By Leah Justice

leah.justice@tryondailybulletin.com

 

The Polk County School system was Polk’s top employer for 2015, according to Polk County’s annual audit report for year-end June 30, 2015.

Polk schools employed 380 people with St. Luke’s Hospital being the second highest employer with 324 and Tryon Equestrian Properties coming in third with 300 employees.

Polk County received its annual audit report in November that contained yearly financials as well as statistical information about the county.

The top 15 employers for 2015 were listed as well as the top 11 employers in 2006.

Tryon Estates was fourth in employees with 229 and Polk County government was fifth with 223 employees.

See full list of top employers for 2015 and 2006 below.

The number of employees at listed companies and entities has changed between 2006 and 2015 with some of the major employers seeing a decrease in employees and others seeing an increase. Polk County government grew in the last decade by 68 employees from 155 employees in 2006 to 223 in 2015. Polk County Schools also grew from 366 employees in 2006 to 380 in 2015.

Tryon Estates dropped in employees from 250 in 2006 to 229 in 2015.

St. Luke’s Hospital decreased employees from 398 in 2006 to 324 in 2015.

In 2006, St. Luke’s Hospital was Polk’s top employer with 398 employees and Polk County Schools was second with 366 employees. Tryon Estates was the third top employer in 2006 with 250 employees and Polk County Government was fourth with 155 employees. In 2006, Woodland Mills was the fifth top employer with 105 employees, while the mill has since shut down.

Timken has seen a decrease in employees over the last decade, with Timken being the ninth top employer in 2006 with 50 employees and was listed as the county’s 12^th top employer in 2015 with 37 employees.

 

 

 

Polk’s 2015 top employers

Employer                              Employees

Polk County Schools              380

St. Luke’s Hospital                 324

Tryon Equestrian                  300

Tryon Estates                                    229

Polk County Government     223

Cooper Riis                             202

White Oak Manor                  140

Autumn Care                            99

Laurel Hurst                             67

Carolina Yarn Processors        65

Hatch Plant                               55

Timken Inc.                               37

Wayne Wire Company            26

Kangaroo Products                  30

Larkins Restaurant                  30

 

Polk County’s 2006 top employers

Employer                              Employees

St. Luke’s Hospital                             398

Polk County Schools                          366

Tryon Estates                                                250

Polk County Government                 155

Woodland Mills                                 105

Quality Textiles                                 100

Carolina Yarn Processors                   67

Laurel Hurst                                        57

Timken Inc.                                          50

Wayne Wire Company                       43

Kangaroo Products                             30