Major Employers
Freeport and Stephenson County employ skilled individuals in diverse businesses such as healthcare, manufacturing and value-added agriculture.
| Employer | Industry | # of Employees |
|---|---|---|
| The Helm Group | Construction, plumbing, heating & service | 1400 |
| FHN | Healthcare provider | 985 |
| The Morse Group | Electrical contractor | 905 |
| Berner Food & Beverage | Private label food manufacturing | 758 |
| Freeport School District #145 | Pre-K to 12 public school | 722 |
| Honeywell | Switches & sensors | 471 |
| Farmers Insurance | Insurance | 413 |
| Walmart | Retail | 380 |
| Titan Tire Corporation of Freeport | Auto, farm & industrial Trres | 340 |
| Snak King | Snack food packaging | 329 |
| Stewart & Associates | Business services | 215 |
| Newell Rubbermaid Co. | Freeport office | 260 |
| Stephenson County | Government | 226 |
| Danfoss | Manufacturing hydrostatic transmissions | 207 |
| Fehr Graham | Engineering Consultants | 205 |
| Liberty Village | Healthcare - nursing home | 183 |
| Nuestro Queso | Food manufacturing | 182 |
| City of Freeport | Municipality | 178 |
| Anchor Harvey | Forging & alloys | 150 |
| Highland Community College | Two-year junior college | 150 |
| Menards | Retail | 145 |
| Broadstep | Social service agency | 145 |
| Stephenson Service Co. | Agricultural | 141 |
| Walnut Acres | Healthcare - nursing home | 140 |
| Pearl Valley Farms | Agricultural | 135 |
| Pearl City Elevator | Agricultural | 132 |
| Tri Star Metals | Manufacturing | 120 |
| Piedmont Hardware Brands | Warehouse | 123 |
| YMCA | Not-for-profit organization | 120 |
| Fischer Inc. | Ready mix stone & excavation | 115 |
| Savencia Cheese | Food manufacturing | 112 |
| Sentry Insurance | Insurance | 110 |
| Cub Foods | Retail | 110 |
| Loescher HVAC | HVAC & plumbing | 108 |
| Pearl Pavillion | Healthcare & rehabilitation | 105 |
| Seaga Manufacturing | Vending manufacturing | 105 |
| Parkview Home | Retirement community | 105 |
| Provena/St. Joseph Campus | Healthcare - nursing home | 104 |
| HB Plastic, Inc. | Plastic molding | 100 |
| Sullivan's Foods | Retail | 90 |
| In Grown Farms | Medical and adult use cannabis cultivation | 88 |
| Freeport Park District | Recreation property | 82 |
| Farm & Fleet | Retail | 81 |
| Malcom Eaton Enterprises | Social service vocational center | 71 |
| Modern Plating Corporation | Metal finishing | 71 |
| CoreFX | Custom Ingredients Mfg | 63 |
| SPG International | Material & storage products | 61 |
| SSM Health | Healthcare | 60 |
| Culver's | Restaurant | 60 |
| ABM Janitorial | Cleaning service | 60 |
Key Industries
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A Stronger Economy Starts with a Welcoming Community June 30, 2026 In business, we understand a simple truth: growth depends on people. Talent, entrepreneurs, and investment follow opportunity—but just as importantly, they follow communities where they feel they can belong. Across Illinois, that idea is not just a value—it’s a strategy for economic growth. Communities that are welcoming to newcomers and open to people with different backgrounds are consistently positioned to compete more effectively for jobs, investment, […]
Downtown Freeport Celebrates Successful Launch of “The Great Pretzel Bite” During Pretzel Fest May 13, 2026 FREEPORT — Downtown Freeport made history on April 25 as community members gathered for the inaugural Great Pretzel Bite, a new signature event held during the Greater Freeport Partnership’s annual Pretzel Fest celebration. A total of 216 participants joined together in downtown Freeport to simultaneously take a bite of their pretzels, officially establishing the benchmark for future Great Pretzel Bite […]
New tourism brand “Simply Stephenson County” invites visitors to discover more May 4, 2026 The Greater Freeport Partnership is proud to announce the official launch of Simply Stephenson County, a new tourism brand designed to showcase the communities, attractions, and locally owned businesses of Freeport and Stephenson County as a Midwest outdoor getaway destination. Unveiled this week to coincide with National Travel and Tourism Week, the brand reflects a growing demand among travelers for meaningful, affordable, […]
BASE Camp Pitch Competition awards local entrepreneurs May 4, 2026 The Greater Freeport Partnership is proud to announce the winners of its 2026 BASE Camp Pitch Competition, the culminating event of its Business Academy for Small Businesses & Entrepreneurs (BASE) Camp program. After weeks of intensive coursework and business development training, three local entrepreneurs were selected as top finalists and awarded cash prizes to support the growth of their businesses: First […]