Central Florida’s Corporate Giants: The 10 Largest Companies Powering Orlando’s Economic Engine
Central Florida Business Reporter, Brian French | December 28, 2025
Central Florida has evolved from a tourism-dependent economy into a diversified business powerhouse, attracting major corporate headquarters across healthcare, hospitality, dining, technology, and aerospace sectors. The Orlando metropolitan area’s strategic location, robust talent pipeline from the University of Central Florida (the nation’s second-largest university), and business-friendly environment have made it a magnet for both Fortune 500 companies and innovative growth firms.
Here are the 10 largest companies headquartered in the Central Florida region:
1. Darden Restaurants (Orlando)
Industry: Restaurant/Hospitality
Revenue: $11.4 billion (fiscal 2024)
Fortune 500 Rank: #383
Employees: 187,000+
Darden Restaurants stands as Central Florida’s largest publicly traded company and the world’s largest full-service restaurant operator. The company owns an impressive portfolio of well-known brands including Olive Garden, LongHorn Steakhouse, Ruth’s Chris Steak House, The Capital Grille, Cheddar’s Scratch Kitchen, Yard House, Seasons 52, Eddie V’s Prime Seafood, Bahama Breeze, and most recently Chuy’s (acquired in 2024). Founded in Orlando in 1995 when it was spun off from General Mills, Darden operates more than 1,800 restaurant locations across the United States and internationally. The company traces its roots to 1968 when founder William Darden opened the first Red Lobster in nearby Lakeland. With approximately 5,000 employees at its Orlando headquarters alone, Darden continues to expand through strategic acquisitions and organic growth.
2. AdventHealth (Altamonte Springs/Orlando)
Industry: Healthcare
Revenue: Estimated $15+ billion (system-wide)
Status: Non-profit healthcare system
Employees: 37,672 in Central Florida; 100,000+ system-wide
While AdventHealth operates as a multi-state healthcare system spanning nine states, its corporate headquarters and largest operations are centered in Central Florida. Founded in Orlando in 1908 as Florida Sanitarium by Seventh-day Adventist pioneers, AdventHealth has grown into one of the nation’s largest faith-based, non-profit healthcare systems. The Central Florida Division operates more than 40 hospitals and ERs throughout the state, with the flagship AdventHealth Orlando campus serving as a major tertiary referral hospital for the Southeast, Caribbean, and Latin America. AdventHealth Orlando alone handles more than 2 million patient visits annually and ranks as the third-largest hospital in the United States. The organization has a local financial impact exceeding $1 billion annually, with AdventHealth and its employees accounting for nearly 20% of Central Florida’s economy. In 2025, AdventHealth announced a $1 billion campus expansion including a 14-story patient and surgical tower.
3. Travel + Leisure Co. (Orlando)
Industry: Vacation Ownership/Travel
Revenue: $3.86 billion (2024)
Employees: 19,000 globally
Travel + Leisure Co. is the world’s leading vacation ownership and membership travel company, operating 245+ timeshare resorts worldwide and delivering more than six million vacations annually. The company relocated its headquarters to downtown Orlando in recent years, solidifying Central Florida’s position as a hub for hospitality and leisure industries. Travel + Leisure Co.’s portfolio includes Club Wyndham (the most dynamic points-based vacation ownership program), RCI (the first vacation exchange network), and the signature subscription travel club Travel + Leisure GO, inspired by Travel + Leisure magazine. The company has been recognized by Fortune as one of the World’s Most Admired Companies for three consecutive years (2023-2025) and by Forbes as one of America’s Best Large Employers.
4. Orlando Health (Orlando)
Industry: Healthcare
Revenue: $6.8 billion (estimated)
Employees: 28,806 in Central Florida
Orlando Health serves as Central Florida’s fifth-largest employer and operates one of the region’s most comprehensive healthcare networks. The not-for-profit organization manages nine hospitals and numerous care centers throughout the Orlando region, including the area’s only Level One Trauma Centers for both adults and pediatrics. As a statutory teaching hospital system, Orlando Health provides specialty care through facilities including Orlando Regional Medical Center, Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children, Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women and Babies, and M.D. Anderson Cancer Center Orlando—the first affiliate of the renowned University of Texas M.D. Anderson Cancer Center. The organization handles over 100,000 inpatient admissions and more than 600,000 outpatient visits annually, serving 1.6 million Central Florida residents.
5. Lockheed Martin (Orlando)
Industry: Aerospace & Defense
Revenue: Company-wide global operations
Employees: 14,000 in Central Florida
Global aerospace and defense giant Lockheed Martin maintains one of its largest operations in Orlando, employing approximately 14,000 people across Central Florida. The Orlando facility plays a critical role in the company’s defense systems, advanced technology development, and simulation and training operations. Lockheed Martin’s presence in the region is anchored by Central Florida’s robust aerospace and defense ecosystem, which benefits from proximity to major military installations including MacDill Air Force Base and access to a skilled workforce from UCF and other regional universities. The company’s Orlando operations contribute significantly to the area’s $14 billion military and defense industry.
6. Universal Orlando Resort (Orlando)
Industry: Entertainment/Theme Parks
Revenue: Part of NBCUniversal (Comcast)
Employees: 32,084
Universal Orlando Resort operates as one of Central Florida’s largest private employers and a cornerstone of the region’s tourism economy. The sprawling entertainment complex includes Universal Studios Florida, Islands of Adventure, Volcano Bay water park, and CityWalk entertainment district, along with multiple resort hotels. Universal Orlando attracts millions of visitors annually and represents a multi-billion-dollar investment by parent company NBCUniversal (Comcast). The resort is currently undergoing its largest expansion ever with Epic Universe, a new theme park expected to open in 2025, which will add thousands more jobs and cement Universal’s position as a major economic driver. The company’s significant employment base and continuous expansion demonstrate the enduring strength of Central Florida’s tourism industry.
7. AAA – The Auto Club Group (Tampa/Heathrow)
Industry: Insurance & Travel Services
Revenue: Multi-billion dollar operations
Employees: Thousands across Florida
Status: Not-for-profit membership organization
AAA, officially The Auto Club Group, maintains significant corporate operations in Central Florida with headquarters functions in the Heathrow area north of Orlando. As a privately held, not-for-profit national member association, AAA provides automotive, travel, insurance, and financial services to millions of members. The organization’s Central Florida presence includes extensive service operations, roadside assistance coordination, travel planning services, and insurance operations. AAA has been a fixture in the region for decades, serving as both a major employer and essential service provider.
8. Hilton Grand Vacations (Orlando)
Industry: Vacation Ownership/Hospitality
Revenue: Multi-billion dollar operations
Employees: 5,800
Headquartered in Orlando, Hilton Grand Vacations (HGV) is recognized as a premier vacation ownership and experiences company. The company operates vacation club resorts worldwide and provides members with flexible vacation options across a portfolio of properties. HGV’s Orlando headquarters reflects the region’s status as a global center for timeshare and vacation ownership companies, with multiple major players in the industry choosing Central Florida as their home base. The company’s presence contributes to the region’s expertise in hospitality management, customer service, and leisure travel innovation.
9. Westgate Resorts (Orlando)
Industry: Vacation Ownership/Hospitality
Revenue: Multi-billion dollar operations
Employees: 4,975
Status: Privately held
Westgate Resorts, founded by David Siegel, is one of the largest privately held timeshare companies in the world. Headquartered in Orlando, Westgate operates resorts throughout the United States and employs nearly 5,000 people. The company’s flagship property, Westgate Lakes Resort & Spa, sits just minutes from major theme parks. Westgate’s success story exemplifies Central Florida’s entrepreneurial spirit and the region’s dominance in the vacation ownership industry. The company has grown from a single property to a nationwide network while maintaining its Orlando roots.
10. SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment (Orlando)
Industry: Theme Parks/Entertainment
Revenue: Part of larger corporate operations
Employees: 5,192
SeaWorld Parks & Entertainment operates its corporate headquarters in Orlando, overseeing a portfolio of theme parks and attractions across the United States including SeaWorld parks, Busch Gardens, Aquatica water parks, Discovery Cove, and Sesame Place. The company’s Orlando presence includes SeaWorld Orlando, Discovery Cove, and Aquatica Orlando. As a major employer and tourist attraction operator, SeaWorld contributes significantly to Central Florida’s reputation as the theme park capital of the world. The company continues to invest in new attractions and animal care programs while adapting to changing consumer preferences in family entertainment.
Regional Economic Impact
Central Florida’s corporate landscape reflects remarkable diversity beyond its famous theme parks. While tourism and hospitality remain vital (with Walt Disney World Resort employing 80,000+ as the region’s largest employer), the area has successfully attracted major players in healthcare, restaurants, aerospace, defense, and business services.
The region’s competitive advantages include no state income tax, a massive talent pipeline from the University of Central Florida (13,645 employees, making it a top employer itself), Orlando International Airport (one of the nation’s busiest), and a high quality of life that attracts both companies and workers. Downtown Orlando has emerged as a vibrant business district with 11 million square feet of office space and a professional population exceeding 87,000.
According to the Orlando Economic Partnership, the metropolitan area has been ranked among the nation’s top regions for job growth for four consecutive years. The area’s economic development strategy has successfully moved beyond tourism dependence, creating a more resilient economy anchored by major corporate headquarters, advanced manufacturing (including Siemens Energy with 5,541 employees), life sciences, and technology sectors.
Companies choosing Central Florida benefit from access to a skilled workforce of 1.4 million, competitive operating costs, extensive transportation infrastructure, and a culture of innovation supported by research institutions and business partnerships. As approximately 1,500 people move to the Orlando area each week, these corporate anchors will play an increasingly critical role in providing employment opportunities and economic stability for the region’s growing population.
The combination of homegrown success stories like Darden Restaurants and Westgate Resorts with major corporate relocations like Travel + Leisure Co. positions Central Florida for continued growth as a major American business hub—one that has successfully evolved well beyond its theme park origins into a diverse, dynamic economic powerhouse.
Note: Revenue figures and employment numbers reflect the most recently available data and may represent company-wide operations for multi-regional entities. Rankings are based on regional economic impact and employment rather than a single metric.
