NATIONAL MIDDLE MARKET WEEK

NATIONAL MIDDLE MARKET WEEK

National Middle Market Week, celebrated annually during the first full week of October, honors the influential yet least understood segment of the American economy. This National Week shines a much-deserved spotlight on the mid-sized companies that quietly drive innovation, power supply chains, and serve as the true employment backbone of the nation.

#NationalMiddleMarketWeek

While national economic conversations often focus on small businesses or Fortune 500 giants, the middle market has an outsized impact on the nation’s prosperity. Historically, middle market companies show revenue and employment growth that exceeds the broader economy, while also showing up with consistent resilience through economic shocks. National Middle Market Week honors the leaders and employees who drive growth, resilience, and community impact every day.

Made up of approximately 200,000 companies with annual revenues between $10 million and $1 billion, middle companies represent roughly one-third of U.S. private-sector GDP and employment. These businesses operate across every industry and geography, quietly powering innovation, job creation, and economic stability.

MIDDLE MARKET

What industries make up the middle market?

The middle market is incredibly diverse! It isn't tied to a single sector. It spans across manufacturing, healthcare, construction, wholesale trade, professional services, retail, and technology. If a company falls within the $10 million to $1 billion revenue range, it is part of the middle market.

Why are middle market companies often called "resilient"?

Because of their unique scale, middle market companies are agile enough to pivot faster than massive multinational corporations during economic downturns, yet they possess more capital, resources, and stability than fragile small businesses. This balance allows them to anchor local economies during turbulent financial times.

Despite its outsized economic contribution, the middle market still lacks a unifying national platform for awareness, education, and celebration. National Middle Market Week enhances public understanding of the middle market’s role in economic growth, job creation, and innovation; highlights the unique challenges and opportunities facing mid-sized companies, from workforce development to technology adoption; recognizes the leaders and employees who operate at the center of supply chains, local economies, and communities nationwide; and provides a focal point for research, dialogue, and engagement among business leaders, policymakers, and stakeholders.

HOW TO SUPPORT NATIONAL MIDDLE MARKET WEEK

Whether you are a corporate executive, a policymaker, a business advisor, or a proud employee, there are many ways to participate this week. We've created a short-list for you to get started:

  • Host a dedicated panel, network event, or workshop to discuss support of middle market organizations Check with your local chamber of commerce to see if it already has events scheduled. Ask how you can help or participate.

  • Dive into the open-source tools, data-driven insights, and executive trends provided by the National Center for the Middle Market to help optimize your business strategy for the coming year.

  • Show your team you care by using the first week in October to celebrate the employees who drive their business resilience, hosting appreciation lunches or highlighting standout team members.

  • If you operate a mid-sized business, use this week to share your story! Highlight your company's growth, your team's achievements, and your local community impact on social media using the hashtag #MiddleMarketWeek.

HISTORY: NATIONAL MIDDLE MARKET WEEK

The National Day Calendar Registrar approved National Middle Market Week in 2026 on behalf of the National Center for the Middle Market. Each year during the first week of October, we can all shine a much-deserved spotlight on the mid-sized companies that quietly drive innovation, power supply chains, and serve as the employment backbone of the nation.

About the Founder

The National Center for the Middle Market (NCMM) was founded in 2011 and housed at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business. The organization was created for a single purpose: to ensure that the vitality and robustness of middle market companies are fully realized as fundamental to the nation’s economic outlook and prosperity. As the only U.S. research center exclusively focused on the middle market, NCMM is dedicated to studying and advancing the understanding and performance of the middle market. 

For nearly 15 years, NCMM has served as the trusted authority on middle market performance, challenges, and opportunities—producing open-source research, data-driven insights, and practical tools used by business leaders, policymakers, economic developers, educators, and the media. Its flagship research initiative, the Middle Market Indicator, is the longest-running, continual study of the U.S. middle market, capturing executive sentiment and performance trends through semi-annual national surveys. 

In 2026, NCMM will celebrate its 15th anniversary, marking a milestone in its long-standing commitment to data-driven insight, thought leadership, and advocacy for the middle market. National Middle Market Week honors the progress made over the past decade and a half but also creating momentum for the future—ensuring the middle market remains visible, understood, and supported in an evolving economic landscape.