Located on the

Mississippi River The Mississippi River is the second-longest river and chief river of the second-largest drainage system in North America, second only to the Hudson Bay drainage system. From its traditional source of Lake Itasca in northern Minnesota, it f ...

, the metropolitan area of Memphis is one of the largest in the

Southeastern United States The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...

, ranking 42nd in the United States according to the 2010 census. The city has historically been one of the largest shipping hubs in the Mid-South, dating back to the Civil War, when the port was one of the largest on the Mississippi River and served as a shipping hub for the Confederacy. As transportation methods developed, Memphis has continued to hold significance as a transportation hub. Now the city is home to the second largest cargo airport in the world, Memphis International Airport, and the world’s busiest domestic airport with 3.9 million metric tonnes. Memphis International Airport and Memphis have had huge significance in the railroad industry. The city has the 3rd largest rail center in the U.S. behind Chicago and St. Louis. It is also one of only four U.S. cities with five Class 1 railroads. Because Memphis has been such an important city for transportation and shipping, it is attractive to businesses, especially those producing goods shipped nationwide. Three

Fortune 500 The ''Fortune'' 500 is an annual list compiled and published by ''Fortune'' magazine that ranks 500 of the largest United States corporations by total revenue for their respective fiscal years. The list includes publicly held companies, along ...

companies,

FedEx FedEx Corporation, formerly Federal Express Corporation and later FDX Corporation, is an American multinational conglomerate holding company focused on transportation, e-commerce and business services based in Memphis, Tennessee. The name "Fe ...

, AutoZone and

International Paper Co. The International Paper Company is an American pulp and paper company, the largest such company in the world. It has approximately 56,000 employees, and is headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee. History The company was incorporated January 31, ...

call Memphis home. These significant businesses have brought a large manufacturing industry. Of the 607,900 jobs in Memphis in July 2014, 209,900 are in the manufacturing and transportation industries, around 34.5 percent. Over the years, the city has become less dependent on its manufacturing and transportation sectors and has diversified its economy especially in services. The Gross Domestic Product of the private sector good-producing industries have grown from $8,309 million to $11,459 million from 2003 to 2013. Over that same time period, the private sector service industries grew from $39,354 million to $48,641 million.

Companies

Publicly traded firms headquartered in Memphis

(), world's largest airfreight firm and 45th-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2021). * International Paper (), manufactures paper products and the 141st-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2021). * AutoZone Incorporated (), operates over 6,900 auto parts stores in the

United States The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...

and

Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...

and the 248th-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2021). *

First Horizon National Corporation First Horizon Corporation is a bank holding company based in Memphis, Tennessee. Its banking subsidiary, First Horizon (formerly First Tennessee), is the largest bank in Tennessee and the fourth largest regional banking company in the Southeast. ...

(), operates First Tennessee and First Horizon bank, the 686th-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2021). *Sylvamo Corporation (), paper product manufacturer that was spun off from international Paper in 2021, the 727th-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2023).
Mueller Industries
(), fabricates metal tubes and fittings and the 861st-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2021). * Terminix (), one of the world's largest pest control companies and the 923rd-ranked company on the Fortune 500 (2021). *

Mid-America Apartments Mid-America Apartment Communities (MAA) is a publicly traded real estate investment trust based in Memphis, Tennessee that invests in apartments in the Southeastern United States and the Southwestern United States. As of December 31, 2020, the com ...

(), real estate investment trust owning apartment communities. *Frontdoor, Inc. (), technology-based home repair and maintenance services.

Private firms headquartered in Memphis

Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz Baker, Donelson, Bearman, Caldwell & Berkowitz P.C. is a large U.S. law firm and lobbying group with offices in the Southeastern United States and Washington, D.C. ''Fortune'' has selected Baker Donelson as one of the 100 Best Companies to Work ...

, law firm *Barnhart Crane and Rigging, specialty heavy lifting and heavy transport *

Belz Enterprises Belz Enterprises, Inc. is a major American-based developer of hotels, retail, and commercial properties, including shopping malls. Belz owns and operates the Peabody Hotel in Memphis. Previously they operated two other Peabody Hotels, one in Littl ...

, develops, owns and manages real estate throughout the United States and

Puerto Rico Puerto Rico (; abbreviated PR; tnq, Boriken, ''Borinquen''), officially the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico ( es, link=yes, Estado Libre Asociado de Puerto Rico, lit=Free Associated State of Puerto Rico), is a Caribbean island and Unincorporated ...

Guardsmark Guardsmark was a major provider of security services in North America, Puerto Rico and the United Kingdom. Founded in 1963, Guardsmark was the fourth largest security company and the only major provider privately held by one family. The family- ...

, security and investigation firm *Katt Worldwide Logistics, a transportation firm * Lenny's Sub Shop, restaurant chain *

Malco Theatres Malco Theatres, Inc. is a movie theatre chain that has remained family owned and operated for over one hundred years. It has been led by four generations of the Lightman family. The company has 36 theatre locations with over 371 screens in six ...

, an operator of movie theatres *Ozark Motor Lines, a transportation company *

Varsity Brands Varsity Brands, Inc. is an American apparel company owned by Bain Capital. It is primarily focused on academic apparel and memorabilia, with its operations split among three major subsidiaries, including Herff Jones—a manufacturer of products suc ...

, manufactures uniforms and runs camps * American Residential Services, also known as ARS/Rescue Rooter *

City Gear City Gear is an American company that operates over 130 stores in the central region of the US. City Gear was founded in 1978 under the name Shelmar Retail Partners LLC. It was created in and still operates out of Memphis, Tennessee. City Gear is ...

, a clothing store selling

streetwear Streetwear is a style of casual clothing which became global in the 1990s. It grew from New York hip hop fashion and Californian surf culture to encompass elements of sportswear, punk, skateboarding and Japanese street fashion. Eventually hau ...

clothing.

Major divisions or operations

*Allenburg Cotton, part of Louis Dreyfus, trades and brokers cotton, along with shipping, ginning, and warehousing.
Cargill Cotton
, part of Cargill Incorporated, trades and brokers cotton, along with shipping, ginning, and warehousing. *

Carrier Carrier may refer to: Entertainment * ''Carrier'' (album), a 2013 album by The Dodos * ''Carrier'' (board game), a South Pacific World War II board game * ''Carrier'' (TV series), a ten-part documentary miniseries that aired on PBS in April 20 ...

plant for central air conditioning, located in Collierville. Carrier is part of United Technologies. *Evergreen Packaging, packaging company owned by Reynolds Group Holdings *

Information Technology Information technology (IT) is the use of computers to create, process, store, retrieve, and exchange all kinds of data . and information. IT forms part of information and communications technology (ICT). An information technology system (I ...

world headquarters and data center for

Hilton Hotel Hilton Hotels & Resorts (formerly known as Hilton Hotels) is a global brand of full-service hotels and resorts and the flagship brand of American multinational hospitality company Hilton. The original company was founded by Conrad Hilton. As ...

s is located on Crossover Lane. * Morgan Keegan & Company, Inc. investment banking firm, subsidiary of

Raymond James Financial Raymond James Financial, Inc. is an American multinational independent investment bank and financial services company providing financial services to individuals, corporations, and municipalities through its subsidiary companies that engage prim ...

, Inc., Headquartered in the eponymous tower at Jefferson and Front streets in downtown Memphis. * Nike, footwear distribution center and other distribution facilities. * Nucor Steel Memphis Inc. manufactures special bar quality

carbon steel Carbon steel is a steel with carbon content from about 0.05 up to 2.1 percent by weight. The definition of carbon steel from the American Iron and Steel Institute (AISI) states: * no minimum content is specified or required for chromium, cobalt ...

in a plant on Paul R. Lowry Road. *Orthopaedic Reconstruction and Trauma division world headquarters of Smith & Nephew is located on Brooks Road. *Spinal and Biologics division headquarters of

Medtronic Medtronic plc is an American medical device company. The company's operational and executive headquarters are in Minneapolis, Minnesota, and its legal headquarters are in Ireland due to its acquisition of Irish-based Covidien in 2015. While it ...

is located in Memphis. * Williams-Sonoma, Inc., primary global distribution facilities. *Y&S Candies plant, which makes Twizzlers and Bubble Yum chewing gum, is located on Kansas Street. Y&S is part of

The Hershey Company The Hershey Company, commonly known as Hershey's, is an American multinational company and one of the largest chocolate manufacturers in the world. It also manufactures baked products, such as cookies and cakes, and sells beverages like milksh ...

Nonprofits

* Ducks Unlimited *Methodist Healthcare, operates seven hospitals, multiple home health agencies and outpatient clinics *

St. Jude Children's Research Hospital St. Jude Children's Research Hospital is a pediatric treatment and research facility located in Memphis, Tennessee. Founded in 1962, it is a 501(c)(3) designated nonprofit medical corporation which focuses on children's catastrophic diseases, pa ...

, pediatric treatment and research facility.

Former major companies

Union Planters Bank Union Planters Bank was a United States financial institution and multi-state bank holding corporation headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee prior to being acquired by Regions Financial Corporation. With over $34 billion in assets, Union Planters Ba ...

(1869–2004), financial institution and multi-state bank holding company (founded in 1869, acquired by Regions in 2004) * National Bank of Commerce (1873–2005), regional bank holding company (founded in 1873, acquired by SunTrust in 2005) *

Piggly Wiggly Piggly Wiggly is an American supermarket chain operating in the American Southern and Midwestern regions run by Piggly Wiggly, LLC, an affiliate of C&S Wholesale Grocers. Its first outlet opened in 1916 in Memphis, Tennessee, and is notable f ...

(1916–1939), national supermarket chain with 2,660 locations in 1932 (founded in 1916, relocated to Jacksonville in 1939) *Wright Medical Group (1950–2016), a global medical device manufacturer (founded in 1950, relocated to

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

in 2016) * Holiday Inn (1952–1985), worldwide chain of hotels and formerly motels (founded in 1952, relocated to

Atlanta Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

in 1985) *

Fred's Fred's Inc. (stylized ''FRED'S'') was a retail store chain headquartered in Memphis, Tennessee, operating in 15 states in the southeastern United States. As of June, 2019 Fred's operated 396 locations, of which 155 are pharmacies, and the remain ...

(1953–2019), discount convenience store chain with 557 locations in 2019 (relocated to Memphis from Coldwater, MS in 1953, declared bankruptcy in 2019). *

Perkins Perkins is a surname derived from the Anglo-Saxon corruption of the kin of Pierre (from Pierre kin to Pierrekin to Perkins), introduced into England by the Norman Conquest. It is found throughout mid- and southern England. Another derivation com ...

Marie Callender's Marie Callender's is an American restaurant chain. Its headquarters are in the Marie Callender's Corporate Support Center in Mission Viejo, Orange County, California. As of May 2022, the company has 25 restaurant locations in California, Nevada, a ...

LLC (1958–2019), owners of the Perkins and Marie Callender's restaurant chains (declared bankruptcy in 2019 and purchased by

-based Huddle House, Inc.) * GTx Incorporated (1997–2019), pharmaceutical company (founded in 1997, merged with Oncternal Therapeutics in 2019) * EdR (2004–2018), founded as the Education Realty Trust, a real estate investment trust owning 43 off-campus student housing properties across the United States in 2012. (founded in 2004, acquired by Greystar in 2018). *

Verso Corporation Verso Corporation, now Billerud Americas Corporation, was a North American producer of coated papers including coated groundwood, coated freesheet, and specialty products. The company restructured in 2016 following Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Verso ...

(2006–2017), global paper products manufacturer (split from International Paper in 2006, declared bankruptcy in 2016 and relocated to

Miamisburg, OH Miamisburg ( ) is a city in Montgomery County, Ohio. The population was 20,181 at the time of the 2010 census. A suburb of Dayton. It is part of the Dayton metropolitan area. Miamisburg is known for its large industry (mainly for its nuclea ...

in 2017) *

ServiceMaster ServiceMaster Brands is an American privately held company owned by Roark Capital Group that provides residential and commercial services. Its headquarters are located in Atlanta, Georgia, after moving there in 2020 from Memphis, Tennessee. Br ...

(2007–2020), commercial cleaning services company (relocated to Memphis from

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

in 2007, split with Terminix in 2020 and relocated to Atlanta).

Government entities

Internal Revenue Service The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) is the revenue service for the United States federal government, which is responsible for collecting U.S. federal taxes and administering the Internal Revenue Code, the main body of the federal statutory ta ...

, two service centers: Accounts Management Center and Compliance Service Center. *Memphis Light, Gas and Water ("MLG&W") is also one of the largest municipal utilities in the

. * Naval Support Activity Mid-South (Millington) *Regional Medical Center at Memphis (The Med), an acute-care teaching hospital operated by Shelby County.

Entertainment industry

The

entertainment Entertainment is a form of activity that holds the attention and interest of an audience or gives pleasure and delight. It can be an idea or a task, but is more likely to be one of the activities or events that have developed over thousa ...

and

film industry The film industry or motion picture industry comprises the technological and commercial institutions of filmmaking, i.e., film production companies, film studios, cinematography, animation, film production, screenwriting, pre-production, post ...

has also developed in recent years in the city. Major motion pictures filmed in Memphis include '' Making the Grade'' (1984), U2: Rattle & Hum, (1988) '' Mystery Train'' (1989), '' Great Balls of Fire!'' (1989), Trespass (1991), ''

The Firm The FIRM (stylized as The FIRM) is a brand of exercise videos and equipment currently owned by Gaiam. The original "The FIRM" videos are best known for popularizing a hybrid of aerobic exercise and weight training. History In 1979, Anna Bens ...

'' (1993), '' A Family Thing'' (1996), ''

The People vs. Larry Flynt ''The People vs. Larry Flynt'' is a 1996 American biographical drama film directed by Miloš Forman, chronicling the rise of pornographer Larry Flynt and his subsequent clash with religious institutions and the law. It stars Woody Harrelson, Cour ...

'' (1996), '' The Rainmaker'' (1997), '' Cast Away'' (2000), '' The Queens of Comedy'' (2001), ''

21 Grams ''21 Grams'' is a 2003 American psychological drama film directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu from a screenplay by Guillermo Arriaga. The film stars Sean Penn, Naomi Watts, Charlotte Gainsbourg, Danny Huston and Benicio Del Toro. The seco ...

'' (2003), ''

Hustle & Flow ''Hustle & Flow'' is a 2005 American drama film written and directed by Craig Brewer and produced by John Singleton and Stephanie Allain. It stars Terrence Howard as a Memphis hustler and pimp who faces his aspiration to become a rapper. It als ...

'' (2005), '' Walk the Line'' (2005), ''

Forty Shades of Blue ''Forty Shades of Blue'' is a 2005 independent film directed by Ira Sachs. It tells the story of Alan James (Rip Torn), an aging music producer who lives in Memphis, Tennessee with his much younger Russian girlfriend Laura (Dina Korzun). Their lif ...

'' (2005), '' Black Snake Moan'' (2007), '' Nothing But the Truth'' (2008), and '' The Blind Side'' (2009).

References

{{Economy of the United States by jurisdiction Memphis metropolitan area