Palm Beach County is one of the tri-county economic powerhouses driving South Florida’s economy, in conjunction with Broward and Miami-Dade counties. With no state income tax and low corporate taxes, Florida is a highly attractive location for business, and the many construction cranes dotting the skyline in Palm Beach County are a testament to its current growth. Job growth over the next ten years is projected by Sperling’s Best Placesto be 42.3 percent.
The county offers attractive incentives to firms establishing or relocating here, with a dedicated Business Development Board (www.bdb.org) to help firms with permitting, incentive funding, workforce development, site selection, connections to public and private resources and more.
A strong infrastructure links the Palm Beaches to Broward and Dade counties to the south, Orlando to the north, and the Caribbean – and the world – via the Port of Palm Beach and the Palm Beach International Airport.
The county is one of the largest sugar producers in the nation, and home to Florida Crystals, the only producer of organic sugar in the country. A biomass energy generation industry has grown up on sugar cane byproduct, innovating how clean energy is developed and delivered, and attracting other energy innovators to the area.
Palm Beach County is the preferred leisure destination for over 2 million people per year, among them the most affluent consumers in the world. For the equestrian, Wellington is the center of the United States, with the largest equestrian industry and events in the country.
Technology is a major industry, with the Palm Beaches counting aerospace giants Pratt & Whitney, Sikorsky, and Lockheed Martin among the many technologically advanced manufacturing firms that operate here. As the original home of IBM’s first desktop personal computer, the county has long had a strong computer/software and communications technology industry. Supported by the presence of Florida Atlantic University, a research university, and top national research institutes like Scripps and Max Planck, technological fields have been rapidly expanding into the life sciences and medical sciences.
For all these reasons and more, Palm Beach County is ranked by Forbes as the #19 in Best Places for Business and Careers in the United States.
The following is a list of Palm Beach County's 25 largest employers. It includes corporations and government/municipal organizations in a range of industries, as well as a brief description of each company/organization and its services.
1. Palm Beach County School District
3300 Forest Hill Blvd.
West Palm Beach, FL 33406
561-434-8000
The Palm Beach County School District has over 22,000 employees,12,898 teachers, 187 schools and 183,000 students. The district offers both International Baccalaureate programs and specialized career academies where students can explore interests as diverse as veterinary/equine sciences and digital design, and prepare for college and career. The district places a focus on STEM education and works with 1,200 business partners in all sectors to support and develop educational programs. The district is the fifth largest in Florida and the eleventh largest in the United States.
2. Tenet Healthcare
5810 Coral Ridge Drive, Suite 300
Coral Springs, Florida 33076
800-836-3848
Tenet Healthcare Corporation is a diversified healthcare services company with more than 130,000 employees (6,100 in Palm Beach County). Through its subsidiaries, partnerships and joint ventures, including United Surgical Partners International (USPI), the company operates general acute care hospitals, short-stay surgical hospitals and outpatient centers in the United States and United Kingdom. Tenet’s Conifer Health Solutions subsidiary provides technology-enabled performance improvement and health management solutions to hospitals, health systems, integrated delivery networks (IDN), physician groups, self-insured organizations and health plans. Tenet also operates six health plans.
3. Palm Beach County Board of Commissioners
301 N. Olive Avenue
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
561-355-2030
Employing over 5,500 people (outside of the school district), Palm Beach County is one of its own largest employers. The list of services provided and departments managed by the county would fill several pages. Needing workers of every educational level and ability, the roster of county employees continues to grow. The county is highly active in attracting new business and supporting the relocation and establishment of businesses moving to the Palm Beaches, offering tax incentives, grants, and other incentives.
4. NextEra Energy (Parent company of Florida Power & Light)
700 Universe Blvd.,
North Palm Beach, FL 33408
561-691-7171
NextEra Energy, Inc. is a leading clean energy company with consolidated revenues of approximately $17.0 billion, approximately 44,900 megawatts of generating capacity, which includes megawatts associated with non-controlling interests related to NextEra Energy Partners, LP (NYSE: NEP), and approximately 13,800 employees in 27 states (3,854 in Palm Beach County) and Canada as of year-end 2014.
5. HCA Healthcare East Florida Division
450 E Las Olas Blvd., #1100
Fort Lauderdale, FL 33301
866-442-2362
HCA Hospitals employ 2,714 people in Palm Beach County at three hospitals, JFK, Palms West and West Palm. Based in Nashville, HCA was one of the nation's first hospital companies. Today, it is the nation's leading provider of healthcare services, a company comprised of locally managed facilities that includes about 165 hospitals and 115 freestanding surgery centers in 20 states and England and employs approximately 204,000 people. Approximately four to five percent of all inpatient care delivered in the United States is provided by HCA facilities.
6. Florida Atlantic University
777 Glades Road
Boca Raton, FL 33431
561-297-3000
FAU is part of Florida’s state university system. With its main campus in Boca Raton, there are also six satellite campuses from Davie in the south to Fort Pierce in the north. FAU has been recognized by the Carnegie Foundation as a research university with high research activity. Established in 1961, today FAU serves 31,000 students, with 1,600 academic staff and 1,500 administrative staff. As one of the fastest growing campuses in the United States, FAU is closely tied to the business community throughout Palm Beach County. Under the leadership of President John W. Kelly, it has raised its academic standards, received recognition for its research components, increased funding, built new facilities, and established partnerships with notable research institutions. The Charles E. Schmidt College of Medicine opened in 2011.
7. Bethesda Health
2815 S. Seacrest Blvd.
Boynton Beach, FL 33435
561-737-7733
Bethesda Health employs 2,600 people in the county. Founded in 1959, this healthcare organization serves the medical needs of South Palm Beach County with two not-for-profit hospitals, 401-bed Bethesda Hospital East and 80-bed Bethesda Hospital West, Bethesda Health is comprised of more than 670 physicians in more than 40 areas of specialty on its medical staff. Bethesda Health and its affiliates offer a full array of healthcare services, including the Bethesda Heart Hospital for the most comprehensive level of cardiovascular services, general, vascular and endovascular surgery, maternity, neonatal and pediatric intensive care, women’s health services and the Bethesda Comprehensive Cancer Center.
8. Boca Raton Regional Hospital
800 Meadows Road
Boca Raton, FL 33486
561-395-7100
Boca Raton Regional Hospital employs 2,500 people. Born out of compelling community need in 1967, BRRH is a not-for-profit, advanced tertiary medical center with 400 beds, over 2,100 employees and more than 800 primary and specialty physicians on staff. The Hospital is a recognized leader in Cardiovascular Care, Oncology, Women’s Health, Orthopedics, Emergency Medicine and the Neurosciences, all of which offer state-of-the-art diagnostic and imaging capabilities. Boca Raton Regional Hospital is accredited by The Joint Commission and is one of only four hospitals in Palm Beach County to be designated by the Florida Agency for Healthcare Administration (AHCA) as a Comprehensive Stroke Center.
9. Veterans Health Administration
7305 N. Military Trail
Riviera Beach, FL 33410
561-422-8262
The Veterans Health Administration is home to the United States’s largest integrated health care system consisting of 152 medical centers, in addition to nearly 1,400 community-based outpatient clinics, community living centers, Vet Centers and Domiciliaries. Together these health care facilities provide care to more than 8.3 million Veterans each year. The VHA in West Palm Beach employs 2,500 people. The medical center is a general medical, psychiatric and surgical facility, and is a teaching hospital, providing a full range of patient care services, with state-of-the-art technology as well as education and limited research. Comprehensive healthcare is provided through primary care and long-term care in the areas of dentistry, extended care, medicine, neurology, oncology, pharmacy, physical medicine, psychiatry, rehabilitation, and surgery. The West Palm Beach VA Medical Center operates a Blind Rehabilitation Center which is the referral center for blind and visually impaired Veterans from throughout the state of Florida.
10. Jupiter Medical Center
1210 S. Old Dixie Hwy.
Jupiter, FL 33458
561-263-2234
Jupiter Medical Center is a not-for-profit 327-bed regional medical center consisting of 207 private acute-care hospital beds and 120 long-term care, sub-acute rehabilitation, and Hospice beds, Jupiter Medical Center is re-imagining how to restore the community’s health and wellness. Award-winning physicians, world-class partnerships and innovative techniques and technology enable Jupiter Medical Center to provide a broad range of services with specialty concentrations in cardiology, oncology, imaging, orthopedics & spine, digestive health, emergency services, lung and thoracic, women’s health, weight management and men’s health. Founded in 1979, Jupiter Medical Center has approximately 1,500 team members, 575 physicians, and 640 volunteers. Jupiter Medical Center continues to perform in the top 10 percent of hospitals for patient quality and satisfaction.
11. The Breakers
1 S. County Road
Palm Beach, FL 33480
561-655-6611
The Breakers historic resort in Palm Beach is one of the iconic landmarks of Florida. Employing over 2,000 people, this spectacular destination has enticed travelers for generations to enjoy its Italian Renaissance setting. Opened in 1896 by railroad tycoon Henry Flagler, today’s hotel and grounds occupy 140 acres of land on the Atlantic Ocean. Amenities include 2 golf courses, tennis courts, 4 pools, on-site shopping, a fitness center and a spa. Dining is offered at 7 restaurants, and there are several lounges.
12. Office Depot (headquarters)
6600 North Military Trail
Boca Raton, FL 33496
1-800-463-3768
Office Depot employs 2,000 people at its headquarters location in Boca Raton. Formed by the merger of Office Depot and Office Max, Office Depot, Inc. is a leading global provider of products, services, and solutions for every workplace. The company’s retail stores are a single source for everything customers need to be more productive, including the latest technology, core office supplies, facilities products, furniture, and school essentials. It also provides a variety of services including copy and print, technical services, mailing, and shipping. The company serves consumers and businesses in 57 countries with more than 2,000 retail stores, award-winning e-commerce sites, and a dedicated business-to-business sales organization all delivered through a global network of wholly owned operations, joint ventures, franchisees, licensees and alliance partners.
13. Florida Crystals
1 N. Clematis St #200
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
561-366-5100
With over 1,700 employees in Palm Beach County, Florida Crystals is a leading national brand in the organic and natural market. The organic and natural consumer products are made from fresh Florida sugar cane that is harvested and milled on the same day. A single-crystallization process preserves the cane’s original sun-sweetened flavor. Florida Crystals is America’s first and only certified organic sugar that is 100 percent made in the USA, and its products are free of artificial additives and preservatives. Florida Crystals maintains the highest standards of environmentally friendly farming. Along with being one of the leading organic farmers in the country, the company owns and operates the largest renewable energy facility of its kind in North America. This biomass power facility uses leftover sugar cane fiber and recycled urban wood waste as fuel to produce clean, reliable energy that powers both the sugar operations and tens of thousands of homes.
14. Wells Fargo Bank
County-wide locations
San Francisco-based Wells Fargo bank has a large presence in Florida, employing 1,367 people in Palm Beach County alone at over 40 locations. Wells Fargo & Company is a nationwide, diversified financial services company with $1.8 trillion in assets. Founded in 1852, Wells Fargo provides banking, insurance, investments, mortgage, and consumer and commercial financial services through 8,700 locations, 12,800 ATMs, online, and mobile devices. Wells Fargo does business with 70 million customers and one in three U.S. Households and has approximately 265,000 team members in 36 countries across more than 90 businesses.
15. City of West Palm Beach
401 Clematis Street
West Palm Beach, FL 33401
561-822-2222
The City of West Palm Beach, unlike the majority of municipalities in Palm Beach County, is a "Strong Mayor" form of government. The Mayor of West Palm Beach operates as the city's full-time Chief Executive Officer, and all operating decisions and responsibilities rest in the Mayor's office. With over 1,300 employees on the city payroll, the city has a strategy of both service and growth. To achieve the city’s economic development goals it partners with the Business Development Board, Chambers of Commerce, the Economic Council, Development Services, Planning and Zoning, and business leaders throughout the city.
16. Boca Raton Resort & Club
501 E. Camino Real
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
888-543-1277
With 1,292 staff, the Boca Raton Resort & Club is the showpiece of the South Florida-Mediterranean revival style architecture. Designed by Addison Mizner, this landmark is one of the most beautiful and beloved buildings in the county. The distinctive tower, the tallest building in southern Palm Beach County, was added by Arthur Vining Davis in 1969 and painted a distinctive “Boca Pink.” Sitting within the Boca Raton Inlet on Lake Boca Raton, the amenities include a beach, 2 golf courses, a 50,000 sq. ft. spa, 7 pools, and a 24/7 fitness center, plus 30 tennis courts, a kids' club, and a surf school. There are 7 restaurants and bars, plus pool and beach-side dining. Like The Breakers and The Royal Poinciana in Palm Beach, the Boca Raton Resort & Club caters to an affluent clientele.
17. City of Boca Raton
201 W. Palmetto Park Road
Boca Raton, Florida 33432
561-393-7700
Boca Raton is the second largest city in Palm Beach County, has 1,230 employees, and has a major economic impact on the county’s economy. It is home to Florida Atlantic University, and many of the largest employers in the county are located here. The City of Boca Raton supports the business community and facilitates economic development programs to create and maintain economic sustainability. In 2014, an Economic Development Fund was created and funded. This fund provides incentives for companies seeking to relocate to Boca Raton, or to expand their existing business in the city. Incentives include local matches for state economic development programs, grants and/or loans and subsidized leases. The city can also provide non-financial incentives such as expedited permitting, groundbreaking ceremonies and ribbon cuttings. Boca Raton has established partnerships with the Florida Department of Economic Opportunity, Palm Beach County, The Business Development Board of Palm Beach County and The Boca Raton Chamber of Commerce.
18. Sikorsky Aircraft
17900 Beeline Hwy.
Jupiter, FL 33478
561-775-5200
Now a subsidiary of Lockheed Martin, Sikorsky Aircraft employs over 1,180 people in Palm Beach county. Lockheed also has a military submersibles operation in West Palm Beach and Riviera Beach. Sikorsky’s campus is in a rural area where the company tests helicopters with sound barriers. The company has invested $2.4 million of a planned $10.3 million (by 2018) into the Palm Beach helicopter facility.
19. Palm Beach State College
4200 S Congress Ave.
Lake Worth, FL 33461
561-967-7222
Palm Beach State College serves Palm Beach County’s 1.3 million residents in beginning their college education. PBSC is the largest institution of higher education in the county, serving about 48,000 students annually. One of 28 institutions in the Florida College System, PBSC offers bachelor’s degrees, associate degrees, professional certificates, career training, corporate and continuing education, and lifelong learning. Students may choose to enroll at campus locations in Lake Worth, Boca Raton, Palm Beach Gardens, and Belle Glade, or to take convenient eLearning courses offered online. Construction is under way for a fifth campus in Loxahatchee Groves, opening in 2016. The estimated accumulated contribution of Palm Beach State instruction received by former students annually adds some $979.9 million in income to Palm Beach County.
20. G4S Secure Solutions USA (headquarters)
1395 University Blvd.
Jupiter, Florida 33458
561-691-6669
Formerly known in the United States as Wackenhut, G4S focuses on advancing the safety and security of businesses and governments, ensuring the security of key assets — people, property, products, and reputation. The headquarters in Jupiter employees over 1,100 people. The company has operations in more than 100 countries and has 611,000 employees worldwide, with 54,000 in North America. The company has deployed 3 million miles of fiber optic cable and completed more than 1,500 complex security systems around the world. The company’s security systems are used at every U.S. Marine Corps base in the world.
21. Bank of America
Countywide locations
Charlotte, NC-based Bank of America is the second-largest bank in the country and it employees over 1,000 people in Palm Beach County, with banks at many locations. Bank of America provides products and services through its 5,100 banking centers, 16,300 ATMs, telephone call centers, and online and mobile banking platforms. BofA offers a Consumer Real Estate Services segment with both fixed and adjustable rate first-lien mortgage loans for home purchase and refinancing needs, home equity lines of credit, and home equity loans. The bank serves approximately 50 million customers, both in the United States and in more than 40 countries.
22. South Florida Water Management District
3301 Gun Club Road
West Palm Beach, Florida 33406
561-686-8800
The South Florida Water Management District is a regional governmental agency that oversees the water resources in the southern half of the state, covering 16 counties from Orlando to the Florida Keys and serving a population of 8.1 million residents. It employs 978 people in Palm Beach County, and is the oldest and largest of the state's five water management districts. Created in 1949, the agency is responsible for managing and protecting water resources of South Florida by balancing and improving flood control, water supply, water quality and natural systems. A key initiative is the restoration of America's Everglades – the largest environmental restoration project in the nation's history. The district is also working to improve the Kissimmee River and its floodplain, Lake Okeechobee and South Florida's coastal estuaries.
23. FirstService Residential
6300 Park of Commerce Blvd.
Boca Raton, FL 33487
561-997-4045
FirstService Residential is the leading residential property management company in North America, providing full-service, professional association management services to more than 6,500 properties and over 1.5 million residential units across 21 U.S. states and three provinces in Canada. The firm has over 14,000 employees, with 945 in the Palm Beaches. FirstService managed properties include low-, mid- and high-rise condominiums and cooperatives, as well as single-family home Homeowner Associations (HOAs) and large-scale master-planned, lifestyle and active adult communities, commercial associations and mixed-use developments, as well as multi-family and investor-owned rental and REO properties for institutional and private equity clients.
24. National Council on Compensation Insurance [NCCI] (headquarters)
901 Peninsula Corporate Circle
Boca Raton, FL 33487
561-893-1000
NCCI is the most experienced provider of workers compensation information in the nation. Operating on a not-for-profit basis since 1923, NCCI analyzes industry data and trends, and develops tools and services in support of its mission to foster a healthy workers compensation system. It offers a range of solutions, such as underwriting resources, data tools, residual market information, terrorism risk insurance, state regulatory activities, employee leasing information, and other resources for workers compensation professionals. With over 925 employees, NCCI is one of the largest employers in Palm Beach County. NCCI’s employees continually exhibit a culture of caring and volunteerism that touches scores of nonprofit charitable and community organizations across the region.
25. U.S. Sugar Corporation
111 Ponce de Leon Ave.
Clewiston, FL 33440
863-983-8121
United States Sugar Corporation is one of the nation’s largest fully integrated producer of sugar cane, one of Florida’s major producers of orange juice products and a regional short-line railroad operator. Headquartered in Clewiston, Florida the company farms more than 200,000 acres in Hendry, Glades, and Palm Beach counties and employs approximately 1,700 people (approximately 900 in Palm Beach County) including many high skilled/wage jobs in automated environments. The company produces 800,000 tons of refined sugar a year and more than 7 million tons of sugarcane annually. U.S. Sugar also is the largest bulk supplier of premium, not-from-concentrate (NFC) orange juice in the country and one of the largest independent suppliers of NFC juice to major brands. It has the capacity to process up to 20 million boxes of oranges per season, producing more than 100 million gallons of orange juice.
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