Emporia has several big private-sector employers. In the past, a Tyson Foods beef-packing plant employed more than 2,400 workers. Hostess Brands has a bakery in Emporia. Hopkins Manufacturing Corporation, created in Emporia in 1953, makes products for the car market. The Braum dairy store chain, based in Oklahoma City, started in Emporia in 1952 under the name "Peter Pan." Simmons Pet Food has a multi-acre plant in Emporia that makes wet dog food.