and services outside the local market and generate revenue for the region from domestic or international markets are:
- Les Schwab Headquarters and Tire Centers (Oregon Region) – Founded in 1952 as a small shop in Prineville, Oregon, Les Schwab Tire Centers currently employs more than 7,000 people nationwide.
- Bright Wood Corporation (Rural Oregon) – America's largest independent manufacturer of window and patio door parts and engineered dimensional lumber
- BASX Solutions (Redmond, Oregon) – An industry leader in manufacturing high-efficiency data center cooling solutions, cleanroom systems, custom HVAC systems, and modular solutions.
- Epic Aircraft, LLC (Bend, Oregon) – A leading designer and manufacturer of high-performance, all-composite, six-seat, single-engine turboprop aircraft.
- Lonza, formerly Bend Research (Bend, Oregon) – One of the world's leading providers of integrated healthcare solutions, from early stage development to custom development and manufacturing of active pharmaceutical ingredients.
Of these top five companies in the trade sector, BASX Solutions recorded the highest rate of new employment growth since last year, adding 133 new positions. The company expects this job growth to continue into his 2025.
“Private trade sector businesses make Central Oregon more resilient during economic fluctuations and enrich the quality of life for our entire community,” said John Stark, CEO of EDCO.
“At EDCO, we are dedicated to helping these companies face and overcome challenges related to workforce development, market research, land use, physical space needs, access to capital, and more.400 Working with Trade Sector Companies Beyond the Company We work every year to ensure business leaders have the vital tools and resources they need to grow, so these companies can thrive and job opportunities for Central Oregonians. It's good to see it grow.”
When evaluating the region for investment, new business or expansion, companies need information about the existing employment base and largest private employers in both traded sectors (high tech, advanced manufacturing, science, etc.) and non-traded sectors. We often rely on EDCO to obtain . (e.g. retail, education, healthcare, hospitality, construction).
EDCO's regional list includes private (for-profit and not-for-profit) employers, while individual community-level lists include both private and public employers.
Click the link below to view the entire list.
Top 50 Public and Private Employers in Central Oregon 2024
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employers – Bend
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employer – Redmond
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employers – Sisters
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employers – Sunriver and La Pine
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employer – Crook County
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employers – Jefferson County
2024 Central Oregon’s Largest Employers – Deschutes County
Data on the list is self-reported and unaudited and should be used as an informational guideline only. Companies are asked to provide the total number of employees during the most recent payroll period, or, for companies with a seasonal employment pattern, the highest number of employees for that season, rather than full-time equivalents. This number includes only employees working in Central Oregon and also includes contractors or interns if they are employed full-time and long-term. Some companies are excluded because they have chosen not to participate in these lists.
About Economic Development in Central Oregon
EDCO is a nonprofit corporation supported by private and public members and stakeholders whose mission is to create middle-class jobs in Central Oregon by: Helping entrepreneurs start new and scalable businesses. You can also work with companies that are already expanding their business. For more information, please visit www.edcoinfo.com.
