Waterloo is a center for agriculture and agri-based manufacturing companies. Waterloo includes meat packing plants and tractor and farm equipment manufacturing facilities. Waterloo's top employment sectors include healthcare, education, manufacturing, finance and insurance, social assistance and food.
About 25% of the labor force is found in sales and office jobs. About 23% of the employees in Waterloo work in production, transportation and material moving occupations. Approximately 21% of the workforce is found in management, professional and related occupations. The city also has numerous metal and plastic workers.
The Cedar Valley Tech Works project has been designed to create a prominent bio-product cluster for the Waterloo-Cedar Falls region. The development of a central campus which connects manufacturers, producers, consumers and students has an objective of creating more jobs for the region and creating new biotechnology companies.
Some of the more popular jobs filled by those with a college degree are registered nurses, teachers, wholesale and manufacturing sales representatives; child, family and school social workers; industrial engineers, medical and health services managers; advertising sales agents and financial managers.
The following is a list of the largest employers in Waterloo Iowa:
- John Deere Waterloo Operations
- Covenant Medical Center
- Tyson Fresh Meats
- University of Northern Iowa
- Allen Memorial Hospital
- Waterloo Community Schools
- Bertch Cabinet Manufacturing
- Omega Cabinet Ltd
- HyVee Food Stores
- Walmart
- Hawkeye Community College
- GMAC Mortgage
- Area 267 Education Agency
- Black Hawk County
- Target Regional Distribution Center
- The CBE Group Inc
- City of Waterloo
- Viking Pump
- Cedar Valley Medical Specialists
- Martin Brothers Distributing
- Western Home Communities
- Van G. Miller & Associates, Inc
Notable information about Waterloo Iowa: In 2008 the cost of living index was at 78.3. Regarding the adult population in Waterloo, approximately 19% have earned a bachelor's degree or better. In 2009 the average salary in Waterloo was $31,000.
Waterloo companies have opportunities to collaborate with helpful organizations such as:
- The Greater Cedar Valley Chamber of Commerce
- Economic Development - City of Waterloo
- Iowa Department of Economic Development
- Iowa Small Business Development Center
WCFcourier.com is a good resource for those seeking to keep current with local business and industry news.