Los Angeles County stands as the largest manufacturing center in the United States by employment, and home to the 20th largest economy in the world. Historically defined by the mid-century aerospace boom and the fashion district’s garment trade roots, the West Coast city has evolved into a hub for diverse, high-tech manufacturing that spans space exploration, biotech, electronics and consumer goods.
Manufacturing Companies in Los Angeles to Know
- Boeing
- SpaceX
- Mattel
- General Motors
- OSI Systems
Today, Los Angeles’ manufacturing industry is powered by thousands of homegrown businesses and a 446,000-person workforce, outperforming traditional hubs like Chicago and Detroit. Its massive output is made possible thanks to the San Pedro Bay ports, which acts as the primary gateway for 40 percent of the nation’s raw materials, as well as innovation from the "Silicon Beach" tech corridor and the heavy industrial backbone of the San Gabriel Valley.
Here’s a look at some of the largest names headquartered in the manufacturing capital of America.
Top Manufacturing Companies in Los Angeles
SpaceX designs, builds and launches rockets and spacecraft, handling the majority of its engineering and mission operations out of its Hawthorne headquarters. Founded in 2002, the company is currently scaling its presence at the Port of Long Beach, utilizing the waterfront for Starship recovery and hardware processing as it ramps up its launch cadence. With more than 200 launches per year, SpaceX is the world’s most prolific launch provider.
Belkin is a consumer electronics mainstay that manages the rapid prototyping of its mobile charging devices and connectivity equipment from its El Segundo headquarters. The company recently hit a major eco-milestone within its Los Angeles-based operations by transitioning 90 percent of its key product materials to be made out of recycled plastics. Its local labs are currently focused on launching a new suite of charging accessories, including power banks, wireless chargers, hubs and adapters, designed specifically for the latest 2026 hardware releases.
Best known for its generation-defining toys like Barbie and Hot Wheels, Mattel is the second largest toy maker by revenue. Founded in Los Angeles in 1945, the company’s El Segundo headquarters oversees design, engineering and strategy for its broader manufacturing network, and has expanded its local design operations following the commercial success of the Barbie film.
Fulgent Genetics is a biotech company that uses advanced sequencing technology to create diagnostic tests. As it moves beyond Covid-era testing, the company is shifting its local labs to focus more on cancer and digital pathology. Founded in 2011, its El Monte headquarters handles high-throughput genetic screening, custom assay development and the production of its proprietary testing kits for clinical and research use.
OSI Systems is a manufacturer of specialized electronics, like screening systems, metal detectors and anesthesia workstations, for security and healthcare. Headquartered in California, its Hawthorne-based location produces one of the most widely used airport screening technologies. The company enters 2026 with a record $1.8 billion backlog, largely driven by new international contracts for its Rapiscan and AS&E cargo inspection systems.
Boeing is one of the largest aerospace manufacturers in the world. It makes airplanes, rotorcraft, rockets, satellites and, as a major defense contractor, missiles. Boeing’s El Segundo satellite factory is the largest of its kind in the world, which just added a 9,000-square-foot production line dedicated to building electro-optical infrared sensors for the U.S. Space Force. This expansion supports the company’s push to more than double its annual satellite output throughout 2026 to meet urgent national security and communications demands.
Revolve is an e-commerce fashion retailer with a portfolio of more than 500 brands. Founded in 2003, the hometown company relies on data analytics and an influencer marketing strategy to sell clothing, shoes and accessories primarily to millennial and zoomer buyers. Its Cerritos operations connect product development with fulfillment and distribution, managing $1.2 billion in annual sales, as the company further expands its local footprint with a permanent flagship store at The Grove.
While headquartered in Detroit, GM operates a 149,000-square-foot advanced design studio in Pasadena that dictates the aesthetic and functional future of its global electric vehicle (EV) lineup. This facility is currently at the forefront of GM's shift toward software-defined vehicles, where designers and engineers collaborate on the next generation of Cadillac and Chevrolet concepts. The Los Angeles-based studio acts as the primary innovation lab for the country’s most prolific U.S.-based automaker.
Global footwear giant Skechers anchors its design and corporate operations in Manhattan Beach, supported by a 1.8-million-square-foot distribution hub in Moreno Valley. Founded in 1992, the company is currently completing a massive headquarters expansion on Sepulveda Boulevard, which will double its local office and design showroom space. This new LEED Gold-certified campus is designed to consolidate its Southern California professional teams of the world’s third largest shoemaker into a single high-tech creative corridor.
Headquartered in Pasadena, Arrowhead Pharmaceuticals develops RNA-based therapies that treat hepatitis B and liver diseases. The company is a clinical-stage, Nasdaq-listed firm that uses tissue-specific delivery to inhibit disease-causing genes. Its research and development operations are based in Wisconsin, while its Pasadena site handles corporate, clinical and regulatory activities.
