Erie Times-News | GoErie.com | Sunday, February 16, 2020 M7 Lord Corp.’s Robison Road facility in Summit Township. Lord, which was purchased in 2019 by Parker-Hannifin, is the only industrial company ranked as a top-20 employer in both Erie and Crawford counties. [FILE PHOTO/ERIE TIMES-NEWS] TOP EMPLOYERS’ LIST POINTS TO DIVERSE ECONOMY By Jim Martin jmartin@timesnews.com A s always, the list of Erie’s top 50 employers includes plenty of familiar names, employers like Erie Indemnity — No. 1 on the list — along with UPMC Hamot and Saint Vincent Hospital. More than anything else, the most recent list, compiled at the end of the June 2019 by the state Center for Workforce Information & Analysis, underlines the diversity of a local economy once dominated by GE Transportation. At its peak, the company, one of Erie’s top-paying manufacturers, employed as many as 18,000 people. It was the massive main engine in a local economy built on manufacturing. But the threat of just how much there was to lose, given the volatile nature of the freight locomotive business, was never far from anyone’s mind. Today, Wabtec, the successor to GE Transportation, remains at No. 2 on the list with about 2,500 employees. But the days of a single, dominant employer seem, more than ever, to be a thing of the past, a recognition that the list of top employers is more diverse than ever. The most recent list of Erie County’s top employers is dominated by hospitals and other health care providers, social service agencies and educational employers of one kind or another. Four local school districts make the top 50 as do all four local universities and Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine. While Walmart is the nation’s largest employer, it ranks fifth in Erie County. Aside from Walmart and government employers, Lord Corp. is the only employer that ranks in the top 20 in both Erie and Crawford counties. Crawford County’s list of top employers is far Erie County Top employers, 2nd Quarter, 2019 Rank Employer Rank Employer 1 Erie Indemnity Co 26 Mercyhurst University 2 Wabtec US Rail Inc 27 PA State System of Higher Education 3 UPMC Hamot 28 Erie Homes for Children & Adults 4 State Government 29 Waldameer Park Inc 5 Wal-Mart Associates Inc 30 The Tamarkin Company 6 Saint Vincent Health Center 31 Saint Mary’s Home of Erie 7 Federal Government 32 Career Concepts Staffing Services Inc 8 School District of the City of Erie 33 Port Erie Plastics Inc 9 Dr. Gertrude A Barber Center Inc 34 C A Curtze Company 10 Erie County 35 Infinity Resources Inc 11 Regional Health Services Inc 36 Bay Valley Foods LLC 12 Millcreek Township School District 37 Millcreek Manor 13 City of Erie 38 Presbyterian Senior Care 14 Plastek Industries Inc 39 General McLane School District 15 Presque Isle Downs and Casino 40 Lowe’s Home Centers LLC 16 Country Fair Inc 41 SFC Global Supply Chain Inc 17 Lord Corporation 42 Fort LeBoeuf School District 18 YMCA of Greater Erie 43 Sarah A Reed Children’s Center 19 Wegmans Food Markets Inc 44 Lake Erie College of Osteopathic Medicine 20 Pennsylvania State University 45 Corry Manufacturing Company 21 Gannon University 46 Pleasant Ridge Manor 22 Dr. Gertrude A. Barber in Home Services 47 Northwest Tri-County Int Unit 23 Saint Vincent Med Ed & Research Inst 48 Eriez Mfg Co 24 Millcreek Community Hospital 49 Associated Clinical Laboratories LP 25 Voices for Independence 50 Rodao LLC Source: Quarterly Census of Employment and Wages Crawford County GANNETT Top employers, 2nd Quarter, 2019 Rank Employer 1 Meadville Medical Center 2 State Government 3 Crawford County 4 Wal-Mart Associates Inc 5 Acutec Precision Aerospace Inc 6 Crawford Central School District 7 Allegheny College 8 Wesbury United Methodist Community 9 Channellock Inc 10 Greenleaf Corporation more industrial in nature. About a third of Crawford County’s top 50 employers are manufacturers of one type or another. In Erie County, just seven of the top 50 are manufacturers and two of those are food processors. The Center for Workforce Analysis & Information provides another way to look at local employment, not through the lens of the top employers, but by ranking the job sectors in which we work. Restaurants and eating places, elementary and secondary schools and hospitals rank as the three top employment sectors in Erie County. Crawford County, which has traditionally touted itself as Tool City USA, also employs the most people in its restaurant sector. Second place, however, belongs to metalworking and machining. Elementary and secondary schools come in third. Jim Martin can be reached at 870-1668 or by email. Follow him on Twitter at www.twitter. com/ETNMartin. 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