Industries in Eau Claire

Eau Claire is a major regional center for healthcare, retail, education, manufacturing, and technology. With a growing population, well-diversified economy, high quality education system, and four business/industrial parks, Eau Claire is attractive location for new and existing businesses alike. 

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Eau Claire County Largest Industries and Employees
Source: Wisconsin Department of Workforce Development-September 2018 Data

  • Health Care and Social Assistance.....12,102
  • Retail Trade.....7,076
  • Manufacturing.....5,449
  • Educational Services.....4,212
  • Administrative and Support Services.....2,964
  • Finance and Insurance.....2,797
  • Transportation and Warehousing.....2,583
  • Public Administration.....2,262
  • Construction.....2,154
  • Professional and Technical Services.....1,965

Healthcare

One of Eau Claire’s largest sectors is in Healthcare, employing over 12,000 people. Three full-service hospitals and various smaller medical facilities and clinics make Eau Claire a regional medical hub for west-central Wisconsin. 

  • Mayo Clinic Health System: Mayo Clinic Health System, headquartered in Rochester, Minnesota, is a highly ranked national healthcare system with major hospitals in Rochester and Phoenix, Minnesota. Mayo Clinic operates two facilities in Eau Claire: its Luther Campus full service hospital and Clairemont Campus, employing over 4,000 people in the area.
  • HSHS Sacred Heart Hospital: Sacred Heart Hospital is part of the non-profit HSHS group and operates a hospital with 192 beds and specialty centers including a Center for Cancer Research and Prevention, Specialized Neuroscience Center, Renal Dialysis Center, and Advanced Center for Surgery.
  • Marshfield Clinic: Marshfield Clinic is among the largest private health systems in the United States, with over 50 locations in northern, central, and western Wisconsin. In Eau Claire, Marshfield Clinic operates the Marshfield Medical Center hospital, the city’s newest hospital which opened in 2018. Other facilities in the city include a Marshfield Cancer Center (opened in 2017) and four smaller clinic facilities.
  • OakLeaf Medical Network: OakLeaf Medical Network is an institute run by over 175 independent health care providers who provide personalized care throughout western Wisconsin. OakLeaf operates OakLeaf Surgical Hospital in Altoona as well as several clinics in Eau Claire.

Retail

One of Eau Claire’s largest private employment sectors is in Retail Trade, employing over 10,000 people in the Eau Claire Metropolitan Area in stores alone and several thousand more in retail administration. This sector is anchored by Eau Claire’s status as a regional retail center and as the base of corporate operations and distribution for one of the largest home improvement retail chains in the United States.

  • Menards: The largest contributor to Eau Claire’s retail sector is the city’s largest employer, Menard Inc. Founded in 1960 in Eau Claire, the company operates its corporate offices, distribution center, and two stores in Eau Claire, employing over 4,500 people in the area. Menards is ranked by Forbes as the 33rd largest private company in the United States and operates over 300 stores in 14 states, making it the country’s third largest chain of home improvement stores.
  • Large Retailers: The Eau Claire area is home to several large chain employers as a major hub for retail activity in western Wisconsin. Many of these are located in the city’s Oakwood Hills neighborhood, including Walmart Supercenter (one of two Walmart stores in the Eau Claire MSA and city’s second largest retail employer), Super Target, Kohl’s, and Best Buy. Elsewhere, the 2018 opening of Mills Fleet Farm along Interstate 94 and State Route 93 is a major addition to the retail landscape in a new area of development.
  • Oakwood Mall: Located near the junction of US Highway 53 and Interstate 94, Oakwood Mall has been a major retail center in Eau Claire since 1986 and is center of the Oakwood Hills commercial area. The mall is anchored by Scheel’s Sporting Goods, JC Penney, Hobby Lobby, and an AMC theater and features over 60 stores and 15 restaurants.

Education

One of Eau Claire’s largest sectors is in Education, employing over 4,000 people. Major employers in the sector include Eau Claire Area School District, the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, and Chippewa Valley Technical College. The city’s educational facilities are a significant part of the area’s local economy and foster a young, well-educated workforce.

  • University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire: One of the largest universities in Wisconsin, with enrollment of over 12,000 students. The university is consistently recognized by U.S. News and World Report as one of the top five regional public universities in the Midwest.
  • Chippewa Valley Technical College: Eau Claire is home to the largest campus of the Chippewa Valley Technical College system, which serves an 11 county area in west-central Wisconsin. CVTC offers over 95 programs with a focus on employment readiness, and 93% of CVTC graduates are employed within six months of graduation.

Manufacturing

Manufacturing and technology play a major role in the Eau Claire economy, centered in the city’s Gateway, Sky Park, and Chippewa Valley Industrial Parks. Manufacturing employs about 10,000 people in Eau Claire and the sector contains some of the area’s largest employers.

In addition to the companies highlighted here, other major employers in this sector include Phillips Medisize, Veritas Steel, and Curt Manufacturing LLC, among others.

  • Hutchinson Technology: Hutchinson Technology is a precision technology manufacturer specializing in disk-drive components which is headquartered in Hutchinson, Minnesota. Hutchinson’s Eau Claire plant is located in the Gateway West Industrial Park and employs over 1,000 people.
  • Nestle USA: Nestle is a major employer in Eau Claire, manufacturing Gerber infant formula, Peptamen medical nutrition products, and Boost nutritional drinks. Nestle operates three facilities in Eau Claire: along Truax Boulevard, in the Gateway Northwest Industrial Park, and in the Gateway West Industrial Park.
  • Silver Spring Foods: Founded and based in Eau Claire, Silver Spring is the world’s largest grower and producer of horseradish. The company was founded in 1929 and now employs almost 200 people at its Gateway West Industrial Park facility. The company has also expanded to produce its own line of mustards, tartar sauce, and other sauces.
  • American Phoenix: Founded in 1992 with the purchase of mixing equipment in the former Uniroyal Tire Plant, American Phoneix now operates one of the largest custom rubber mixing plants in America and employs about 130 people at its Banbury Place plant near Downtown.

Technology

Technology development serves as one of Eau Claire’s largest industries and the region has a growing competitive advantage in information technology.

In addition to the companies highlighted here, other employers include IDEXX and Applied Data Consultants. 

Jamf: Jamf is an Apple management software company which was founded in Eau Claire in 2002. It is now headquartered in Minneapolis and has grown into a global company. Jamf continues to operate a major customer support facility in Downtown Eau Claire and is one of three facilities with a significant software engineering presence.

Intel: IBM operates a research and development facility in Eau Claire, formerly a segment of Cray Research, which develops and tests high powered processors.

Foxconn: The Taiwanese tech giant is planning a major tech presence throughout the state of Wisconsin and has announced an innovation and R&D center at Haymarket Landing in downtown Eau Claire, which will develop new technologies and talent and help new local tech companies grow. At this facility, Foxconn will focus on development of upcoming 8K and 5G technologies. 

Major Employers

  • Menard Inc.
  • Mayo Clinic Health System
  • Eau Claire Area School District
  • University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire
  • Sacred Heart Hospital
  • United Healthcare Services
  • Hutchinson Technology
  • Chippewa Valley Technical College
  • City of Eau Claire
  • Nestle Inc.