If you’re interested in working in the capital goods field, there are many unique opportunities to choose from for both first-time job seekers and seasoned workers. The capital goods industry is defined by businesses that produce goods sold to other businesses—rather than directly to consumers—so if you’re wondering what companies are in the capital goods field there are many company names that you might recognize.
Commonly known and larger-scale capital goods companies include John Deere and Caterpillar, both of which produce heavy machinery used widely across the agriculture and construction industries. However, the capital goods field includes any company that makes a product that helps another business service a consumer. For example, producers of hair shears for a hair salon or even cars that are manufactured for taxi services fall within the capital goods field.
The capital goods field is large and expands across many industries, making it an appealing field for a job seeker such as yourself. Even better, the field offers a variety of roles — including customer service, marketing, and engineering to name a few. These roles range from entry-level to more senior-level positions.
3M
Company Size: 95,000
Headquarters Location: Saint Paul, MN
While 3M is often recognized for producing consumer goods, the company manufactures around 60,000 different types of products—including window films, medical products, electronic devices and more—that fall within the capital goods field. Plus, in 2018 they were voted #20 for best workplaces in manufacturing & production. They offer flexible work schedules, mentorship programs and excellent benefits.
Boeing
Company Size: 142,000
Headquarters Location: Arlington, VA
Boeing is the world’s largest aerospace company and one of the top manufacturers of commercial jetliners and defense products. They produce goods for businesses in more than 150 countries and are well-known for their commitment to innovation and sustainability. Careers with Boeing include roles in business, cybersecurity, IT, manufacturing and more—and offer job seekers an opportunity to work on global projects.
Caterpillar, Inc
Company Size: 107,700
Headquarters Location: Deerfield, IL
Caterpillar produces equipment for the construction industry and spans over 190 countries worldwide. They specialize in equipment used for hydraulics, drilling, gas turbines and mining—and the company produced $51 billion worth of construction machinery in 2021 alone.
Similarly to Boeing, Caterpillar offers careers across almost every industry from supply chain to accounting to legal. Furthermore, the company boasts the chance for employees to pursue different career paths by moving between job functions or locations.
Deere & Company
Company Size: 74,400
Headquarters Location: Moline, IL
John Deere produces farming equipment that has revolutionized the agriculture industry—the largest sector of employment. If you’re interested in working for an organization that has a real impact on solving food and fuel crises, look no further than Deere & Co.
John Deere offers advancement opportunities for mid-career job seekers and has education programs for those seeking to become technicians. No matter where you’re at in your career, Deere & Co might have an opportunity for you.
General Electric
Company Size: 168,000
Headquarters Location: Boston, MA
Similar to 3M, General Electric is a company that spans both the capital goods and consumer goods industries. As one of the largest capital goods conglomerates, General Electric creates products for aviation, renewable energy and healthcare. Their mission is to “build a world that works,” and they offer careers across 52 different locations in power, research, digital sectors and more.
Raytheon
Company Size: 174,000
Headquarters Location: Waltham, MA
Raytheon is well-known as an aerospace and defense company, and they continue to provide weapons and defense systems to the U.S. government as a defense contractor. However, Raytheon also works with aviation and space travel—their subsidiary, Collins Aerospace designed the space suits that are used today at the International Space Station—making them an exciting and innovative company that interests many job seekers. Raytheon has jobs available in many different areas including communications, engineering, finance, human resources and more, and they were listed as one of America’s Best Large Employers by Forbes.
Lockheed Martin
Company Size: 114,000
Headquarters Location: Bethesda, MD
Celebrated as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies by Fortune Magazine, Lockheed Martin is a global security and aerospace company that primarily works with the U.S.Department of Defense and U.S. federal government agencies. Like Raytheon, Lockheed Martin also provides capital goods in areas like advanced production and technology to use robotics, artificial intelligence and augmented reality to make production processes faster and safer. If you’re interested in advancing your career, LinkedIn named Lockheed Martin one of the 50 Best Workplaces to Grow Your Career in 2022.
Honeywell International
Company Size: 110,000
Headquarters Location: Charlotte, NC
A Fortune 100 company, Honeywell International manufactures goods for the chemical, automotive and aerospace sectors. Specifically, they produce chemicals, engineered materials, plastics and more. Like many other capital goods companies, job opportunities include finance, customer experience, sales and supply chain roles. With a focus on social responsibility, they also encourage employee volunteerism.
Siemens
Company Size: 303,000
Headquarters Location: Munich, Germany
Siemens is a technology company that specializes in goods for infrastructure, transport and healthcare. Different from many of the above companies, Siemens focuses more on abstract goods — like artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and smart buildings — with a claim that they “design and implement over 7,600 inventions” each year. They offer global career opportunities for job seekers hoping to make a difference in the world.
Union Pacific
Company Size: 32,100
Headquarters Location: Omaha, NE
Founded in 1862, Union Pacific produces materials across transportation and logistic sectors, and they’re considered to be North America’s premier railroad franchise. They have locations in 23 states and have been listed as one of Fortune Magazine’s World’s Most Admired Companies, Best Places to Work for Women & Diverse Managers, and 2022 Best Places to Work for Disability Inclusion. Union Pacific is generally recognized as a great place to work—and their benefits include child care, education assistance and retirement plans.
United Rentals, Inc
Company Size: 18,500
Headquarters Location: Stamford, CT
The world’s largest equipment rental company, United Rentals manufacture vehicles and equipment for construction and industrial companies. They provide over 3,300 tools and education classes and have over 1,200 rental locations. With such a large presence, they have an ongoing need for talent and offer on-the-job training and exceptional benefits.
Is capital goods a good career path?
Capital goods is a great career path for many people — especially if you’re interested in manufacturing and solving problems for other businesses. However, it’s not always as stable as other fields. While capital goods are required for other industries to perform (a car manufacturer can’t make cars without the machinery to produce them), it’s also highly dependent on the global economy and supply chain. There’s always a need for capital goods, but the growth of the industry may fluctuate depending on supply and demand.
How many jobs are available in the capital goods field?
Since the capital goods field includes many sectors — and most companies have in-house marketing, legal, IT, and many more departments — there are a significant number of jobs open in the capital goods field.
Final Thoughts
This is only a glimpse at what companies are in the capital goods field—because capital goods involve any businesses that produce goods for other businesses, that means this is a massive industry with countless different opportunities. No matter where you’re at in your career, there are a lot of job options to choose from.
Beyond the impressive scope of roles, the capital goods field is also appealing for job seekers who are looking to grow within a specific company or organization. Most capital goods companies offer on-the-job training as well as programs to support further education for their employees, so if you’re looking for a job to help you learn and grow, this might be a great field for you to explore.
If you’re hoping to find work that makes an impact, this field is also a great chance to work on projects with an emphasis on technology and sustainability. Whether you’re looking to work in a customer-facing role, try a marketing role in a new field, or break into a completely new industry, the capital goods field has a lot of great opportunities worth exploring.
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