Top 50 MNC Companies in the World
67
50 COMPANIES THAT CHANGED THE WORLD.
Transcript of Top 50 MNC Companies in the World
50COMPANIES
THAT CHANGED
THE WORLD.
Incisive Profiles of the 50 Organizations,Large & small, that has
Shaped the Course of Modern Business
- HOWARD ROTHMAN
1. Microsoft Corporation
Fact File:
Founders: William H. Gates III and Paul Allen
Distinction: Created the Systems that drive nearly all the world’s PCs.
Primary Products: Computer Software and Internet Services.
Annual Sales: $22.956 billion.
Number of Employees: 31,400.
Major competitors: American Online, Oracle, and Sun Microsystems.
Chairman and Chief Software Architect: William H. gates III;
President & CEO: Steven A. Ballmer.
Headquarters: Redmond, Wash.
Year founded: 1975.
Website: www.microsoft.com
2. AT&T Corporation
Fact File:
Founders: Alexander graham Bell, Gardiner Hubbard & Thomas Sanders.
Distinction: Launched the Telecommunication revolution.
Primary Products: Telephone Services, Internet access, cable television.
Annual Sales: $62.391 billion.
Number of Employees: 148,000
Major competitors: America Online, MCI WorldCom, and Sprint.
Chairman & CEO: C. Michael Armstrong.
Headquarters: New York.
Year founded: 1877.
Website: www.att.com
3. Ford Motor Company
Fact File:
Founders: Henry Ford, Alexander Malcomson, John W. Anderson, C. H.
Bennett, James Couzens, Horace E. Dodge, John F. Dodge, Vernon C. Fry,
John S. Gray, Horace H. Rackham, Albert Strelow & Charles J. Woodall
Distinction: Completely transformed the process of manufacturing.
Primary Products: Cars, Trucks and Auto Finance.
Annual Sales: $162.558 billion.
Number of Employees: 364,550.
Major competitors: Daimler Chrysler, General Motors, Toyota.
Chairman: William C. Ford Jr;
President and CEO: Jacques A. Nasser.
Headquarters: Dearborn, Mich.
Year founded: 1903
Website: www.ford.com
4. Apple Computer
Fact File:
Founders: Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak & Mike Markkula.
Distinction: Brought computing to people.
Primary Products: PC, peripherals, multimedia tools.
Number of Employees: 9,376.
Annual Sales: $6.134 billion
Major competitors: Compaq, Microsoft, Sun Microsystems.
CEO: Steve Jobs.
Headquarters: Cupertino, Calif.
Year founded: 1976.
Website: www.apple.com
5. McDonald’s Corporation
Fact File:
Founders: Richard & Maurice McDonald & Ray Kroc.
Distinction: Global fast-food revolution.
Primary Products: Burgers, chicken nuggets, fries and shakes.
Number of Employees: 284,000 in U.S. alone
Annual Sales: $35.9 billion.
Major competitors: Pizza Hut, Burger King, Wendy’s, and Taco Bell.
Chairman & CEO: Jack Greenberg.
Headquarters: Oak Brook, Illinois.
Year founded: 1955.
Website: www.mcdonalds.com
6. America Online Inc.
Fact File:
Founder: Steven M. Case.
Distinction: Opened Cyberspace to masses worldwide.
Primary Products: Internet access, online content and related software.
Number of Employees: 12,100.
Annual Sales: $6.886 billion.
Major competitors: AT&T, Microsoft, and Yahoo!
Chairman & CEO: Steven M. Case.
Headquarters: Dulles, VA.
Year founded: 1991.
Website: www.aol.com
7. FedEx Corporation
Fact File:
Founder: Fredrick W. Smith.
Distinction: Created the next-day delivery industry.
Primary business: Worldwide express delivery of packages & documents.
Number of Employees: 141,000.
Annual Sales: $16.774 billion.
Major competitors: DHL, UPS, U.S. Postal Service.
Chairman, President & CEO: Fredrick W. Smith.
Headquarters: Memphis, Tenn.
Year founded: 1971.
Website: www.fedex.com
8.CBS Corporation
Fact File:
Founder: William S. Paley.
Distinction: made television journalism respectable and influential.
Primary Products: TV and Radio programming.
Number of Employees: 28,900.
Annual Sales: $7.373 billion.
Major competitors: ABC, Fox Entertainment, NBC.
Chairman: David McLaughlin;
President & CEO: Mel Karmazin.
Headquarters: New York
Year founded: 1927.
Website: www.cbs.com
9. Philip Morris Companies
Fact File:
Founder: Philip Morris
Distinction: Made cigarettes popular; now struggling b’coz of them.
Primary Products: Cigarettes, beer and food products.
Number of Employees: 137,100
Annual Sales: $78.596 billion.
Major competitors: Anheuser-Busch, British American Tobacco and Nestle.
Chairman & CEO: Geoffrey C. Bible.
Headquarters: New York.
Year founded: 1919
Website: www.philipmorris.com
10.Wal-Mart Stores Inc.
Fact File:
Founder: Sam Walton.
Distinction: Parlayed retailing innovations into worldwide dominance.
Primary Products: Softgoods, hardgoods, electronics, groceries.
Number of Employees: 1,140,000.
Annual Sales: $165.013 billion.
Major competitors: Kmart, Target, Costco Wholesale.
Chairman: Sam Walton.
President & CEO: H. Lee Scott Jr.
Headquarters: Bentonville.
Year founded: 1962.
Website: www.wal-mart.com
11. General Electric Company
Fact File:
Founder: Thomas A. Edison.
Distinction: It lit up our lives.
Primary Products: Electric equipment, home appliances, jet engines, financial
services, broadcasting.
Number of Employees: 340,000.
Annual Sales: $110.832 billion.
Major competitors: Matsushita, Rolls Royce, Siemens.
Chairman & CEO: John F. Welch Jr.
Headquarters: Fairfield, Conn.
Year founded: 1892.
Website: www.ge.com
12. IBM Corporation
Fact File:
Founder: Thomas Watson Sr.
Distinction: the king of technology throughout the technology age.
Primary Products: Computer hardware, software, peripherals, service.
Number of Employees: 307,401
Annual Sales: $87.548 billion.
Major competitors:
Chairman & CEO: Louis V. Gerstner Jr.
Headquarters: Armonk, N.Y.
Year founded: 1911.
Website: www.ibm.com
13. Sears, Roebuck, and Co.
Fact File:
Founders: Richard Sears & Alvah C. Roebuck
Distinction: World’s first mass-retailing network.
Primary Products: Apparel, home fashions, appliances, home improvement
products, Lawn and garden equipment.
Number of Employees: 324,000
Annual Sales: $41.071 billion.
Major competitors: Wal-Mart, Target, JC Penney.
Chairman, President & CEO: Alan Lacey.
Headquarters: Hoffman Estates.
Year founded: 1886.
Website: www.sears.com
14. General Motors
Fact File:
Founder: William Durant.
Distinction: World’s No. 1 automaker & largest company in terms of sales.
Primary Products: Cars, Trucks & related products.
Number of Employees: 388,000
Annual Sales: $176.558 billion.
Major competitors: Daimler Crysler, Ford, Toyota.
Chairman: John F. Smith Jr.
President & CEO: G. Richard Wagoner Jr.
Headquarters: Detroit, Mich.
Year founded: 1908
Website: www.gm.com
15. J.P.Morgan & Company.
Fact File:
Founder: J.P.Morgan
Distinction: Preserved & expanded the American Financial System.
Primary Products: Commercial banking & investment services.
Number of Employees: 15,152
Annual Sales: $ 18.110 billion.
Major competitors: Deutsche bank, Goldman Sachs, Merrill Lynch.
Chairman & CEO: Douglas A. “Sandy” Warner III
Headquarters: New York
Year founded: 1854
Website: www.jpmorgan.com
16. Union Pacific Corporation.
Fact File:
Founders: Oakes Ames, Oliver Ames & Thomas C. Durant.
Distinction: Helped bridge east and west with first transcontinental road.
Primary Products: Transportation services by train and truck.
Number of Employees: 52,000
Annual Sales: $11.273 billion.
Major competitors: Burlington Northern, Santa Fe, FedEx, Norfolk Southern.
Chairman President & CEO: Richard Davidson.
Headquarters: Omaha, Neb
Year founded: 1862
Website: www.up.com
17. RCA Corporation.
Fact File:
Founders: Thomas A. Edison, Elihu Thomson & Edwin Houston.
Distinction: Brought radio, then television, into American homes.
Primary Products: Televisions, camcorders, other consumer electronics.
Number of Employees: 22,800.
Annual Sales: $4.5 billion
Major competitors: Matsushita, Philips Electronics.
Chairman & CEO: S.A Thomson and Thomson Multimedia: Thierry Breton.
Headquarters: Indianapolis, Ind.
Year founded: 1960.
Website: www.rca.com
18. Nike Inc.
Fact File:
Founders: Bill Bowerman and Phil Knight.
Distinction: Made the sports shoe a cultural icon.
Primary Products: Athletic footwear, apparel, equipment and accessories.
Number of Employees: 20,700.
Annual Sales: $8.777 billion.
Major competitors: Adidas-Salomon, Fila, Reebok.
Chairman & CEO: Philip Knight.
Headquarters: Beaverton
Year founded: 1962.
Website: www.nike.com
19. Intel Corporation.
Fact File:
Founders: Robert Noyce and Gordon Moore.
Distinction: Invented microprocessor, paving way for computer revolution.
Primary Products: Computer chips, networking and communications gear.
Number of Employees: 70,200
Annual Sales: $29.389 billion.
Major competitors: Advanced micro Devices, IBM, and Motorola.
Chairman Emeritus: Gordon Moore.
Chairman: Andrew S. Grove;
President & CEO: Craig R. Barett.
Headquarters: Santa Clara, Ca.
Year founded: 1968.
Website: www.intel.com
20. Cable News Network.
Fact File:
Founder: Ted Turner.
Distinction: World’s first live, 24*7 television network.
Primary Products: TV, Radio, Internet news program
Number of Employees: 4,000.
Annual Sales: Unavailable
Major competitors: CNBC, Fox News Channel, MSNBC.
Chairman President & CEO: W. Thomas Johnson.
Headquarters: Atlanta, Ga.
Year founded: 1980.
Website: www.cnn.com
21. The Boeing Company
Fact File:
Founders: William E. Boeing.
Distinction: Evolved with aviation industry from biplanes to Lunar Orbiters.
Primary Products: Commercial & military aircrafts, rockets, satellites.
Number of Employees: 197,100
Annual Sales: $57.993 billion.
Major competitors: Airbus Industries, EADS, and Lockheed Martin.
Chairman & CEO: Philip M. Condit;
President & COO: Harry Stonecipher.
Headquarters: Seattle
Year founded: 1916.
Website: www.boeing.com
22.Hewlett-Packard Co.
Fact File:
Founders: Bill Hewlett & David Packard.
Distinction: Leader in technology & the business world that produces it.
Primary Products: PC’s, Printing and imaging products.
Number of Employees: 84,400
Annual Sales: $42.370 billion.
Major competitors: Compaq, IBM, Xerox.
Chairman President & CEO: Carleton S. “Carly” Fiorina.
Headquarters: Palo Alto, Calif.
Year founded: 1939
Website: www.hp.com
23. Standard Oil Company.
Fact File:
Founders: John D. Rockefeller, Samuel Andrews & Henry M. Flagler
Distinction: World’s largest oil refiner before dismantling by the Supreme
Court.
Primary Products: Kerosene, fuel, lubricant.
Major competitors: None.
Founder & President: John D. Rockefeller
Founding location: Cleveland, Ohio.
Market Value B4 dissolution: $100 million.
Years in existence: 1870-1911.
24. Sony Corporation.
Fact File:
Founders: Ibuka Masaru and Morita Akio.
Distinction: Remade the global consumer electronics marketplace.
Primary Products: Electronic devices, movies, TV shows, recorded music.
Number of Employees: 189,700
Annual Sales: $63.082 billion.
Major competitors: Matsushita, Philips Electronics, Time Warner.
Chairman & CEO: Nobuyuki Idei;
President: Kunitake Ando
Headquarters: Tokyo, Japan
Year founded: 1946.
Website: www.world.sony.com
25. USX-U.S. Steel Group
Fact File:
Founders: Elbert H. Gary and J. Pierpont Morgan.
Distinction: When launched, it was the largest business enterprise of all time.
Primary Products: Sheet, tubular, plate and semi finished steel.
Number of Employees: 19266.
Annual Sales: $ 5.380 billion.
Major competitors: Bethlehem Steel, LTV and Nucor.
Chairman & CEO, USX: Thomas J. Usher;
President, US Steel Group: Paul J. Wilhelm.
Headquarters: Pittsburgh.
Year founded: 1901.
Website: www.ussteel.com
26. Agence France-Presse.
Fact File:
Founder: Charles-Louis Haves.
Distinction: World’s oldest international news agency.
Primary Products: Words, photos and graphics for client media worldwide.
Annual Sales: $227.7 million.
Number of Employees: 1,998.
Major competitors: Associated Press, Reuters and United Press International.
President & CEO: Eric Giuily;
Deputy Chief Executive/ Managing Editor: Denis Brulet.
Headquarters: Paris
Year founded: 1835
Website: www.afp.com.
27. Levitt & Sons
Fact File:
Founders: William & Alfred Levitt.
Distinction: Created 20th Century American suburbia.
Primary Products: Small, Low cost houses for the masses.
Total Production: More than 140000 houses all over the world.
Founder: William Levitt
Headquarters: Levittown.
Year founded: 1929-1968.
Value when sold: Company sold to ITT in 1968 for $92 million.
28. Walt Disney Company
Fact File:
Founder: Walt Elias Disney.
Distinction: Family Entertainment.
Primary Products: Movies, Videos, Television, software, resort properties.
Annual Sales: $23.402 billion.
Number of Employees: 117,000
Major competitors: Fox Entertainment, Time Warner & Viacom.
Chairman & CEO: Michael D. Eisner;
Headquarters: Burbank.
Year founded: 1923.
Website: www.disney.go.com
29. Netscape Communications.
Fact File:
Founders: James Clark & Marc Andreessen.
Distinction: Rewrote rules for net navigation and IPO’s.
Primary Products: Internet browser, Web Portal, online development tools.
Annual Sales: $447.8 million.
Number of Employees: 2,936.
Major competitors: Lycos, Microsoft, Yahoo!
Vice President & GM, Netscape Net center: Jim Martin
Headquarters: Mountain View.
Year founded: 1994
Website: www.netscape.com
30. The Coca-Cola Company
Fact File:
Founder: Dr. John Stith Pemberton.
Distinction: Made soft drinks a global obsession.
Primary Products: Coca-Cola Classic, Diet Coke, Sprite, Minute Maid.
Annual Sales: $19.805 billion.
Number of Employees: 37,400.
Major competitors: Cadbury Schweppes, PepsiCo, Quaker Oats.
Chairman & CEO: Douglas N. Draft
Headquarters: Atlanta
Year founded: 1886
Website: www.cocacola.com
31. Thyssen Krupp AG
Fact File:
Founder: Friedrich Krupp.
Distinction: Helped finance, and arm, the Nazi regime in World War II.
Primary Products: Metal Fabrication, Industrial plants, automotive parts
Annual Sales: $ 29.749 billion.
Number of Employees: 116,174.
Major competitors: Mannesmann AG, Rpbert Bosch, Usinor.
Chairman (Automotive): Gerhard Cromme;
Chairman (Steel): Ekkehard Schulz;
Headquarters: Dusseldorf, Germany
Year founded: 1810.
Website: www.thyssenkrupp.com/eng/index.html.
32. Procter & Gamble Co.
Fact File:
Founders: William Procter and James Gamble.
Distinction: made name in soaps, invented soap operas to promote them.
Primary Products: Cleaning, paper, beauty, food, health-care items.
Annual Sales: $ 38.125 billion.
Number of Employees: 110,000.
Major competitors:Johnson & Johnson, Kimberley-Clark, Unilever.
Chairman: John Pepper;
President & CEO: Alan G. Lafley.
Headquarters: Cincinnati, Ohio.
Year founded: 1837.
Website: www.pg.com
33. Yahoo! Inc.
Fact File:
Founders: David Filo and Jerry Yang.
Distinction: Original online search engine.
Primary Products: Web directory, chat, shopping, community functions.
Annual Sales: $ 588.6 million.
Number of Employees: 2,711
Major competitors: America Online, Microsoft, Lycos.
Chairman & CEO: Timothy Koogle.
Headquarters: Santa Clara, Calif.
Year founded: 1994.
Website: www.yahoo.com
34. Toyota Motor Company.
Fact File:
Founder: Sakichi Toyoda.
Distinction: Revolutionized automobile production for the global age.
Primary Products: Cars, pickups, minivans and SUVs.
Annual Sales: $ 105.832 billion.
Number of Employees: 183,879.
Major competitors: Daimler Chrysler, Ford, General Motors.
Chairman: Hiroshi Okuda;
President: Fujio Cho.
Headquarters: Toyota City, Japan.
Year founded: 1937.
Website: www.toyota.com
35. People Express Airlines.
Fact File:
Founder: Donald Burr.
Distinction: Made air travel affordable.
Primary Products: No-frills, cut-rate airline flights.
Annual Sales: $ 1 billion at peak.
Number of Employees: 3,500 at peak.
Major competitors: American Airlines, Continental Airlines and United
Airlines.
Headquarters: Newark, New Jersey.
Years in existence: 1981-1986.
36. Manpower Inc.
Fact File:
Founders: Elmer Winter and Aaron Scheinfeld.
Distinction: Made “temp” an indelible part of the corporate vocabulary.
Primary Products: Temporary workers for assorted positions worldwide.
Annual Sales: $ 9.770 billion.
Number of Employees: 2,016,000.
Major competitors: Adecco, Randstad Holding, Vedior.
Chairman: John R. Walter;
President & CEO: Jeffrey A. Joerres.
Headquarters: Milwaukee, Wis.
Year founded: 1948.
Website: www.manpower.com
37. Toys “R” Us.
Fact File:
Founder: Charles Lazarus.
Distinction: Invented the toy supermarket and “carpet-killer” concepts.
Primary Products: Toys, games, sporting goods, software, kids’ furniture.
Annual Sales: $ 11.862 billion.
Number of Employees: 76,000.
Major competitors: eToys, Kmart, Wal-Mart.
Chairman: Michael Goldstein;
President & CEO: John H. Eyler Jr.
Headquarters: Paramus, N.J.
Year founded: 1978.
Website: www.toysrus.com
38. National Football League.
Fact File:
Founders: Ralph Hay, George “Papa Bear” Halas, Jim Thorpe and others.
Distinction: Reshaped professional sports and associated business:
Primary business: Overseas individual franchises, general merchandising and
marketing.
Annual Sales: $ 3.27 billion.
Number of Employees: 150
Major competitors: major League Baseball, MBA, and National Hockey
League.
Commissioner: Paul J. Tagliabue;
President and COO: Neil Austrian.
Headquarters: New York
Year founded: 1920
Website: www.nfl.com
39. Kellogg Company.
Fact File:
Founder: Will Keith (W.K) Kellogg.
Distinction: Invented and popularized toasted grain-based foods.
Primary Products: Breakfast cereals and other grain-based foods.
Annual Sales: $ 6.8 billion.
Number of Employees: 14,500
Major competitors: General Mills, Kraft foods, Quaker Oats
President & CEO: Carlos Gutierrez.
Headquarters: Battle Creek, Mich.
Year founded: 1906.
Website: www.kelloggs.com
40. Johnson Publishing Company.
Fact File:
Founder: John H. Johnson.
Distinction: World’s largest black-owned publishing company.
Primary Products: magazines, books, cosmetics and traveling fashion show.
Annual Sales: $371.9 million.
Number of Employees: 2,647
Major competitors: BET, Essence Communications and L’Oreal.
Chairman Publisher & CEO: John H. Johnson.
Headquarters: Chicago, Ill.
Year founded: 1942.
Website: www.ebony.com
41. Firestone Tire & Rubber.
Fact File:
Founder: Harvey Samuel firestone.
Distinction: Developed the first pneumatic automobile tire.
Primary business: Manufacturing and selling vehicle tires.
Annual Sales: $7.4 billion.
Number of Employees: 45,000
Major competitors: Cooper Tire & Rubber, Goodyear and Michelin.
Chairman & CEO: John Lampe;
President: Kenji Shibata.
Headquarters: Nashville, Tenn.
Year founded: 1900.
Website: www.bridgestone.com
42. Avon Products Inc.
Fact File:
Founders: David McConnell and Mrs. P. F.E. Albee.
Distinction: Created one of the first woman-friendly work environments.
Primary Products: Beauty products, fragrances.
Annual Sales: $5.289 billion.
Number of Employees: 33,900
Major competitors: L’Oreal, Mary Kay, Revlon.
Chairman: Stanley C. Gault.
President & CEO: Andrea Jung.
Headquarters: New York.
Year founded: 1886.
Website: www.avon.com.
43. Hilton Hotels Corporation.
Fact File:
Founder: Conrad N. Hilton.
Distinction: Developed the first coast-to-coast hotel chain.
Primary Products: Hotels, resorts and time-share properties.
Annual Sales: $1.769 billion.
Number of Employees: 45,000
Major competitors: Accor, Marriott, Starwood Hotels & Resorts.
Chairman: Barron Hilton
President & CEO: Stephen F. Bollenbach.
Headquarters: Beverly Hills.
Year founded: 1919
Website: www.hilton.com
44. Ben & Jerry’s Homemade.
Fact File:
Founders: Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield.
Distinction: Successfully combined business and social activism.
Primary Products: Ice cream, frozen yogurt and related products.
Annual Sales: $237 million.
Number of Employees: 751
Major competitors: Dreyer’s Grand Ice Cream, TCBY Enterprises,
President & CEO: Yves Couette.
Headquarters: South Burlington
Year founded: 1978.
Website: www.benjerry.com
45. RE / MAX International
Fact File:
Founder: Dave Liniger.
Distinction: Created the first global agent friendly real estate network.
Primary Business: Real Estate Sales on six continents.
Annual Sales: $1 million in U.S. alone.
Number of Employees: 58,000
Major competitors: Century 21, Coldwell Banker.
Chairman: Dave Liniger
CEO: Gail Liniger
Headquarters: Englewood, Co.
Year founded: 1973.
Website: www.remax.com
46. The Singer Company N.V.
Fact File:
Founders: Issac merit Singer.
Distinction: Made it easier to produce professional-looking apparel at home.
Primary Products: Sewing machines and other consumer appliances.
Annual Sales: $1.263 billion.
Number of Employees: 18,000
Major competitors: Brother international, Electrolux AB, Hirsch.
Chairman: James H. Ting;
President & CEO: Stephen H. Goodman.
Headquarters: Curacao, Netherlands
Year founded: 1851.
Website: www.singerco.com
47. The Shorebank Corp.
Fact File:
Founders: Ronald Grzywinski, Mary Houghton, James Fletcher
Distinction: Nation’s oldest and largest community development bank.
Primary Products: Financial services for businesses and individuals.
Annual Sales: $991.297 million.
Number of Employees: 337
Major competitors: Louisville Community Development Bank, Vermont
National bank, Wainwright Bank & Trust Company.
President & CEO: Margaret A. Cheap.
Headquarters: Chicago, Ill
Year founded: 1973
Website: www.sbk.com
48. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Fact File:
Founders: Marcus Loew and Louis B. Mayer.
Distinction: Epitomized Hollywood and America during 1920’s and 1930’s.
Primary Products: Theatrical films, television shows, home video, licenced
products.
Annual Sales: $1.2 billion.
Number of Employees: 870
Major competitors: Sony Pictures, Time Warner Walt Disney Company
Chairman & CEO: Alex Yemenidjian
Headquarters: Santa Monica
Year founded: 1924
Website: www.mgm.com
49. L.L.Bean.
Fact File:
Founder: Leon Leonwood Bean.
Distinction: Pioneered mail-order retailing.
Primary Products: Outdoor gear, clothing, shoes, luggage.
Annual Sales: $1.07 billion.
Number of Employees: 4,000
Major competitors: REI, Lands’ End, Spiegel, The Gap.
President & CEO: Leon A. Gorman.
Headquarters: Freeport, Maine.
Year founded: 1912
Website: www.llbean.com
50. H.J.Heinz Company
Fact File:
Founders: Henry John Heinz and John Noble.
Distinction: Made ketchup a household name.
Primary Products: Condiments, tuna, soup, frozen foods, baby food.
Annual Sales: $9.3 billion.
Number of Employees: 40,500
Major competitors: Bestfoods, Campbell Soup, ConAgra, Del Monte, Nestle.
President & CEO: William R. Johnson.
Headquarters: Pittsburgh
