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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From Freeport to Everywhere: A simpler way to reach 350+ destinations with RFD + American Airlines Landline November 5, 2025 Freeport, Stephenson County Families and businesses across Stephenson County have a new, easier way to start a trip. American Airlines, operated by The Landline Company, connects Chicago Rockford International Airport (RFD) to American’s global network through Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD)—all on a single American itinerary that you book on AA.com or the American app. You begin your journey right here in our […]
Guest Columnist Kim McIver – Native American Heritage Month November 5, 2025 Freeport, quiet souls, Stephenson County The Partnership is honored to commemorate Native American Heritage Month with a guest column from Kim McIver of Quiet Souls in Freeport. Kim is also an Illinois Road Scholar and award-winning Ojibwa author from the White Earth Reservation in northwest Minnesota. We asked Kim a few questions to provide a better understanding of Native culture. As most of you know, November is […]
Saved by the Swifties August 18, 2025 Last week, I had the privilege of joining thousands of tourism industry professionals from around the country at the Destination International Annual Conference in Chicago. This is a conference our small destination wouldn’t usually attend, but being so close to home, it was a great opportunity to meet and learn from a much wider group. The people were amazing, education […]
A Welcoming Community Fuels Economic Growth June 12, 2025 A thriving economy starts with a welcoming community. When people from different backgrounds, cultures, races, and orientations feel valued and accepted, they bring new ideas, businesses, and opportunities that strengthen our local economy. Cultural competence is more than just embracing diversity—it’s a powerful driver of economic development, tourism, and business growth. Communities that foster inclusivity become attractive destinations for visitors, […]