Major Employers

Employer	# of Employees	Union	Employment Type
Sidney Sugars, Inc.	200+	Yes	Sugar Producer
Sidney Health Center	400+	No	Health Care
Sidney Public Schools	130	Yes	Education K-12
Richland County	123	No	Government
Blue Rock Products	85+	No	Beverage

Trade Area Analysis
Well over 450 businesses are located in Sidney, the bulk of them in the county seat of Sidney, with a retail trade area that exceeds a 75-mile radius.  The 6-county area principally encompassed by that radius (plus Daniels County) totals 41,685 in population and 2,970 farms.  (Those figures do not include trade numbers from across the state border, another sizable market for Richland County.)  Sidney is ideally situated to serve Northeastern Montana as well as residents of Western North Dakota.Products and services offered here include everything from intricate craftwork, data processing, cabinet making, bottling, sugar production, construction and coal mining.  Businesses are found in all areas from retail trade and small manufacturing to mining, oil & gas development, outdoor recreation, and, of course, agriculture.  The presence of the Lower Yellowstone Irrigation Project, established in 1909, has provided an important stability to Richland County's ag-dominated economy.  The county also has over 2.3 billion tons in known recoverable coal reserves.  The boom and bust cycle of oil and gas production also impacts the county's economy, where Richland County remains a top producer in the state even in down cycles.

*Figures based on 1992 Census data, the latest available.

Financial and Technical Support
Loans and other financial services in Richland County are provided by the following financial institutions:

First Bank

Stockman Bank

Farm Credit Services

Richland Federal Credit Union

Wells Fargo

Technical Support is provided by the following institutions:

Richland Economic Development

Small Business Development Center

Sidney Area Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture

Eastern Plains R C & D