Page 46 - Garrett County 2021-2022 Visitors Guide
P. 46

 Quality of Life: ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT
    Major Employers (2018-19)
 Employer
  Product / Service
 Employees
 Garrett Regional Medical Center
  Medical Services
 517
  Beitzel Corp./Pillar Innovation
  Industrial Construction
   311
 ClosetMaid
 Storage Product
 252
  Wisp Resort*
  Four-Season Resort
   200
 First United Corporation
 Financial Services
 192
  Goodwill Retirement Community
   Nursing Care
    190
  Garrett College
 Higher Education
  185
  Garrett County Community Action Committee
  Social Advocacy
   180
 Total Biz Fulfillment
 Order Fulfillment
 118
  Garrett Container Systems
  Defense Contract
   115
 Phenix Technologies
 High-Voltage Test Equip.
 114
  Global Hardwoods
  Lumber
   100
 Savage Industries
  Freight Trucking
 80
 Fechheimer
  Uniforms
 75
 Morningstar
  IT Admin Support
 68
 Simon Pearce
   Glassmaking
  60
 Hugh Umbel Companies
 Retail; Construction
  56
 GCC Technologies
   Technology Services
  46
 *Employment increases to 600 during winter ski season.
Excludes post offices, state and local governments, national retail and food service; includes higher education Source: Garrett County Department of Economic Development
Agribusiness: There are 707 farms in Garrett County, benefiting from the area’s fertile
soil as well as a recent “farm-to-table” movement. Farmers in the county may apply for annual marketing grants up to $250. The agricultural community (garrettfarms.org) is further enhanced by Garrett County’s thriving tourism industry.
Energy: Since 1925, the dam at Deep Creek Lake, now owned by Brookfield Renewable, has provided the region with renewable hydroelectric energy. Three Exelon wind projects in the county — Fourmile Wind Project, Fair Wind Project and Criterion Wind Project — together can generate 140 MWh of clean energy. County government worked with SolarCity (now Tesla) to install three small solar arrays on county-owned properties. Together, the installations can supply approximately 35% to 40% of Garrett County government’s annual power consumption.
Notable Businesses
These are some of Garrett County’s more renowned employers:
ClosetMaid: Established in Ocala, FL in 1965, ClosetMaid opened its Grantsville facility in late 2007 and became operational with 40 employees. Today, the Grantsville facility employs 252 individuals working two shifts and sells its product lines through Amazon, Wayfair, Lowes, Home Depot, Target and other major retailers.
Garrett Container Systems (GCS): GCS is
a major manufacturer of reusable aluminum shipping containers. Its products include general-purpose cargo containers, dog kennels for military K-9 units and welded, air- tight units. The company also is a distributor of high-end tactical equipment used by the U.S. military, law enforcement and other government agencies.
Simon Pearce Glass: One of the last American glassblowing companies in existence, Simon Pearce is renowned for its beautifully designed, handcrafted glass and pottery pieces. In fact, Simon Pearce recently won a five-year contract to create custom stem and barware for American embassies around the world. Founded by artisan and master glassblower Simon Pearce in 1971
in Kilkenny, Ireland, the company moved to the United States in 1981 and expanded into Garrett County in 1998.
Pillar Innovations: Headquartered in Grantsville, Pillar Innovations is a wholly- owned subsidiary of Beitzel Corporation. Founded to service coal mines and industrial facilities in Western Maryland, Pillar
  Labor Availability
(by place of residence)
 Civilian Labor Force (2019 avg.)
   County
  Labor Market Area*
 Total civilian labor force
 15,775
  97,586
 Employment
   15,075
  92,687
  Unemployment
  700
 4,899
  Unemployment rate
    4.4%
   5.0%
  Residents commuting outside the county to work (2014-2018)
   Number
 Percent
   3,371
  25.1%
   Employment in selected occupations (2013-2017)
  Management, business, science and arts
  4,713
 33.8%
 Service
 2,434
  17.5%
 Sales and office
  2,625
 18.8%
 Natural resources, construction, maintenance
 2,294
  16.5%
 Production, transportation and material moving
 1,871
 13.4%
  *Garrett and Allegany counties, MD; Preston Co., WV; and Somerset Co., PA
Sources: Maryland Department of Labor, Licensing and Regulation, Office of Workforce Information and Performance, West Virginia Workforce, Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry, and U.S. Census Bureau
  44  The Deep Creek Experience
   44   45   46   47   48