Major Businesses in Seattle WA
Seattle is one of America's most important business hubs and it's center of business in the Pacific Northwest. Historically, the city's biggest industries have revolved around transportation and trade of goods between the United States and Asia. Trading and transportation are still a major industries but Seattle is also home to major retailers, manufacturers, technology companies. An independent study by Policom Corp. found that Seattle has the strongest economy of any city in the United States based on a number of factors. One of the biggest reasons for the strong business prescence is the low business tax rate coupled with no personal income taxes. Seattle also has a low unemployment rate at 8.4% compared to the rest of the nation. The future looks bright continued economic growth in the Seattle area.
Retail
Most Americans think about New York and Los Angeles as the retail hubs of the nation but Seattle does boast a fairly large retail sector. The city is home to Nordstrom, Union Bay, Tommy Bahama, Sur La Table, and Cary Toys amongst many other retailers.
Biotechnology
Biotechnology has been one of Seattle's fastest growing industries. Hiring analysts expect much of Seattle's new jobs growth will come from the bio-tech industry. The city is well positioned to meet the jobs demand as Seattle's general population are highly educated thanks to institutions like Washington University and Gonzaga University. Seattle is home to Dendreon, ZymoGenetics, and Trubrion.
Transportation
One of city's biggest assets is Elliot Bay which serves as the fifth largest trading port in the United States. The port handles millions of goods per year and provides over 250,000 jobs to the Seattle area.
Some of the biggest transportation and trade companies include Nabtesco Aerospace Inc, Expeditors International, Aero Controls Inc, and Alaska Airlines.
Internet Companies
Northern California's Silicon Valley has always been known as the tech capital of the West coast. Seattle is without question the number 2 city in the United States for internet start-ups. Seattle has become the second biggest home to internet companies in the country. The city hosts Amazon.com, Classmates.com, Expedia.com, Lockerz.com, Zillow.com, RealNetworks, Expedia.com, drugstore.com, and msnbc.com.
Software
Seattle and it's surrounding suburbs are home to major software giants like Microsoft, The Omni Group, Netmotion Wireless, Avanade, Delicious Monster, and Nintendo. Along with major internet companies in Seattle, the computer sector provides over 70,000 jobs to the area.
Manufacturing
Shipbuilding is one of Seattle's oldest industries along with agriculture and fishing. The manufacturing of ships and airplanes in the Seattle area provides the city with 144,000 jobs. The average manufacturing worker has an hourly wage of $18.27. Seattle hosts shipbuilders Todd Specific Shipyards and and golf apparel manufacturer Cutter & Buck.
Food & Beverages
It's hard to think of Seattle and not immediately think of Starbucks. The coffee chain is without question the biggest beverage company in the city but Seattle hosts many other major brands. It is home to Jones Soda Company, Hale's Ales, Pyramid Breweries Inc, Redhook Ale Brewery, Mike's Hard Lemonade, and Tully's Coffee. The food industry includes Pagliacci Pizza, Trident Seafoods, American Seafoods, Westfarm Foods, Uwajimaya, Oberto Sausage, and Dick's Drive-In. The food and beverage sector provides over 100,000 jobs in the area. The food and beverage industry has not taken as big a hit as other companies because there is no sales tax on food in Washington.
Seattle's diverse economy is what keeps the city flourishing. If the city were based solely around shipping and trade, it would enjoy not such a low unemployment rate. Seattle's residents rank among the happiest of all major U.S. cities.
The city's other saving grace in this recession has been the increased exports from U.S. corporations to countries abroad. Consumers in China and Brazil have resumed spending at healthy levels. American businesses have been salvaging their profits by boosting exports to these countries. These extra imports mean more jobs for Seattle dock workers.