Centre County’s 40 largest employers: No. 1 is no surprise, but there are some newcomers
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Business Matters 2023
We’re taking a look at some of Centre County’s longest-running businesses, how they got there and the challenges they face now. Read more of our Business Matters series.
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Centre County’s economy continues to be driven by the education, government and health care sectors. The following is a list of the 40 largest employers in the county, compiled from the state Department of Labor and Industry Center for Workforce Information and Analysis. All results are from the second quarter of 2022.
1. Penn State
University Park
President: Neeli Bendapudi
What: A public research university with about 40,000 undergraduates enrolled at its main campus.
Previous rank: 1
2. State government
Governor: Josh Shapiro
What: There are 27 entities with 29 establishments classified under state government. The largest share of employment is with the departments of Corrections and Transportation.
Previous rank: 2
3. Mount Nittany Medical Center
1800 E. Park Ave., State College
President/CEO: Kathleen Rhine
Chief medical officer, Mount Nittany Medical Center: Dr. Upendra Thaker
Chief medical officer, population health: Dr. Nirmal Joshi
What: Mount Nittany Health is a regional health system with 19 locations in a six-county area. It includes Mount Nittany Medical Center, a 260-bed acute care facility, and Mount Nittany Physician Group, a practice with providers in more than 30 specialties.
Previous rank: 3
4. State College Area School District
240 Villa Crest Drive, State College
Interim superintendent: Curtis Johnson
What: The district serves residents of State College and Benner, College, Ferguson, Halfmoon, Harris and Patton townships with a 2022-23 budget of $180.3 million. The district has one high school, two middle schools, eight elementary schools and the alternative Delta Program at the middle and high school levels.
Previous rank: 4
5. Glenn O. Hawbaker Inc.
1952 Waddle Road, Suite 203, State College
What: The company operates quarries and asphalt production facilities in Pennsylvania and nearby states, and provides asphalt paving, road construction and engineering design services.
Previous rank: 5
6. Wal-Mart Associates Inc.
What: An Arkansas-based retail business that manages discount department stores around the world. There are two Walmart stores and one Sam’s Club in Centre County.
Previous rank: 6
7. Centre County
420 Holmes St., Bellefonte
Commissioners: Mark Higgins, chair; Amber Concepcion, vice chair; and Steve Dershem
What: The county has a 2023 budget of $106.9 million.
Previous rank: 8
8. Geisinger Clinic
What: Geisinger serves patients in central and northeastern Pennsylvania and has Centre County clinics in Bellefonte, Philipsburg and the State College area.
Previous rank: 9
9. Weis Markets Inc.
What: A Sunbury-based supermarket chain with locations in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, Delaware, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia. There are five Centre County stores, located in State College, Bellefonte and Philipsburg.
Previous rank: 7
10. Federal government
President: Joe Biden
What: There are 11 agencies with 46 establishments in Centre County. The largest share of employment is with the U.S. Postal Service, and the departments of Commerce, Defense and Veterans Affairs.
Previous rank: 10
11. Mount Nittany Medical Center Health Services
1800 E. Park Ave., State College
What: Mount Nittany Health is a regional health system with 19 locations in a six-county area. It includes Mount Nittany Medical Center, a 260-bed acute care facility, and Mount Nittany Physician Group, a practice with providers in more than 30 specialties..
Previous rank: 11
12. Bellefonte Area School District
318 N. Allegheny St., Bellefonte
Superintendent: Tammie Burnaford
What: The district has one high school, one middle school and four elementary schools, and serves residents of Bellefonte and Benner, Marion, Spring and Walker townships. The district has a 2022-23 budget of $57.3 million.
Previous rank: 12
13. Restek Corp.
110 Benner Circle, Bellefonte
President: Bryan Wolcott
What: A company that develops and manufactures chromatography products used in a wide range of scientific analysis. Restek was founded in 1985 in Centre County.
Previous rank: 14
14. Wegmans Food Markets Inc.
What: A regional grocery store chain based in New York with locations in eight states and Washington, D.C. It has a store in State College.
Previous rank: 13
15. Giant Food Stores LLC
What: The Carlisle-based supermarket chain, which is known as The Giant Co., has stores in Pennsylvania, Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia, and offers grocery delivery to New Jersey. Giant has three Centre County locations: two in State College and one in Bellefonte that opened in December.
Previous rank: 15
16. AccuWeather Inc.
385 Science Park Road, State College
Founder, CEO and chairman: Joel Myers
What: A weather and digital media company headquartered in State College that provides weather forecasting services around the world. It serves people daily through digital media properties including AccuWeather.com, the AccuWeather app and AccuWeather Network, as well as radio, television and newspapers.
Previous rank: 16
17. Raytheon Co.
What: Raytheon merged with United Technologies in 2020 and is now known as Raytheon Technologies. The aerospace and defense company’s State College office is part of Raytheon Intelligence and Space.
Previous rank: 17
18. Sheetz Inc.
What: A family-owned convenience store chain based in Altoona that operates in Pennsylvania, Maryland, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and West Virginia. There are about a dozen Sheetz locations in Centre County.
Previous rank: 19
19. Bald Eagle Area School District
751 S. Eagle Valley Road, Wingate
Superintendent: Curt Whitesel
What: The district serves residents of Boggs, Burnside, Howard, Huston, Snow Shoe, Union and Worth townships, and Howard, Milesburg, Port Matilda, Snow Shoe and Unionville boroughs. There is a combined middle/high school, and four elementary schools. The district’s 2022-23 budget is $35.44 million.
Previous rank: 22
20. FourGSC LLC
What: The company operates McDonald’s locations across the region, including several in Centre County.
Previous rank: 24
21. YMCA of Centre County
125 W. High St., Bellefonte
President/CEO: Scott Mitchell
What: A not-for-profit community-centered organization. There are branches in Bellefonte, State College, Philipsburg and Spring Mills.
Previous rank: 21
22. Quality Plaza
1829 Pine Hall Road, State College
What: Minitab/Quality Plaza creates data analysis software for businesses and educational statistics software for schools.
Previous rank: 25
23. UHS of Pennsylvania Inc.
What: A subsidiary of King of Prussia-based Universal Health Services Inc., which operates more than 350 acute care hospitals, and behavioral health facilities and ambulatory centers in the U.S. and U.K. In Centre County, the company operates The Meadows Psychiatric Center, a 119-bed private behavioral health facility in Centre Hall.
Previous rank: 20
24. HRI Inc.
1750 W. College Ave., State College
What: The construction company was founded in State College in 1947. Part of Colas Inc., the company’s operations include paving, water, sewer, airport, highway and bridge projects along with asphalt plants and aggregate quarries.
Previous rank: 18
25. Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
What: Primary care physicians and specialists practice at seven locations in Centre County as part of the Penn State Health Medical Group.
Previous rank: 23
www.pennstatehealth.org/centre-county
26. Penns Valley Area School District
4528 Penns Valley Road, Spring Mills
Superintendent: Brian Griffith
What: The district serves residents of Centre Hall and Millheim and Gregg, Haines, Miles, Penn and Potter townships. The district has a combined junior/senior high school, an intermediate school and three elementary schools. The district’s 2022-23 budget is $31.5 million.
Previous rank: 27
27. Powdr - Woodward PA LLC
What: An adventure lifestyle company with brands that include mountain resorts and destinations, media production and distribution, and Woodward action sport camps, including one in Centre County.
Previous rank: 26
28. Aveanna Healthcare LLC
What: Atlanta-based Aveanna has a State College location that offers private nursing and personal care for children and adults.
Previous rank: 33
29. BK Medical
What: The Massachusetts-based company, part of GE Healthcare, designs active imaging systems to help surgeons quickly make critical decisions during procedures. The company has a State College location.
Previous rank: 32
30. Foxdale Village Corp.
500 E. Marylyn Ave., State College
What: Foxdale Village is a Quaker-directed, nonprofit continuing care retirement community.
Previous rank: 29
31. Target Corp.
What: The Minneapolis-based retailer has two stores in the State College area.
Previous rank: 30
32. Borough of State College
243 S. Allen St., State College
Manager: Tom Fountaine
Mayor: Ezra Nanes
What: The borough oversees local government services.
Previous rank: 34
33. Shaner Operating Corp.
1965 Waddle Road, State College
President: Plato Ghinos
What: Shaner Corp. comprises Shaner Capital, Bronder Technical Services, Hydro Recovery LP, Keystone Water, Shaner Italia and Shaner Hotel Group. The largest entity, Shaner Hotel Group, owns or operates about 60 hotels and resorts around the world.
Previous rank: 38
34. Best Buy Stores LP
What: The Minnesota-based electronics retailer has a store in State College.
Previous rank: was not on last year’s list
35. Centre Crest
250 Persia Road, Bellefonte
What: Now known as Centre Care, the facility provides medical care and services for those in need of short-term rehabilitation, long-term nursing services, memory care or respite stays.
Previous rank: 28
36. PMG Pennsylvania Corp.
What: The Philipsburg business is PMG’s North American location for developing and manufacturing shock absorber components.
Previous rank: was not on last year’s list
37. Encompass Health Nittany Valley Rehab
550 W. College Ave., Pleasant Gap
What: Encompass Health Rehabilitation Hospital of Nittany Valley provides comprehensive rehabilitation services for recovery after stroke, brain injury, spinal cord injury and more.
Previous rank: 35
www.encompasshealth.com/nittanyvalleyrehab
38. Strawberry Fields Inc.
3054 Enterprise Drive, State College
CEO: Cynthia Pasquinelli
What: A private nonprofit that supports individuals and families with developmental delays, intellectual disabilities and mental illness. The organization provides employment for people with disabilities at two stores, Scraps & Skeins and Good Day Cafe.
Previous rank: 36
39. MilliporeSigma
What: Manufactures chromatography columns and other related products for analytical scientists.
Previous rank: 37
40. Niagara Bottling LLC
What: The California-based company operates a water bottling plant near Milesburg. Coca-Cola sold the facility in 2020.
Previous rank: was not on last year’s list
The next five:
41. Lowe’s Home Centers LLC
42. Graymont (PA) Inc.
43. Advanced Powder Products Inc.
44. Hanover Foods Inc.
45. Raising Cane’s USA LLC
This story was originally published February 23, 2023 at 12:55 PM.
