It should come as no surprise that the companies that appear in the Top 25 Supply Chains are also the ones that make up a good chunk of the Fortune 500.
While fairly obvious, this correlation shows that the most profitable companies in the world wouldn’t have made it to where they are today without a strong network of supply chains to support their ventures. It also proves that having a well-made product is nothing without having the means to ship it across the world and back to meet the ever-growing demands of the consumer.
Apple holds the title as the best supply chain in the world and is also ranked No. 56 on the Fortune 500. Before an Apple product makes it to a local retailer, it goes through a vigorous supply chain network. Parts for items like the iPhone and Nano are produced in Singapore and Taiwan, and those parts eventually makes their way to China for final assembly. So its safe to say that fourth-generation iPhone in your pocket has crossed more international borders than you will probably ever cross in your life. Think about that the next time you slam it down because of a dropped call. Can you hear me now?
Apple isn’t the only technology giant with an intricate supply chain. Dell (5), Samsung Electronics (7), IBM (8), Research in Motion (9), Microsoft (12), Hewlett-Packard (15), Intel (18) and Nokia (19) also garner enough clout with respect to supply chain to make the list. (See the full Top 25 below)
Wal-Mart has long been praised for low prices, but it also has the fourth-best supply chain in the world. The supply chain for Wal-Mart is probably the most important arm of its company. Earlier this year, the US’s largest retailer announced that it plans to cut 20 million metric tons of greenhouse gas emissions from its supply chain by 2015, which is the equivalent of removing more than 3.8 million cars from the road for a year. It is also the top company on the Fortune 500 and revenues upwards of $14.3 billion make it the third most profitable company in the world.
Soft drink producers PepsiCo (5) and Coca-Cola (13) make the list along with internet shopping community Amazon.com (10) and sports apparel retailer Nike (16).
Check out the complete list of the Top 25 Supply Chains:
1. Apple
Industry: Computer Hardware
CEO: Steve Jobs
Fortune 500 Ranking: 56
2. Procter & Gamble
Industry: Consumer Goods
CEO: Bob McDonald
Fortune 500 Ranking: 22
No. 4 Most Profitable Company (2009 profits: $13.4 billion)
3. Cisco
Industry: Computer Networking
CEO: John Chambers
Fortune 500 Ranking: 58
4. Wal-Mart Stores
Industry: Retail
CEO: Mike Duke
Fortune 500 Ranking: 1
No. 3 Most Profitable Company (2009 profits: $14.3 billion)
5. Dell
Industry: Computer Systems
CEO: Michael Dell
Fortune 500 Ranking: 38
6. PepsiCo
Industry: Food, Beverages
CEO: Indra Nooyi
Fortune 500 Ranking: 50
7. Samsung Electronics
Industry: Consumer Electronics
CEO: Lee Yoon-woo
Fortune 500 Ranking: N/A
8. IBM
Industry: Computer Systems
CEO: Samuel J. Palmisano
Fortune 500 Ranking: 20
9. Research in Motion
Industry: Telecommunications
Co-CEOs: Mike Lazaridis, Jim Balsillie
Fortune 500 Ranking: N/A
10. Amazon.com
Industry: Online retail
CEO: Jeffrey Bezos
Fortune 500 Ranking: 100
11. McDonalds
Industry: Fast Food
CEO: James Skinner
Fortune 500 Ranking:108
12. Microsoft
Industry: Computer Systems
CEO: Steve Ballmer
Fortune 500 Ranking: 36
No. 2 Most Profitable Company (2009 profits: $14.6 billion)
13. Coca-Cola
Industry: Food, Beverage
CEO: Muhtar Kent
Fortune 500 Ranking: 72
No. 18 Most Profitable Company (2009 profits: $6.8 billion)
14. Johnson & Johnson
Industry: Healthcare
CEO: William C. Weldon
Fortune 500 Ranking: 33
No. 10 Most Profitable Company (2009 profits: $12.3 billion)
15. Hewlett-Packard
Industry: Computer Systems
CEO: Léo Apotheker
Fortune 500 Ranking: 10
No. 17 Most Profitable Company (2009 Profits: $7.7 billion)
16. Nike
Industry: Clothing
CEO: Mark Parker
Fortune 500 Ranking: 124
17. Colgate-Palmolive
Industry: Personal Products
CEO: Ian Cook
Fortune 500 Ranking: 151
18. Intel
Industry: Computer Systems
CEO: Paul Otellini
Fortune 500 Ranking: 62
19. Nokia
Industry: Telecommunications
CEO: Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo
Fortune 500 Ranking: N/A
20. Tesco
Industry: Retail
CEO: Sir Terry Leahy
Fortune 500 Ranking: N/A
21. Unilever
Industry: Conglomerate
CEO: Paul Polman
Fortune 500 Ranking: N/A
22. Lockheed Martin
Industry: Aerospace
CEO: Robert Stevens
Fortune 500 Ranking: 44
23. Inditex
Industry: Fashion, Retail
CEO: Pablo Isla
Fortune 500 Ranking:
24. Best Buy
Industry: Retail
CEO: Brian Dunn
Fortune 500 Ranking: 45
25. Sclumberger
Industry: Oilfield Services
CEO: Andrew Gould
Fortune 500 Ranking: N/A
Source: Supplychaindigital
