North Fulton County – where business is booming

North Fulton County

North Fulton County is known for many things: top-notch schools, well-preserved historical sites and great parks. It is also a hub for many businesses, both large and small. The educated population base makes it the perfect place to start a business or to seek a job with one that is already well established. From the IT giants of Alpharetta to the local shops lining Roswell Square, North Fulton has it all. Over the past few years, industry leaders such as
State Farm have made moves to increase their presence in the metro area. In addition to being the hub for some of the world’s most innovative companies, North Fulton also boasts more than a few business that employ a large number of county residents, making it the perfect place to live, work and play. Here is a list of
the 10 largest employers in North Fulton, according to the Greater North Fulton Chamber of Commerce.

Employer: Northside Hospital
Industry: Medical Care
Employees: 6000
More than 6,000 of Northside Hospital’s 10,000 employees work at the Fulton County facility, which has been open since 1970. The hospital originally had 250 beds and has subsequently been expanded to 537. Northside physicians perform more surgical procedures than any other hospital in Georgia, and for three years running, Northside has been awarded the J.D. Power and Associates Distinguished Hospital award for Maternity Services.

Employer: AT&T Inc.
Industry: Telecommunications
Number of employees: 3,500
AT&T is one of the nation’s largest providers of cable, Internet and cell phone service. In 2013, the company added many new jobs to its local operations. Most of these jobs support Project Velocity IP, a multibillion-dollar investment plan to expand and enhance AT&T’s national wireless and wired IP broadband networks.

Employer: Verizon
Industry: Telecommunications
Employees: 3000
More than just the namesake for one of the area’s best entertainment venues (Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre at Encore Park in Alpharetta), the telecommunications giant—which serves nearly 58 million voice and data customers—also operates a corporate office in Alpharetta. Employees here support everything from finance to technology and supply chain logistics.

Employer: UPS
Industry: Shipping, Logistics
Employees: 2800
UPS is one of the largest shipping and logistics companies in the world, delivering more than 15 million packages a day to more than 220 countries and territories. With a total employee base of more than 400,000, UPS is a strong presence in the metro Atlanta area. UPS was founded in 1907 in Seattle and called several cities across the U.S. home in the past 100 years before moving its headquarters to Sandy Springs in 1991.

Employer: ADP
Industry: Business, technology
Number of employees: 2,100
ADP provides outsourcing and computer services for many businesses. It is one of only four companies in the U.S. to earn a AAA credit rating from both Standard & Poor’s and Moody’s. ADP serves clients in more than 125 countries around the world, with 90 of those clients being Fortune 500 companies. In 2012, the company earned a spot on Computerworld’s list of the 100 best IT places to work.

Employer: Emory St. Joseph’s Hospital of Atlanta
Industry: Medical Care
Number of employees: 2,100
Saint Joseph’s has been recognized as one of the best facilities in the nation for hip and knee replacement surgeries, and in March 2014 it was recognized by the American Heart Association/American Stroke Association for implementing measures to prevent and treat strokes. Finally, it is the only Atlanta hospital named to J.D. Power and Associates’ Distinguished Hospital Program for Service Excellence.

Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
Industry: Health care
Number of employees: 2,055
In addition to being one of the nation’s best health care networks for children, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) is also a great place to work. For nine years running, Fortune magazine has named CHOA to its list of the 100 best companies in the country to work for. Additionally, due to its flextime hours, telecommuting options, paid maternity leave and employee assistance programs, Working Mother magazine named Children’s a Working Mother
100 Best Company—an honor bestowed on only three companies in Georgia.

Kimberly-Clark
Industry: Health care, consumer products
Number of employees: 1,600
Kimberly-Clark’s Roswell campus sits on 98 acres of private land and includes a 9-acre lake. Employees benefit from the campus’s health center, exercise room and indoor pool, among other perks. The site houses the company’s business sectors and employs scientists, engineers, finance professionals and sales and operations.

McKesson
Industry: Pharmaceutical, medical supply
Number of employees: 1,500
With a sales figure of more than $122 billion, McKesson is one of the largest pharmaceutical and medical supply companies in the country. McKesson has the distinction of being the 14th largest company in the United States, with a network of more than 37,000 employees. It is one of the many Fortune 500 companies with a strong presence in the Atlanta area.

Hewlett-Packard
Industry: Technology
Number of employees: 1,200
In 2013, the Palo Alto, Calif.-based technology company and No. 1 maker of personal computers added 200 new employees to its 60- acre Alpharetta office. New positions included customer support staffers who help customers resolve issues that arise with its hardware products. The campus also runs an HP education center
where technology professionals can brush up on skills like project management and security.