Manufacturing

Sussex County’s manufacturing industry continues to diversify.  The major manufacturing sectors include:

• aeronautical
• construction
• craft brewing/bottling
• fabrication
• pharmaceutical

Manufacturing companies significantly benefit from their Sussex County location with convenient access to transportation, low business costs, business-friendly regulations, easy-access to savvy manufacturing talent, and an active year-round accelerated permitting lifestyle.

Agriculture

Agriculture dominates in Sussex County as the market value of the ag industry exceeds $1.2 Billion. Approximately 45% of the county’s land (270,000 acres) is comprised of 1,374 farms where the average farm size is 196 acres.  Sussex County is the #1 broiler and lima bean producing county in the U.S.  Sussex County is in the top 2% of counties nationally in value of vegetables produced while more than 35,000 acres in farms are permanently preserved for agricultural use. Agriculture employs 15,000 people.

Tourism

The value of tourism is unmistakable, with more than $850 million of the state’s $2 billion tourism industry coming from activities and attractions in Sussex County. Our beaches are impeccable. In fact, the U.S. Natural Resources Defense Council gave Sussex County beaches its highest 5 star rating for ocean water quality and ranked our beaches the cleanest among the 30 U.S. coastal states.

Tourism employs 15,000 direct jobs and brings new money into our communities.   Tourism sales have a multiplier effect of 2.2 (for every $1 spent directly by a visitor, another $1.20 is generated in indirect sales to the local economy). Top 10 visitor activities include dining, going to the beach, tax-free shopping, festivals/special events, historic sites/museums, antiquing, cultural arts, fishing/crabbing, biking and boating/paddling.

Healthcare

Healthcare is exploding in Sussex County. Along with three expanding hospitals, there are extended-care and extended living facilities across the county. The industry is actively developing partnerships and expanding services to accommodate the growing needs of the population.

Key Employers

Sussex County is proud to be home to these innovative employers: