Food and drink as well as local tourism provides a large sum to the economy of East Ayrshire, with visitor attractions such as Dean Castle, Palace Theatre and Dumfries House generating large means of income for the area. In rural communities of the authority, agriculture continues to be the leading sources of employment and economic productivity, particularly in the southern communities of the area. The public sector is the largest employer within the area, with areas of the council such as Education, Social Services and NHS Ayrshire and Arran being responsible for a large number of employees delivering various areas of council operation and services. In 2012, 279 new companies were created within East Ayrshire and are supported by the Ayrshire Chamber of Commerce. There was a drop in the number of new business developments being created the following year in 2013. Kilmarnock is home to the Halo Urban Generation (Kilmarnock) Ltd. company which was founded by Marie Macklin CBE, with a focus on providing opportunities for new businesses within the area, and with an estimated Gross Domestic Product (GDP) revenue of £205 million to the Scottish economy, it also supports 1,500 jobs within the area.