Leading Industries

Some of the best-known companies in the world call the Milwaukee Region home, including Briggs & Stratton, Harley-Davidson, Jockey International, Kohl’s Department Stores, Master Lock, ManpowerGroup, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation and S.C. Johnson.

We’re also home to several international leaders in business-to-business commerce, including A.O. Smith, Brady Corp., Fiserv, GE Healthcare Technologies, Johnson Controls, Joy Global and Modine Manufacturing.

It’s no coincidence that so many leading-edge companies call Milwaukee home. Consider the following:

  • In 2008, Forbes named Milwaukee to its list ofTop 10 Up-And Coming Tech Cities
  • Milwaukee ranks No. 16 on MarketWatch's 50 best U.S.metro areas for business, outpacing cities such as Austin,Texas, Chicago,Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
  • The Milwaukee Region is ranked one of the 25 best places for doing business by Inc. magazine
  • Between 1994 and 2004, the region’s economic improvement ranked among the 10 best regions in the country, according to the Federal Reserve
  • KPMG, the internationally recognized audit, tax and advisory firm, says the region’s cost of doing business is among the best in the United States


FORTUNE 1000 COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION
COMPANYPRODUCTS/SERVICESRANK REVENUE
(billions)
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION
Johnson Controls
Automotive seating, batteries and industrial controls
76$34.31 
Glendale
Northwestern Mutual
Insurance, financial services112$23.38
Milwaukee 
ManpowerGroup
Contract employment
138 $18.87  Milwaukee 
Kohl's
Department stores 142 $18.39  Menomonee Falls 
Harley-Davidson
Motorcycles and accessories
458 $4.91  Milwaukee 
Rockwell Automation
Industrial controls and software
466 $4.86 Milwaukee 
Wisconsin Energy Utility511
$4.21 
Milwaukee 
Fiserv 
Financial transaction and information management tools 
517$4.13Brookfield 
Bucyrus International 
Mining equipment and services 
573   
$3.65South Milwaukee 
Joy Global Mining equipment and services
592
$3.52
Milwaukee 
Quad/Graphics  Commercial printing and print management    
609
$3.39
Sussex
Diversey
Commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions
642
$3.13
Sturtevant
Marshall & Ilsley Corp. 
Bank-holding company 
661
$3.04Milwaukee
Snap-on
Tools and equipment 
713
$2.68 
Kenosha 
A.O. SmithElectrical motors, water heaters and boilers824
$2.19
Milwaukee
Briggs & StrattonAir-cooled engines866
$2.08
Wauwatosa


FORBES LARGEST PRIVATE COS. HEADQUARTERED IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION
COMPANYPRODUCTS/SERVICESRANK REVENUE
(billions)
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION
S.C. Johnson
Household products
29
$9.00
Racine
Roundy's Supermarkets
Retail supermarkets
99
$3.80
Milwaukee