Manufacturing
Sussex County’s manufacturing industry continues to diversify. The major manufacturing sectors include aeronautical, construction, craft brewing/bottling, fabrication and 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 lifestyle.
Key Employers:
| Dogfish Head Brewery |
| Invista |
| Merck Animal Health |
| NRG Energy |
| ALOFT AeroArchitects |
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) resides in 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 over 35,000 acres in farms are permanently preserved for agricultural use. Agriculture employs over 15,000 people.
Key Employers:
| Allen Harim Foods, LLC |
| Mountaire Farms |
| Perdue, Inc. |
| Sea Watch International |
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 ten 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.
Resources:
Healthcare
Healthcare is exploding in Sussex County. Along with three expanding hospitals, there are extended-care and extended living facilities across the county. They are actively developing partnerships and expanding services in order to accommodate the growing needs of the population.
Key Employers:
| Bayhealth Medical Center |
| Beebe Medical Center |
| La Red Health Center |
| Nanticoke Health Services |
| Peninsula Regional Medical Center |
Key Employers
Sussex County is proud to be home to these innovative employers:
