Leading Industries
Some of the best-known companies in the world call the Milwaukee Region home, including Briggs & Stratton, Harley-Davidson, Jockey International, Kohl’s Department Stores, Master Lock, ManpowerGroup, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation and S.C. Johnson.
We’re also home to several international leaders in business-to-business commerce, including A.O. Smith, Brady Corp., Fiserv, GE Healthcare Technologies, Johnson Controls, Joy Global and Modine Manufacturing.
It’s no coincidence that so many leading-edge companies call Milwaukee home. Consider the following:
- Milwaukee ranks in the top 20 on MarketWatch's 50 best U.S.metro areas for business, outpacing cities such as Austin,Texas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
- The Milwaukee Region is ranked one of the 25 best places for doing business by Inc. magazine
- KPMG, the internationally recognized audit, tax and advisory firm, says the region’s cost of doing business is among the best in the United States
FORTUNE 1000 COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION
| COMPANY | PRODUCTS/SERVICES | RANK | REVENUE (billions) |
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION |
| Northwestern Mutual | Insurance, financial services | 111 | $29.1 | Milwaukee |
| ManpowerGroup | Contract employment | 141 | $22 | Milwaukee |
| Kohl's | Department stores | 156 | $20.2 | Menomonee Falls |
| WEC Energy | Utility | 398 | $7.7 | Milwaukee |
| Rockwell Automation | Industrial controls and software | 452 | $6.7 | Milwaukee |
| Fiserv | Financial transaction and information management tools | 488 | $5.8 | Brookfield |
| Harley-Davidson | Motorcycles and accessories | 492 | $5.7 | Milwaukee |
| Quad/Graphics | Commercial printing and print management | 608 | $4.2 | Sussex |
| Snap-on | Tools and equipment | 619 | $4.1 | Kenosha |
| A.O. Smith | Electrical motors, water heaters and boilers | 731 | $3.2 | Milwaukee |
| Gardner Denver | Industrial pumps and compressors | 822 | $2.7 | Milwaukee |
| REV Group | Specialty vehicles | 883 | $2.4 | Milwaukee |
| Modine Manufacturing | Heat transfer products | 958 | $2.1 | Racine |
| Rexnord | Industrial equipment and components | 970 | $2.1 | Milwaukee |
| Generac | Backup power generators | 979 | $2 | Waukesha |
FORBES LARGEST PRIVATE COS. HEADQUARTERED IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION
| COMPANY | PRODUCTS/SERVICES | RANK | REVENUE (billions) |
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION |
| S.C. Johnson | Household products | 26 | $10.0 | Racine |
Milwaukee region largest employers
>> View the full list of top employers here.
| COMPANY | PRODUCTS/SERVICES | employment | HEADQUARTERS LOCATION |
| Aurora Health Care | Health care system | 25,700 | Milwaukee |
| Ascension Wisconsin | Health care system | 14,500 | Milwaukee |
| Froedtert Health | Health care services | 9,700 | Wauwatosa |
| Kroger Co./Roundy's | Food distributor & retailer | 8,300 | Milwaukee |
| Kohl's | Department stores | 7,800 | Menomonee Falls |
| Quad/Graphics | Commercial printing and print management | 6,800 | Sussex |
| GE Healthcare Technologies | Medical imaging & information systems | 6,000 | Waukesha |
| Medical College of Wisconsin | Medical school | 5,500 | Wauwatosa |
| Northwestern Mutual | Life insurance & investment services | 5,000 | Milwaukee |
| ProHealth Care Inc. | Health care system | 4,800 | Waukesha |
| Children's Hospital of Wisconsin | Pediatric health care services | 4,500 | Wauwatosa |
| WEC Energy | Electric & natural gas utility | 4,300 | Milwaukee |
