L.L.Bean now largest private employer in Maine (Portland: how much, stores)

[DavidoftheNorth]

According to Mainebiz, Bean has overtaken Bath Iron Works as #1.

The ranking is:

L.L.Bean..................between 8,001 and 9,500 employees
Hannaford Bros......................7,001 and 8,000
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.............. ditto
Bath Iron Works Corp..............5,001 and 6,000

[Unhappycamper]

Thats probally due to the 4 thousand they gain during the holiday season.

[MRVphotog]

Do the numbers for Bean consist of just yearround employees or are the thousands of peak employees they hire for just Oct/Nov/Dec included?

[DavidoftheNorth]

Fair question - I don't know. I'll see if I can get the answer and post it.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

When I was a child we used to go to Beans, before they were big, no one had heard of them outside of New England...

Last time I was there the mail order facility was enormous, the store itself was verging on the size of Harrods.

[MRVphotog]

Originally Posted by DavidoftheNorth

According to Mainebiz, Bean has overtaken Bath Iron Works as #1.

The ranking is:

L.L.Bean..................between 8,001 and 9,500 employees
Hannaford Bros......................7,001 and 8,000
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc.............. ditto
Bath Iron Works Corp..............5,001 and 6,000

The ironic thing about the above stats is that when I worked(2nd shift) at the "mail order facility"(official name is OFC(Order Fullfillment Center) I worked with several who's day job was at the BIW and Hannafords.

[ontheroad]

I was at L.L. Bean not too long ago--(ten+ days or so) and I was astounded at how much bigger it had become and was still becoming after not having been at the store for about 5 years.

I can imagine it having more than 8,000 employees on different shifts. And isn't it open now 24/7?

[vter]

Not all employees work at the store. They have numerous call centers, as well as their warehouse/shipping. Plus, they have opened stores & outlet stores in the Northeast now as well.
And yes, the flagship store is open 24/7.

[ontheroad]

Thanks for the info, vter!

Originally Posted by vter

Not all employees work at the store. They have numerous call centers, as well as their warehouse/shipping. Plus, they have opened stores & outlet stores in the Northeast now as well.
And yes, the flagship store is open 24/7.

[Lisa_from_Debary]

Originally Posted by ontheroad

I was at L.L. Bean not too long ago--(ten+ days or so) and I was astounded at how much bigger it had become and was still becoming after not having been at the store for about 5 years.

I can imagine it having more than 8,000 employees on different shifts. And isn't it open now 24/7?

It always has been open 24/7, when we were on a trip and went through Freeport, no matter the time, we would stop and go in, often we were the only ones in the store.

They have a mail order facility there in Freeport and a call center in Portland so I am sure those numbers are counting all three locations.