Chamber of Commerce compilation still shows school system at topThe top 72 employers in Rowan County have shed 1,045 jobs from last year, according to figures compiled by the Rowan County Chamber of Commerce.
Employers with at least 75 workers made the list and have 22,520 employees, a drop from the 23,565 total last year.
The Rowan/Salisbury School System remains the county’s top employer with 3,455. Food Lion is No. 2 with 2,330.
After leading the way for years, Freightliner continues to drop in numbers, from 3,000 last year to 1,985 listed in the 2008 report, for the third spot. Freightliner peaked at 4,500 workers in 2006.
Swing Transport was the only company to drop off the list this year, when employment dipped from 75 to 60 workers.
Taylor Clay Products, at 185 Peeler Road, cracked the list with 100 employees, up from 70 last year. Charles Taylor said the company has had as many as 120 employees, and is in the process of expanding even more now.
The other companies in the top 10 remained mostly unchanged from last year: VA Medical Center at 1,730 (up from 1,300); Rowan Regional Medical Center at 1,250; Rowan County at 745; Performance Fibers at 660 (which dropped one spot while changing its name from Invista and having 750 total employees last year); city of Salisbury at 455; Piedmont Correctional Institute at 450 and Meridian Automotive Systems at 360 (down from 430).
Other companies that saw significant boosts in employment include:
– Harmony Labs, which is moving into the former Wal-Mart building in Kannapolis at 2865 North Cannon Blvd., jumped to No. 18 with 235 employees.
– Hanesbrands Inc., at 308 E. Thom St. in China Grove, also boosted employees by 25 to appear at No. 21 with 195 employees.
– Aldi added 30 employees to reach No. 41 with 135 total employees at its distribution center at 1985 Old Union Church Road.