The largest employer in Central Oregon still remains St. Charles Health System, which now employs more than 5,000 people, according to an annual ranking in the region by the nonprofit Economic Development for Central Oregon.

The top 50 employers in Central Oregon offer jobs for nearly a quarter of all the region’s nonfarm employees, according to the ranking. 

Five of the top 20 Central Oregon largest employers sell goods and services outside the local market. They include: Bright Wood Corp., with 1,150 employees, BasX Solutions with 1,060 employees, Les Schwab Tire Centers and headquarters with 1,026 employees, Epic Aircraft  with 510 employees and Lonza with 427 employees.

“The diversity among the top five private traded-sector businesses highlights the strength and stability of Central Oregon’s economy,” said Jon Stark, EDCO CEO. “Representing a broad range of sectors,, this balance is a key indicator of long term economic resilience and distinguishes the region as one with a well-rounded and sustainable economic foundation.”

 

Rank 2025	Rank 2024	Employer	Employees 2025	Employees 2024
1	1	St. Charles Health System	5,188	4,791
2	4	Brightwood Corp.	1,150	975
3	2	Mt. Bachelor	1,094	1,117
4	8	BasX Solutions	1,060	661
5	3	Les Schwab Headquarters & Tire Centers	1,026	985

 

Rounding out the top 10 largest employers in Central Oregon is Sunriver Resort with 975 employees, Central Oregon Community College with 801 employees, the city of Bend with 783 employees and Safeway stores, including Albertsons, with 781 employees.

When companies consider locating to the Bend/Redmond area, they often will contact EDCO to gauge the local business climate, according to EDCO. The annual ranking of businesses by size helps to illustrate the growth. 

In Bend, the city takes pride in the knowledge that 33% of all jobs  come from companies that have one to 25 employees, which shows the diversification of firm sizes. That’s why Bend is an employment hub of the region, said Cyrus Mooney, city of Bend business advocate. 

“Because we are on a bit of an island in Central Oregon we need to recruit businesses to strengthen our supply chains more locally, so we are not overly reliant on freight to make it across mountain passes in order to keep up with demand,” Mooney said. “Cities in Central Oregon need to continue to get creative in the ways that we support these large employers that drive innovation and job growth. Without them all of the economic volatility that we are currently experiencing would be tremendously exacerbated.”

The employment numbers included in the report are self-reported and are not audited, according to EDCO.

Epic Aircraft moved up a notch in the ranking from 16 in 2024 to 15 this year. The company started off as a company that makes aircraft building kits, now builds airplanes in Bend.

“Our Epic team has grown nearly 20% over the last 18 months, adding over 80 positions at our Bend factory headquarters,”said Doug King, Epic Aircraft LLC CEO. “We will continue to grow over the coming months to meet the demand of our new E1000 AX.”

One shadow, however, affecting growth for many businesses is the lack of affordable housing. A recent Milken Institute ranking of the best small cities in the United States dinged the Bend/Redmond area for its lack of affordable, workforce housing. Affordable housing in Central Oregon, is and should remain a top priority, said King.

“The top employers list tells a story about Deschutes County’s growth and business climate,” said Katy Brooks, Bend Chamber of Commerce CEO. “They align with a healthy, growing community by providing medical, education, recreation and community necessities like groceries. 

“The employers also reflect our region’s success in attracting a wide variety of industries, including biotech, manufacturing and aerospace.”