This week while working on a reference request we came across a list that may be of interest to our readers. The requestor asked specifically for a list of major employers in the Cleveland area in the year 1950. After searching through a variety of sources the best answer we came up with was from an article published March 28, 1965 in The Plain Dealer.
Although the list tells us much of what we already know about the changing economic landscape of our city, it is interesting nonetheless to compare the 1950 employment figures and industrial classifications to those of today.
The most commonly used source for present-day business rankings is Crain’s Cleveland Business’ annual publication, The Book of Lists. This publication ranks everything from the highest paid CEOs and largest employers in our region to the square footage of suburban office properties.
Below we have reproduced portions of both the Plain Dealer and Crain’s lists for your enjoyment. Also included is a citation for an additional resource we found in our search.
The Greater Cleveland Growth Association published a pamphlet in 1948 entitled, Cleveland manufactures employing 100 or more persons, which groups area manufacturers into three categories: companies with 100-500, 500-1,000, and 1,000+ employees. What is wonderful about this publication is that it puts the vacant commercial properties we pass on a daily basis into a historical context that gives meaning to their existence. For example, the author of this article has for years passed the intersection of West 85th and Madison and wondered what was produced in the dilapidated structure (pictured above) on the northeast corner. In 1948 the Lamson & Sessions Co., producer of bolts, nuts, and cotter pins employed roughly 500 people in the West 85th facility and an additional 1000+ in their East 63rd St. facility. This is our story then and now.
Greater Cleveland's Top 25 Employers
1961-1963
1950
General Motors Corp.
17,900*
15,800
Ford Motor Co.
12,213
75
Republic Steel Corp.
10,067
10,111
Thompson Ramo Woolridge Inc.
9,405
6,153
General Electric Co.
7,843
6,817
Ohio Bell Telephone Co.
6,954
6,100
May Co.
5,450*
3,895
Chrysler Corp.
5,209*
0
U.S. Steel Corp.
4,182
6,365
Standard Oil Co.
3,829
3,956
Eaton Manufacturing Co.
3,773
3,499
White Motor Corp.
3,657
3,800
New York Central System
3,550
4,920
Jones & Laughlin Steel Corp.
3,500
3,829
Cleveland Electric Illuminating
3,458
4,800
The Higbee Company
3,200*
2,600
Clevite Corp.
3,140
4,715
The Halle Bros.
3,000*
3,225
Addressograph-Multigraph Corp.
2,895
2,225
Cleveland Trust Corp.
2,800*
1,436
Aluminum Co. of America
2,690*
2,500
Cleveland Transit System
2,630*
4,373
Union Carbide Corp.
2,429
3,350
East Ohio Gas Co.
2,132
1,170
American Greeting Corp.
2,111
1,180
*1964 Estimates
Source: “10,000 skills on a million jobs,” Plain Dealer, 28 March 1965.
|
Largest Cuyahoga County Employers |
|
| Cleveland Clinic | 27,755 |
| University Hospitals System | 16,611 |
| Progressive Corp. | 9,017 |
| Keycorp | 6,397 |
| National City Corp. | 6,051 |
| Metrohealth System | 5,503 |
| Case Western Reserve University | 5,075 |
| Ford Motor Co. | 4,910 |
| Sherwin-Williams Co. | 3,176 |
| Continental Airlines | 2,892 |
| Giant Eagle Inc. | 2,857 |
| General Motors Corp. | 2,549 |
| Note: Federal, State, and City government employers were deleted from this list. | |
| Source: Book of Lists. Cleveland, Ohio: Crain's Cleveland Business, 2007. | |
Sources used in this article:
Book of Lists. Cleveland, Ohio: Crain's Cleveland Business, 1998.
Cleveland manufacturers employing 100 or more persons. Cleveland, Ohio: Greater Cleveland Growth Association, 1948.
Newspaper Clipping Files Cleveland and Ohio. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Public Library [Preservation Office], 1991.
Photograph of Lamson & Sessions Co. on West 85th., Sept. 30th, 1959. Cleveland, Ohio: Cleveland Public Library, Photograph Collection.
For more information on this topic please feel free to contact either the Business Dept. or the History & Geography Dept.
Delicious
Digg
Google
Yahoo