Issue link: https://nebusinessmedia.uberflip.com/i/474775
39 12 Worcester Business Journal • May 12, 2014 www.wbjournal.com focus 100 CENTRAL M A S S n Retail strengthened its presence, both at the stores and within corporate headquarters. The TJX Cos., based in Framingham, jumped from sev- enth to third on this year's list. Meanwhile, Wal- Mart added nearly 1,500 employees to its Central Massachusetts stores. n Health care continues to have a dominant pres- ence in the region's employment base, in spite of the pressures facing the industry. UMass Memorial Health Care again ranked first on our list, while Saint Vincent Hospital, MetroWest Medical Center in Framingham, Milford Regional Medical Center and Harrington HealthCare all landed in the top 30. n Education also remains a big part of the region's economic fabric, with 10 colleges and universities each employing more than 500. Meet this year's Central Mass. 100, the region's most complete picture of the companies and leaders that drive its economy. M aking this list is straightforward: You need to have a large concentration of employees within the cities and towns of Central Massachusetts. The region, as we define it, includes all of Worcester County and extends east to Natick and Wayland, north to the New Hampshire border, south to the Connecticut and Rhode Island borders, and west to Hardwick. The companies are ranked based on number of local employees, although we include data on each firm, including statewide employee counts and revenue, if that information is available from the companies themselves or other sources. The list is compiled by the Worcester Business Journal editorial team, led by our research director, Roger Magnus, and research assistant Heide Martin. (Note: We used the most recent data available for companies that did not provide current data.) The 100 companies that qualified for this year's list come from a variety of industries. Here are four notable highlights: In addition to this special print edition, you can visit WBJournal.com to download the list in PDF or Excel spreadsheet format. Just click the News tab on our home page, then Lists. Please let us know what you think of this year's list. Send your comments to editorial@wbjournal.com. Big movers for 2014 The French multinational manu- facturer, which is approaching 25 years since it bought the former Norton Co., of Worcester, added 90 jobs recently in Devens to help produce a component of light- emitting diodes (LEDs) for one of its divisions. EmployEEs - 2013: 1,950 EmployEEs – 2014: 2,233 Rank – 2013: 16 Rank – 2014: 14 14 SAINT-GOBAIN Worcester, Northborough, Devens The manufacturer of fiber lasers just keeps on grow- ing. In its recent quarter, it reported revenue growth of 20 percent and profit growth of 15 per- cent. And the growth may keep on coming. CEO Valentin Gapontsev said IPG has "significant opportunities" to grow profitably through exist- ing and new products. EmployEEs - 2013: 775 EmployEEs – 2014: 1,100 Rank – 2013: 52 Rank – 2014: 41 41 IPG PhOTONIcS cOrP., Oxford The community college system in Massachusetts has added muscle in the past few years after President Obama urged all Americans to extend their education beyond high school. Today, Mount Wa- chusett and other schools are landing grant money to help train students for jobs in manufacturing, life sci- ences and health care. mOuNT wAchuSeTT cOmmuNITy cOlleGe Gardner EmployEEs - 2013: 1,063 EmployEEs – 2014: 1,100 Rank – 2013: 42 Rank – 2014: 39 Valentin Gapontsev, founder and CEO, IPG Photonics A Saint-Gobain building in Worcester Daniel M. Asquino, president, Mount Wachusett Community College