Leading Edge Businesses

Some of the best-known companies in the world call the Milwaukee Region home, including Briggs & Stratton, Harley-Davidson, Jockey International, Kohl’s Department Stores, Master Lock, Manpower, MillerCoors, Northwestern Mutual, Rockwell Automation and S.C. Johnson.

We’re also home to several international leaders in business-to-business commerce, including A.O. Smith, Brady Corp., Fiserv, GE Healthcare Technologies, Johnson Controls, Joy Global and Modine Manufacturing.

It’s no coincidence that so many leading-edge companies call Milwaukee home. Consider the following:

  • In 2008, Forbes named Milwaukee to its list of Top 10 Up-And Coming Tech Cities
  • Milwaukee ranks No. 16 on MarketWatch's 50 best U.S. metro areas for business, outpacing cities such as Austin, Texas, Chicago, Los Angeles and Portland, Ore.
  • The Milwaukee Region is ranked one of the 25 best places for doing business by Inc. magazine
  • Between 1994 and 2004, the region’s economic improvement ranked among the 10 best regions in the country, according to the Federal Reserve
  • KPMG, the internationally recognized audit, tax and advisory firm, says the region’s cost of doing business is among the best in the United States


FORTUNE 1000 COMPANIES HEADQUARTERED IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION
COMPANY PRODUCTS/SERVICES RANK REVENUE
(billions)
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION
Johnson Controls
Automotive seating, batteries and industrial controls
58$38.06
Glendale
Northwestern Mutual
Insurance, financial services118$21.73
Milwaukee 
Manpower
Contract employment
119 $21.55  Milwaukee 
Kohl's
Department stores 155 $16.38  Menomonee Falls 
Harley-Davidson
Motorcycles and accessories
412 $5.97  Milwaukee 
Rockwell Automation
Industrial controls and software
429 $5.69  Milwaukee 
Fiserv
Transaction and information management tools
482 $4.87
Brookfield 
Wisconsin Energy Utility515 $4.43  Milwaukee 
Marshall & Ilsley Corp.
Bank-holding company
550 $4.02  Milwaukee 
Joy Global
Mining equipment and services
626 $3.41
Milwaukee 
JohnsonDiversey
Commercial cleaning, sanitation and hygiene solutions
631 $3.38
Sturtevant
Snap-on
Tools and equipment 
700 $2.93  Kenosha 
Bucyrus International
Mining equipment and services
775 $2.50 South Milwaukee 
A.O. Smith Electrical motors, water heaters and boilers 822 $2.30
Milwaukee
Briggs & Stratton Air-cooled engines 862 $2.15
Wauwatosa
Modine Manufacturing Radiators and heat transfer devices 939 $1.90 Racine
Rexnord
Industrial equipment and components
947 $1.85 Milwaukee
MGIC Investment
Private mortgage insurance
999 $1.72 Milwaukee


FORBES LARGEST PRIVATE COS. HEADQUARTERED IN THE MILWAUKEE REGION
COMPANY PRODUCTS/SERVICES RANK REVENUE
(billions)
HEADQUARTERS LOCATION
S.C. Johnson
Household products
31
$8.75
Racine
Roundy's Supermarkets
Retail supermarkets
105$3.80
Milwaukee 
Quad/Graphics
Printing
232 $2.05  Sussex