2010 Central Mass. 100
Keeping score may not always be polite, but it sure is important, particularly when you are trying to measure how a local economy is doing.
And so we present the Central Mass. 100, our annual scorecard to measure the largest private employers in the region.
Perhaps the most startling aspect of this year's list is how little it has changed. We first compiled a Central Mass. 100 list in 2005. Back then, Worcester-based UMass Memorial Health Care and EMC occupied the top two spots, just as they do in 2010. Then, UMass Memorial reported 12,235 local employees. Today, that number stands at 13,764, an increase of 12.5 percent. Hopkinton-based EMC has also grown its Central Mass. staff over that four-year period, increasing from 6,800 to 8,800 today.
Reported Declines
Of course, that story of growth is not the same for every employer. Fidelity Investments has cut back dramatically on its local and statewide employment, opting to move jobs for less costly pastures (see Page 11 for more detail).
Similarly, many manufacturers have cut back. Take Nypro, for example. The Clinton-based plastics manufacturer reported 1,200 local employees in 2005. Today, they have just 900.
In all, our Central Mass. 100 represents approximately 130,000 jobs in the region.
Beyond the numbers, the list also provides other insights into the local economy. For example, there are nine female chief executives on this list and just one man of the cloth (the Rev. Michael C. McFarland, president of the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester).
Hospitals make up a large portion of the list. There are 11 on the list. By contrast, there's only one credit union - Digital Federal Credit Union - that cracked the Top 100. Colleges are also prevalent throughout the list, occupying 10 spots.
Nearly one-third of the list (31) are companies based in Worcester. Framingham comes in second, as headquarters to 10 firms.
There's also a story in those companies that just missed the list. Bristol-Myers Squibb, which is ramping up its manufacturing plant in Devens, the former army base, currently has about 250 employees.
With FDA approval for manufacturing at the plant expected soon, BMS will surely make the Central Mass. 100 next year. Meanwhile, Wright Line of Worcester, which designs, manufacturers and distributes professional furniture, just missed the list with its 254 local employees.
In addition to this special print edition, you can visit WBJournal.com to check out an interactive map of the Central Mass. 100. You can also download the list in a PDF or Excel spreadsheet. Just click on The Lists on the home page.
Please let us know what you think of this year's list. Send your comments to editorial@wbjournal.com.
Interactive Maps
Alphabetical index of 2010 Central Mass. 100.
WBJ Web Partners
Most Recent
Most Recent
0 Comments