As you know, our group focuses primarily on acquiring multifamily, self-storage, and car wash assets in the Southeast US as well as running our lending business, which provides loans regularly in the Southeast US. We live and work in these markets on a daily basis, so we have firsthand knowledge of what’s going on in these places. Job growth is one of the major economic indicators we look at to evaluate the strength of a market. Below is a list of a few large employers by state so you can get a better idea of employer diversity.
Florida
Hillsborough Public Schools – Public school system in the Tampa area with about 25,000 employees
Naval Air Station Jacksonville – Navy base in the Jacksonville area with about 23,000 employees/service members
Publix Food Supermarkets – Southeast US regional grocery chain headquartered in Lakeland (slightly east of Tampa) with about 23,000 employees.
Orange County Public Schools – Public school system in the Orlando area with about 20,000 employees
Florida Hospital – Medical treatment facilities mostly located in the Orlando area with about 20,000 employees
Georgia
Coca-Cola – Headquartered in Atlanta with about 830,000 employees globally with about 130,000 in Georgia.
WakeMed Health and Hospitals – AFLAC – Insurance provider that employs about 465,000
UPS – Employs about 400,000 people
Home Depot – Employs about 300,000 nationwide
Delta Airlines – Employs 80,000 people
North Carolina
The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill – Commonly called UNC with its main campus in the Raleigh area with about 10,000 employees
Merrill Lynch and Company – Stocks and investment company with about 10,000 employees Medical treatment facilities mostly located in the Raleigh area with about 9,000 employees
Sylvan Learning Center – Academic tutoring business with about 7,000 employees
South Carolina
Michelin – Tire manufacturer located in the Greenville area with about 110,000 employees
Schaeffler Group – Manufacturer and distributor of rolling element bearings for automotive, aerospace, and industrial uses with about 90,000 employees with its US operation based in Fort Mill
Children’s Hospital of Charleston and Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) – Health and education systems providing care and research with a combined 20,000 employees
BMW Manufacturing Co. – An auto manufacturer that employs more than 10,000.
Tennessee
FedEx – Employees about 425,000 people and is headquartered in Memphis
HCA Healthcare – For-profit provider with about 200 locations across the US and is headquartered in Nashville with about 235,000 employees
Vanderbilt University and Hospitals – The university and hospitals employ about 60,000 people combined.
Eastman Chemical Co. – Manufactures chemicals, fibers, and plastic with about 15,000 employees.
Nissan North America Inc. – An auto manufacturer that employs 6,500.
(Please note the figures might be dated and/or, in some cases, might include total company employee count instead of just their head office employee count.)
The above figures will continue to grow as the economy expands and more and more businesses and people migrate to the above states, making the Southeast US an ideal haven for smart investors.
