World's Best Companies? Delving Into BusinessWeek's List

Could a video game company actually be the world's greatest corporation? According to a new ranking from BusinessWeek and the consulting firm A.T. Kearney, Nintendo, the beloved maker of the Wii video game console, topped the list the world's best companies.

With sales of about $16.8 billion last year, Nintentdo's not the biggest company in the world -- or the most widely known -- but nonetheless topped BusinessWeek's list. Here's the reasoning:

"A.T. Kearney examined the 2,500 largest publicly listed companies in the world. Kearney's team singled out those with a minimum of $10 billion in sales in 2008, at least 25% of which came from outside the company's home region. It then ranked the companies on their sales growth and value creation--the rise of market capitalization after subtracting any increase in capital--over the past five years. This year, the list expanded to 40 companies from the 25 Kearney ranked in the past."

In short, measuring the greatness of corporations by, as BusinessWeek put it "sales growth and value creation" seems a bit narrow-minded. Filling out the top five are two other tech giants Google and Apple, and two South Korean manufacturing firms, Doosan Heavy Industries and Hyundai Heavy Industries. But there are some picks that are sure to generate controversy.

Monsanto ranks eighth, but has been criticized for using genetically engineered bovine growth hormone, widespread use of GMOs and other environmental concerns.

Also, oil giants ExxonMobil, Occidental Petroleum and ConocoPhillips also rank highly -- 38, 25 and 19, respectively - which suggests the list's creators focused rather narrowly on a certain type of innovation.

What do you think? What other companies should be included in the list, regardless of their size? What companies are doing things to change the world -- and make money at the same time? We'll be compiling a list of HuffPost readers' picks for the best companies in the world. To vote, click participate below, tell us why this company is doing things in a unique and important way, and upload a picture of the company's logo. Let us know your thoughts!

World's Best Companies

 

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Comments

[SimJack]

08:47 AM on 10/07/2009

Businessweek?!? Gimme an effen break. Please, they'd say Kerr-McGee had a great safety plan in exchange for nice image ad fees and that Clear Channel was the best thing to happen happen to broadcast radio since Marconi.

[skymuffin]

12:46 AM on 10/07/2009

Well, yeah, if you're just looking at the stock ticker, looking through cold-hearted, full-speed ahead capitalism unfettered by icky things like, oh, conscience, humanity, and concern for the future of the planet.

A friend of mine works for Monsanto and is quite happy there. He is treated well and the benefits are quite good. He's been a good friend for many years, and we are at completely opposite sides on political issues. I disagree absolutely with what Monsanto is doing. They are genetically modifying crops on Maui and Oahu, as well as other islands in Hawaii.

[blimie]

11:10 PM on 10/05/2009

We have the oil companies making huge profits, while people die in wars to protect their interests. Then we have Monsanto creating creepy genentically modified food drenched in extremely deadly pesticides, while they are buying up the small seed companies and basically trying to take corporate control of anything that grows. They put real farmers out of business. Both companies are destroying the environment. Both lobby lawmakers to give them greater control over this country.

What is Business Week's criteria for great.

[smarternu]

09:18 PM on 10/05/2009

Exxon/Mobil high profits with one minor issue. They obliterate the environment and kill off millions of fish, birds and various sea life. Well we get the planet we deserve. Hopefully man will destroy himself soon so that the rest of the planet can go on and live in peace.

[NoMoreNeocons]

05:48 PM on 10/05/2009

neocons:

Arthur Laffer, MIlton Freidman, Greenspan, Alexander M. Haig, Jr, Donald T. Regan

good articles; http://iamned.blogspot.com

[NoMoreNeocons]

05:48 PM on 10/05/2009

Yea...pull this story. Monsanto doesn't belong
]

[smarternu]

09:08 PM on 10/05/2009

You mean Monsatan

[protagonia]

12:26 AM on 10/06/2009

Bingo.

[drymartini1]

04:47 PM on 10/05/2009

Liberals love GM and Chrysler over profitable companies anyday.

why is anyone surprised :)

[smarternu]

09:10 PM on 10/05/2009

Wrong - liberals love profitable companies that progress humanity and don't destroy the planet. Now go back to watching Hee Haw.

[drymartini1]

09:16 PM on 10/05/2009

public companies exist to make profits and humanity comes along for the ride anyways.

win win for all.

[patsurfs]

09:12 PM on 10/05/2009

Uhh... I thought liberals drove little Japanese cars.... and conservatives drove really big twucks... whic his it?

[LightShadow62]

04:29 PM on 10/05/2009

World's best companies?

How about the Greek restaurant down the street that serves great food.
Of the family own hardware store that has a part for just about anything.
Or the local electrical contractor who donates labor and material to Habitat for Humanity.

These are the best companies in the world. The small businesses that serve their local community without worrying about stock dividends or executive bonuses or moving their headquarters to avoid taxes. Real people dealing with their neighbors.

It is time to stop glorifying the mega corporation as the savior of the economy. These monsters are a big reason why the economy is in trouble.

Support Small Business!!!

[blimie]

03:20 AM on 10/06/2009

Absolutely. We lose our neighborhood businesses, we lose the things that make a community great.

[chris stl]

03:54 PM on 10/05/2009

Don't agree with Monsanto being there. I've quite a few friends working for Monsanto. All feel miserable. However, they have great products and virtual monopoly, hence most are paid well.

I also know a lot dis-satisfied Monsanto customers (farmers in rural areas), who are again not happy with Monsanto's grip on them.

[patsurfs]

09:13 PM on 10/05/2009

they also produce chemicals weapons

[smarternu]

09:13 PM on 10/05/2009

Oh Yeah - real great products like genetically engineered roundup ready soy seeds. Read this: http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Monsanto#The_Roundup_Ready_controversy

[FoxIslander]

03:12 PM on 10/05/2009

"world's best companies"...what does that even mean? Best at what? maximizing profit and market share?...they generally do that by exploiting the poor, expoiting the planet and distributing wealth to the wealthy all at the same time as trying to put competitors out of business.
Its like asking which serial killer is the nicest guy...Dahmer, or Bundy.
Wherever possible...buy local, buy small.

[Pragmatical]

02:17 PM on 10/05/2009

Monsanto?

Recently an NPR sponsor, now highlighted on Huffpost. Sad.

[Sampsontheorange]

02:54 PM on 10/05/2009

And is one of the worst companies in Hawaii. On Molokai, they have left huge fields bare, with dust swirling around, getting into the reefs, eroding when it rains. They should be banned from Hawaii.

[chris stl]

03:58 PM on 10/05/2009

I hear Monsanto is moving away from Hawaii to places like Mexico, Brazil, and Chile. Kins of 'destroy' and run, similar to those aliens in the movie "independence day"

[smarternu]

09:14 PM on 10/05/2009

They should be banned from the planet

[TexasDem0]

02:04 PM on 10/05/2009

Apparently, the only consideration is how much money the company takes in, not to be confused with earnings. Any means seems to be as good as any other, regardless of the impact on individuals, society, or the environment. How unfortunate that Business Week doesn’t consider social responsibility, ethics, or what real benefit a company provides.

[GrandMaSassy]

01:53 PM on 10/05/2009

I could not believe Monsanto was on this list. They poison our children all over the world.

Have you no shame!

[Sampsontheorange]

02:54 PM on 10/05/2009

No shame at all!

[progressivegreg]

01:48 PM on 10/05/2009

Hey, how come Marlboro and Winston aren't on this list! They're as socially concerned as Monsanto and Exxon/Mobil!

[knosiswar]

01:43 PM on 10/05/2009

it's like you are the frog in the water, except you know it's getting hot, but you realize there's no where to jump to.

the zeitgeist of the masses is beyond my comprehension.