A Look at Solon's Five Largest Employers

SOLON, OH - The city's top five employers may not be a surprise to residents. Swagelok and Nestle hold down the top two spots, with each company employing more than 2,000 people. CVS, ERICO International, and National Enterprise Systems round out the top five.

Swagelok continues to be the largest employer in the city with 2,920 employees. The $2 billion company is headquartered in Solon and provides products focused on fluid system solutions and works in alternative fuels, chemical and petrochemicals, oil and gas, power and semiconductors. Swagelok shuffled its executive management early in the year when five executive appointments were announced by Arthur F. Anton, president and chief executive officer of Swagelok.

According to the Ohio Development Services Agency, Swagelok is the 75th largest employer in the state, with 4,200 employees statewide. The company is also the 13th largest manufacturing company in Ohio.

The second largest employer in the city is food company Nestlé, with 2,200 employees. The company finished work on a $50 million Nestlé Research & Development Center in July 2015. The 144,000 square foot facility's mission is to sustain global needs, according to a company press release.

However, the company also suffered a minor black eye last week when it voluntarily recalled its Nestlé Drumstick Club 16-count Variety Pack and 24-count Vanilla Pack due to a possible bacterial contamination. No illnesses had been reported, but the company wanted to make a proactive move.

Nestlé is the state's 19th largest manufacturing employer.

After the top two employers, there's a drop-off in terms of employee count. CVS, the drug store, is the third-largest employer with 600 workers in the city. Right behind CVS is ERICO International, which builds electrical and fastening solutions, and employees 570 people.

Finally, National Enterprise Systems is a debt-collection agency that has 400 employees.

CVS recently began dispensing naloxone to patients without a prescription.

"Naloxone is a safe and effective antidote to opioid overdose and by expanding availability of this medication, we can save lives and give more people a chance to get the help they need for recovery," said Tom Davis, RPh, vice president of Pharmacy Professional Practices at CVS Pharmacy. "By establishing a physician-authorized standing order that allows our pharmacies to dispense naloxone to patients without an individual prescription, we strengthen our commitment to helping the communities we serve begin to address the challenges of prescription drug abuse."

Lead Story Image from Google Earth; In-story Image from CVS