2008 Fortune 500: Full list

Be your own boss! Employees are sods

I just got on with JP Morgan Chase and there is a great deal of opportunity with the company!!

I work for Johnson Controls since 19-11-2007 and it’s great!

I am to proud be a member of the team at U.S Bank.

I worked for AT&T before and they are not the “best” company I have worked for. For the 4 years I was there, I saw re-org almost every year. Their philosophy is that even if two employees are doing the same job but one of them belongs to a team which is on the list to be retrenched, even that employee is a better performer, s/he will be retrenched and the other one who is a worse performer will stay. Besides, they have this conference-call culture and micro-division of labour which makes decision process/progress very clow. On being ethical, AT&T is being “conservative” enough not to be too aggressive or commercial in their pursuits. This contrasts very much with IBM which I had dealings with when I was there, where IBMers do not respect contracts and agreements or business ethics at all. Overall, AT&T people are polite but they are also a bit “snob” especially to colleagues who they think are not as “good” as them because they did not come from big US companies. In my opinion, AT&T people are just average performers and they are expert in their micro-area which are also quite “unique” in the industry. You will find long-service AT&T employees because they simply cannot change jobs.

Don’t work for Manpower or use them to find work. Their representative basically call me a liar about my work experience, C programmer.

I have been with Manpower for 2 years. This company is customer service driven. With a real desire to be an industry star, I am proud to be a valued member of the team.

I work for a branch of CH Robinson Worldwide here in Michigan. This company has proven to be an excellent one to choose for a career. Robinson Worldwide continues to be one of the largest third party logistics providers and I truly believe in everything that the company does and stands for. Everything involved with CH Robinson with it’s employees and customers is all relationship orientated. We choose to partner with our carriers and offer them many benefits that very few other companies can even attempt to match.
They creat a very interesting atmosphere to work in that includes great competition as well as team work. All of this while having an incredibly fun place to work. I can honestly say I have fun when I go to work everyday and now consider CH Robinson a very positive force in my life. I don’t know how they did it, but since joining the team my whole life has improved; both financially and emotionally.

I cannot begin to explain the benefits this company can offer. All I can say is if you have an opportunity to join our team, don’t second guess it like I did. My optimism almost cost me a life changing career.

Hartford Financials is a wonderful company interms of People, Culture and Environment.

Good to see Symantec part of Fortune 500. It’s definitely good company to work for.

Referring to the Editor’s note dated 21 April on the Northrop Grumman contract won over the Boeing bid. That was for the US Air Force tanker, not the Navy. And, yes, they would be working with the French company who manufactures the Airbus, however, the tanker would be made built in Mobile, Alabama. I know this because I am in a tanker unit in Alabama and proud of it! Boeing is just sore because they have had the tanker contract for 50 years, they threw something together that was basically the same thing as it has been. Northrop Grumman apparently gave them what was needed for our day and time. Remember we have to be the gas tank in the sky and we have to haul cargo and troops all at the same time. It is called multi-tasking, doing more with less. That is what they want the military to do now. So we have to have a supertanker to fulfill that need. Who says it has to be Boeing?

where the heck is chrysler/dodge?

Williams-Sonoma is an amazing company to work for. They consistently treat their employees like Gold, regardless if the employee works in the San Francisco HQ buildings, in the Stores, or in the Data Center. They truly are an excellent employer.

AT&T is an awesome company! They are very well run and have very happy and ethical employees.

A different company, but the same corporate culture, I agree totally with Gloria from Houston’s 4/28 comments. The company I speak of recently let go of 20% of its mid and upper level production/project management people, in a slash and burn maneuver, citing “lack of work”. The reality is that the work these highly qualified people performed will now be done by lower paid, less experienced employees. This from a company that touts a “family” and “teamwork” ethic and a “We are the best” culture. Watch the quality of this company’s work fall as moral and the desire to be part of this hypocritical ‘team’ dissolve.

I work for Exxon Oil Company and it’s great. We get free gas vouchers!

Best Buy is one of the WORST companies to work for. they dont care about thier people, they just care about the money/

Humana is such a great company that we all have spare time while administering your health expenses to add comments about our great company.

Quicken Loans has been and continues to be a fantastic place to work. Amidst country wide economic crisis and a mortgage debacle that surpasses any before it, Quicken loans superb underwriting and strict lending practices has brought this company to into a very stable growth period where we can now gain market share and watch competitors struggle out of business. From the top down, I have never worked for a company that treats employees so well.

Its not the same IBM anymore, thats all I can say. No loyalty whatsoever

I have worked at Humana for about 3-years I’m a Inventory Specialist and Drive a Fork-Lift Love my job let’s keep up the good work and make the list next year but be number 1 I know we can do it I just wanted to tell Mike McCallister he is doing a great job just wanted to tell every one that work’s for Humana keep up the great work we are all that we are going to have a great year…

AT&T a horrible company to work for. they truly abuse there workers with sales and more sales

American Airlines is a wonderful place to work !!! and fly

Sprint is not a good place to work , considering there are only 3 powerhouses and they are last. All companies think of profit over employees. Hundreds of stores have been closed and employees laid of with years of tenure. Companies are in the business of profit, no matter the fantastic experience you’ve had.

I worked for TECO Energy for many years. They are not innovators, but treat most employees decently - due in no small way to the presence of several unions, which cause even non-union employees to receive better benefits than usual. They also hew to their values and provide ongoing management training. You could do a lot worse than work for this company.

I work for AT&T in the advertising & publishing sector.

This is a great & vast revenue powerhouse with tremendous future global potential.

Working at Varian Medical Systems has been a wonderful experience. I get great professional challenges and am well respected by managers. If anyone is interested in working here, check out the web site at http://www.varian.com/careers

I have worked for two of the insurance companies on this list, Humana and United. I could not generalize as to whether they are great places to work or not. As with any industry, job satisfacton depends on your position, the management at your location and total compensation.

The oil companies are driving this economy. We need a way to take the profit making out of a commodity like oil and make the products more affordable.

I would like to know how many of the employees in these companies are located in the United States

The magical experience created by Disney for their guests is also felt by their cast members. What a marvelous place to work!!!

I work for AECOM and am so proud of its ethical culture and the way the company prides itself on its employees.

I worked for Lennar for 3 years, and I can only equate it with working for Darth Vader on the Death Star…about that much loyalty to the employee and actually Darth would probably be less intrusive….lol

I’m so glad to see Humana doing well I hope this means another great year and hope we have alot more because the customer count on us to be here for them because our customer’s are number 1and our Ceo Mike McCaster is doing one heck of a job keep up the good work Mike…….Humana is on it’s way to number 1 we can do it.

As a former employee of BB&T, I think the Sr Management of the Corp have a lot of integrity. But, the local management in it’s individual regions does not implement the standards by which this excellent company was founded. Thus, in my opinion, the company would be much more profitable if they didn’t rely so heavily on their regional staffs and had more contact with its employees.

HP? Great company for investors, crappy company for employees. Constant cuts in benefits, basically zero raises for years, all the time Hurd and his cronies talk about being “competitive” with other firms while outsourcing jobs left and right. Funny how HP never shows up on the “best companies to work for” list any more.

I work for Aflac Inc. in Columbus, Georgia and its an excellent place to work. I have been there since March of 2006 and as a young adult I’m happy to begin my career in corporate america at such a wonderful company. The benefits are unmatchable, and so is the love for the employees. We have a newly created job position entitled Teleworking, and I’m currently a part of that and I love every minute of being able to work from my home. I would like to commend Aflac for all that they do for their employees, stockholders and most importantly the customers!

I see Johnson Controls falling off in the near future.

at&t is the premeir telecommunications company by choice which now offers new advanced television “at&t u-verse”, it’s the best…

I worked for IBM and Sprint, Sprint is far better

I work for Covidien in North Haven, CT. Great medical device innovator with a prosperous future.

Does anybody have experience working for BP Amoco?

RR Donnelley is a terrible employer

I work for Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. With Bank of America my opportunities have been endless. Hands down the best company I have ever worked for.

Richmond Virginia actually has 8 Fortune 500 companies when you take into account Meadwestvaco & Owens & Minor which are located in the suburbs (but no more than 10 miles from city center). Not bad for a metro area much smaller than others with the same number of firms.

I work for Humana, I’m proud to say, and it’s great to see Humana on list!

They have nice commercials, but don’t pay their claims.

American Telephone & Telegraph changed its legal name to AT&T in 1994. So the no longer is an American Telephone & Telegraph.

I work for Johnson Controls in Newfoundland, Canada. Great company with great values and great employees.

I work for Life division its an excellent place to work.

I joined Assurant in December of 2007 and have found Assurant to be a progressive and agressive company. Assurant is poised to grow and the core values of Integrity, Change, Urgency and Excellence are what makes Assurant a great place to work. Assurant has engaged employees and values their input. I would not be surprised to see Assurant double business in the next two to three years.

It’s fantastic that Chase is so strong in a banking environment like this. Kudos to Jamie Dimon.

I work for Bank Of America. Keep doing re-org. Have been reporting to 4 different Managers for a span 4 years that I worked here.

I work for Cardinal Health at one of their customer care centers. It doesn’t matter how much you love working with the customers and how well you do it, if you don’t conform to everything they want you to do or say, you’re out the out the door. Every day there is a new rule as to what we can’t do and a longer list of things we should get completed in a day. Supervisors are quick to tell you if you did something wrong, but where are they when a customer says you were a great help to them? When your calls are monitered and you are slammed for not hitting every point on the score card, but did they care that it was a sales rep who you talk to all the time and you just helped them rush a much needed item for surgery scheduled for the next day? I love the job I do, because I love knowing I am helping the customer in the end. It’s not the pay, or the fact I don’t have to work on the weekends that keeps me going there. It’s because I know my sales reps need me and the customer needs me, not Cardinal Health. They have already shown that CSR’s are a dime a dozen. Until Cardinal Health gets a heart they will always be behind McKesson.

I’ve been working at Bristol-Myers Squibb for almost 7 years. Working for this company gives me a quiet satisfaction knowing that I am instrumental to bringing new drugs to market. I just wish that they offer more opportunities for all qualified employees to work from home. It takes me almost an hour to get to work and the increase in salary this year doesn’t even cover my weekly gas.

I recently started working for Dupont. Having worked at smaller companies before, I was curious how I would fit in with a large company. Other then the commute, the experience has been good. They pay well, have excellent benefits, and try to keep the work interesting. I will say being paid monthly will take a little getting used to. A good place to work otherwise.

I work for GM and hate all you foreign car buying nerds. Wake America.

HUMANA. I could not ask for a more positive, empowering environment. This company truly cares about people. I am proud to be a part of it.

I work for Humana in Cincinnati and I can’t imagine myself working for another company. They are concerned with your career and goals and completely step out of the corporate specturm and treat you as if your an actual person and not revenue. If you don’t work here, you should.

I have been working with MPS Group at a high level for about five years. I’ve found them to be a smart, well-managed company that is full of integrity.

I work for Unum and it is the best place I have ever worked!

I work for Humana, too. What a great company, great CEO, great people! That makes all the difference in the world!

FedEx is great! They help their employees strive for career progression through numerous training programs and opportunities.

I work for a division of Assurant and it’s not the worst place in the world to work but the compensation levels vs. cost of living in the area are not consistent with other areas of the country.

I work for Humana in Louisville. Great company, great people and a great corporate citizen.

I also work for Humana, and love it.

Humana is getting bigger and bigger I just hope it keeps growing. I t will as long as we take care of our customers first number one in our book because if you don’t have customers and take good care of them you have nothing………..HUMANA IS GREAT!!!

Humana is a Great Company to work for it is the best.I’ve worked here for 3-years and I LOVE IT AND I LOVE WHAT I DO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I can understand why some of you guys are bashing the oil companies…but these are American companies that provide really, really, REALLY good paying jobs to lots people. I made a total career change from being an Accountant to a Process Technician at an oil refinery(Phillips)…best move I’ve ever made. I couldn’t make $100,000/yr as an Accountant! But woe is the day that Exxon, Phillips, Chevron fall. Down goes Texas, Louisiana…the whole Gulf Coast. Hopefully these guys will figure something out in time before this happens…if it happens.

I work for US Technology

I now work for Humana, and after being in the insurance industry for over 12 years, I am amazed as to the potential and care that Humana shows towards customers and employees. It is abosolutely my opinion that Humana will grow to be the leader in the health care industry. Watch close they are an absolute leader.

I work at Bank Of America and its a great place to work! Plenty of opportunities for growth and the best rates in the market!

Money is the only source of pride.

Nothing is more important than getting rich. If being rich was such a bad thing, people would not pursue education and employment. People would just work on the farm, grow their own food, generate their own energy, and only sell excess inventory to buy supplies for their business.

I believe that making as much money as possible is a grand and noble accomplishment. I read in awe of all of the money that these companies are generating. They are providing a level of living and sophistication for Americans that is unrivaled in many parts of the world. I never see other countries trying to be less like America. More and more countries are adapting to an American lifestyle because we have the best that the world has to offer. I laugh at some of the ungrateful comments on here. If America is such a bad palce, move to another country.

I believe that many people come here to complain because they do not know what else to do. They really do not have true complaints or worries. But there are other people complaining and joining in makes for a fun time.

Wealth is the final frontier!

I am a very satisfied owner of a Focus ZX-3 SES ‘07, This the best car I have ever owned, too bad it is no longer being marketed. I have previously raced cars and traded in a ‘86 model (21 yrs). I settled on this because of its interior room for the size and price. I have had it for nearly a year and am greatly impressed with its roadability and comfort, less impressed with the fuel economy, starting @ 16mpg but is now 26mpg in town.
I think Ford has dropped its most impressive car for the money. RBD

i work for Bank of America & while the
company profits the employees suffer.
MBNA was fantastic to work for before BOA took over, now our paychecks have taken a huge cut. Our goals to reach incentive payouts have been raised to the point of becoming impossible to reach so they dont have to pay us.. & the amount of money paid for incentive bonuses has dramatically decreased.
At least MBNA gave back to the employees that created that profit.
Bank of America just keeps taking away from it’s employees.

I don’t work for a Fortune 1000 company. However, my job demands that I proofread everything that I send to a client. What has happened to attention to detail in the workplace and why are there so many misspelled words and grammatical errors in these comments?

I work for Humana and I love my job in Medicare advantage program. You couldn’t ask for a better company.

I work for Humana Europe - it is great!

I work for Assurant Employee Benefits and they are the BEST!!!!

I work for a division of Humana and HMHS for over 13 years. I hope to make it another 13.

I love my job at Progressive, and we love our customers!

Humana is a great company to work for

It is an honor to be employed by Ashland Inc. at its Lexington, Kentucky, campus — and in particular with its Valvoline division. Our leaders have crystal-clear vision which is communicated well to us as employees, and I couldn’t work with a greater group of individuals. As people, we are focused, team-oriented, and respected. In the past, I worked for two other Fortune 500 companies that don’t hold a candle to Ashland.

HOW CAN DELTA BE #129 WHEN IT WAS IN BANKRUPTY RECENTLY.

I Work for Humana Insurance NP2 DMS IN Aand i LOVE my job

I work for Bank of America and absolutely love it! They are very team-oriented, flexible and encourage and praise their employees. I think this is what makes them such a winning team and successful company. Plus they look beyond intelligence for those amicable personality traits that make for good team players that work in harmony.

Talk about customer service. Hanesbrands has the worst and their quality of products is not any better! Their interests are get your money and run.

I worked for Colgate Palmolive for 33 years. Why? Because they demonstrate in their guiding principles that caring about its employees is most important. Perhaps that is why their retention rate is so high.

Bank of America is an awesome company to work for and the future is bright

Everyone stop your griping about company profits and the big bucks the guys at the top are making. We live in a great society where ANYONE has a shot at starting a company and making it big. You just have to have the guts to go out there and take it for yourself. Not out of greed, but to make a better life for yourself, your kids, and your country. Its called Capitalism. Either do something for yourself or stop your complaining.

I had the worse working experience at Home Depot. The right hand doesn’t know what the left hand is doing. The Corporate office is not in touch with what is really going on in the stores. As a Human Resource Manager they need to really stand behind what they say. That they want to take care of their people instead of skiming on the staff within the store. This will help them solve their customer service issues.

sprint is where is today thanks to the retail regional managers and store managers, all they care is about daily sales numbers, they didn’t care how those numbers were reach, regional managers pressure sales rep to add extra features on customers plans without their knowledge and if customers complains then issue credits to the account . this practice is still widely use today. i left the company few year ago and just recently cancel my parents service because the monthly bill was never accurate. this company can’t be trust.

I joined Cognizant when it was just a $50m company and have seen it grow beyond $2 billion. It’s a great place to work.

I just love coming back to Cognizant. The passion to perform is pervasive. Wow! we made the list.

I don’t see Dell getting their so called “Turnaround” in place. Michael had a great idea for supply chain. But as far as R&D, execution, operating expenses, and the biggest thing needed in a tech company “Foresight”, he and his merry band of new managers are clueless. And the management in place are just whipping boys sending the clueless corporate lemmings that I was once to deaf ears since our pay has gone down 3 consecutive years. i’m glad that I was “Discharged”. Even though I have a new job lined up already for me. See yah Dell, i’m sure Lenovo or worse Acer will jump over you. Why? because they have foresight.

I see why Wells Fargo is worth so much. Be careful noto to lose your job or have a catastrphe in your life, because they will foreclose on you in a HEARTBEAT! You don’t want to finance a home with them!

I worked for United Health Group and it was one of the worst companies I have ever worked for. The job was nowhere near what I was hired for and the healthcare benefits were horrible.

It might be a good idea to explain profit margin to most people. I’ll make this simple. Things are actually a little more complicated.

Let’s say a barrel of oil is $10/barrel. You have a quota that you want your margins to be 10%. If you buy and sell 10 barrels of oil you make $10. Simple enough? Now let’s say the price of oil goes up to $100/barrel. You keep the same margins to protect your risk in your investment. If you still buy and sell 10 barrels of oil, your sales revenue increases from $100 to $1000. Your profit also increases to $100. Simple enough?

Now look back again at Exxon Mobil. Their return on sales is a little over 10%. Chevron’s is actually a little under 10% along with ConocoPhillips . Now go take a look at Microsoft: over 20% margins. J&J is a little under 20%. Should Microsoft lower the cost of computers? Should J&J cut back prices on all their products?

The truth is only time will usher in a new era in the realm of energy. Until that time, the oil companies will continue to do what they do best. When they see something that is indeed profitable (Ex. Solar, Fischer-Trophs, shale oil) they will invest and capitalism will drive innovation. Can the government help? Of course. However, the plan of our government must be something that does not change every four years.

PS. I am going to work for BP in 3 months. Hopefully all is still well.

Notre Dame

I worked for Chevron and I hated it. The people there do not know whether they are coming or going most of the time and they really never see their skills go to good use within the company. Although the promotions and bonus are good, they are nothing compared to the managers and above that recieve 25%+ as a bonus anually. On the outside looking in, the company is all about making money even if it is at their employee’s expense. Like sending the younger employees overseas to countries like Nigeria and paying for their housing, food, personal nanny, and driver, etc. sounds great, but they are putting these kids lives at risk. Maybe it was the city that I was in (new orleans, la) but that company has a huge generation gap or it is going to crumble quickly. chevron believes that the horizons programs will serve as a band-aid to the problem, but they have a looooong way to go.
This is a classic case of people chasing after a dollar and not chasing after their dreams (with the exception of the engineers and the CEO Dave O’Reilly)

For all the ripples your opinions may make in this lame, gossipy forum, you’re all just sloshing around in the same bathwater. If this list of giant companies signifies anything, it’s that $$$ is the only language in the business world. So let whatever money you have talk business and save the hot air for education reform advocacy. Because many of these comments say more about our schools than they do about business.

I worked for S-P, it was the best companie Ive ever worked for.

They don’t earn billions, they earn what the market demands just like athletes, actors, prominent news anchors, etc. Many people view their pay as unfair, however, in most cases the intelligence and experience that these CEO’s bring to the table helps secure the jobs, 401k’s, pensions,etc of everyone working for the company. It is the corrupt few that have given them a bad name.

I think it is terrible how the big CEO’s, COO’s, and all the ones at the top sit and make billions and the little person on the end may make the minimum pay. SO SAD

Scott: I have heard what you said before, and re Europe/rest of world,that is true. I was in Argentina in ‘87 and gas was $2.50 gal. I had a conversation the other day re gal per barrel, I thought it was 55, which is @ $1.87 pg, so makes sense. BUT here’s my question, maybe you can answer: what dictates the prices the stations actually charge and change at a whim? Does it have to be NEW loads, then a price change? Do the oil companies tell them what to charge as their franchiser? THese guys change day-2day, dpending what’s in the news. Is that legal? Is there something/agency that regulates these price gougers?

PD, by interesting, do you mean surprising? Why are you surprised that people who live in regions of the country where oil and gas are produced would have educated opinions about the industry in question? Just about every person who wrote comments in ‘defense’ of the oil and gas industry supported those comments with facts, figures, and capitalist reality. I have yet to see much rigor in the ‘opinions’ of the dessenters. People who say that ‘Big Oil’ companies, who only control 10% of the global oil production, are setting the oil prices and making their profits at the gas pump are just wrong. Oil and gas companies are making their profits off selling the crude oil they produce and sell- not the gas they refine. These companies invest billions each year in projects and no one will bail them out with outside assistance if the price of oil falls drastically. Why? Because that is capitalism, love it or leave it.

Go figure most of the oil companies top your list as they continue to plead poverty and gouge us, the consumers!

Owens Illinois is part of my 401k. I am retired from OI,(2004). I am 66 years of age. I am hopeful of the high return again. Although not likely. I would like some input. Stay or sell.

Wow ! For a company that pays 1 in every 5 Americans to only make #281 on this list must say that they are not doing everything right, ADP, should focus more on their associates training and system updating. Better luck next year ADP, maybe next year you’ll break the 1/2 way mark (250 or better)

I’m angry about big oil, too, and the mega banks, insurance companies - all that. But what really ticked me off on this list was seeing those prescription drug manufacturers raking it in. Pfizer, Merck, Wyeth, Bristol Myers-Squibb, Eli Lilly - all in the top 133. What makes me angry is that there ARE alternatives to driving your car and overspending your budget on gas (although inconvenient for most, the alternatives are not life-threatening) - But, what are the alternatives for people who can’t afford overpriced prescription drugs which they need to maintain their health, or in some cases, their lives? It’s an outrage.

~How about there profit-sharing program

You don’t mention how heartless AT&T let go managers who are retirement eligible just to save the almighty dollar and keep employees they don’t have to pay as much.

Who cares about cost and refineries and taxes and crude prices???? Bottom line is the PROFIT Exxon, Chevron and the others take it!!! All the costs go up but they still make more Profit than anyone!

Nothing but quality!!!Keep up the good work.Thank you

Mercy, something is so wrong with this picture! Where are the electric cars!!!!

Western Union stinks. They are sending their union worked jobs out of the country or to non-union locations because they want to save 30 Million a year. They make more than that per quarter, and don’t want to continue to spend the money to keep these jobs in the US. I, along with several hundred others - nonunion managment and union employees, will be out of a job when this finally is completed. Greed will continue to move this company up the list.

40 billion in profits. No more needs to be said.

I’m stupid. My class status is shrinking while failing CEO’s pocket millions because I’m just dumb. Eggs went up 41% because I’m stupid. My wife just got a second job because she’s stupid. My brother stitched his own arm because he’s too stupid to just afford med insurance. Our budget doesn’t really include vacations anymore because we’re stupid. My neighbor has been out of work for 4 months because he’s stupid. My cousin just gave up and quit college because he’s too stupid to afford it anymore…

Funny how we’re all so stupid (suddenly), while living and operating exactly like previous generations (actually, we’re living lower). Makes you wonder if being stupid really has anything to do with it…

Fortunately, for KeyBank it opened the Branch in Grand Cayman Islands, where banks pay no taxes. Yet, unfortunate for the United States as there is no trade market. This while the Fed keeps lowering the rate banks borrow.

Target boasts of being the best company ever and talks about how much they care about their employees. When in all truth all they care about is getting their profits. I worked for them in their distribution center for 3 long years, they treat you like a slave and when their sales are down they cut your hours. Target only cares about Target!!

Too bad “The New AT&T” is one of the most expensive phine companies to have a plan under…..

When will enough profit be enough for the US Oil Companies? Maybe they will cut prices when the US Economy has been crippled and we are in a full blown recession, but I wouldn’t bet on it!!!!!!!

Did anyone see #58 Sprint Nextel’s numbers… are those accurate… 74% of your bill is pure profit…. I need to invest in Sprint….

Walmart is the best. I absolutely love your store! I love the clothes and just spending tons of cash on stuff I can use. I am very pleased with Walmart. The same applies to Dollar Tree.

How the F can we be struggling to put gas in our tanks and Exxon is still making huge profits!! They’re taking advantage of people. What a bunch of blood sucking thieves. God I hate the oil industry.

There needs to be a new organization formed, “OPIC”, the organization of petroleum IMPORTING countries! If these oil producing countries,(OPEC) want to charge us $117.00 for a barrel of oil, then maybe the rest of the world should turn the tables on them and start charging outrageous prices for the items thats these OPEC countries import from the rest of the world! Just a thought.

How can Symantec Corporation be ranked as 461? At this time most of Symantec’s employees reside in a country other than the United States. At this very moment CEO, John W. Thompson’s “vision” includes outsourcing all U.S. jobs to other countries. He is selling out all the little people that made Symantec a great company. Unfortunately he is selling Symantec to the highest bidder foreign bidder.

Of the posts here, nearly all discussion was about how the gas companies were the most profitable, but no one mentioned an obvious solution. This is a two edged sword that benefits everyone - biofuel. A little over $1000 converts your Jetta to run both diesel or vegetable oil. You save yourself $3.50-$4.00 per gallon for fuel and recycle cooking oil from TacoBell. Same performance too. If oil consumpton is “that” big a deal, why aren’t there more incentives for this?

why is there poverty and unemployment and crime with busineses making these kind of profits and they are american companies?everyone should have dequate housing,education,vocation and health care which should make america a mecca for businesses for the world to emulate?

In the last few years, Exxon merged with Mobil. Conoco merged with Phillips. Shell merged with Texaco and Chevron. BP bought Amoco. We got ourselves here.

Year over year HCA’s Hospitals consistently have the lowest employee and customer satisfaction ratings. As a current HCA employee I am embarrased to say that this company cares more about profits than patient care and safety.

Big Oil loves this new Ethanol craze: To drive 15,000 miles per year at 15mpg it takes…1000 gal of gasoline (not rocket science). However, with E10 Gasohol (10% Ethanol 90% Gasoline) and a fuel effeciency drop of 12.5% we burn 1143 gallon, of which 10%/114galon is Ethanol and 1029 is GASOLINE! We were better off w/o ethanol. Do the math at a 25% decrease in fuel effeciency and we burn 1333 gallons of gasohol, of which 133 is ethanol and 1200 is GASOLINE. We are burning more GASOLINE than we did before! Another thing, we need FED & State regulations to slow down speed limits to increase fuel effeciency. For every gallon we do not burn/demand, we will increase the supply and the price will drop.

The fact that gas prices are what they are while Chevron and Exxon Mobil are where they are on this list is disgusting. Where is the outrage?

Old man Buffet and his 40 employees made more profit than ummmmm Walmart!

Note Shell and BP are not on the list, because they are not American companies(or they would have both made the top 10); They are Dutch and British, respectively.

Your article smells like it has a problem with business doing well in this country. clearly, those who are blogging have some jealousy issues to content with. America is great for many reasons - including the fact that we do good business here. Someone is going to be #1, and although I am not a shopper of Wallmart I say “good for them”.

Yeah Kroger!! I love working for this company!!! I have to say - you may not believe it, but my manager, and our staff really do care about the associates. I am very lucky to have a job I enjoy. Kroger Delta Div - store #464 is great!!!!

Walmart and oil. The life line of the blue collar person. When will there be a gas company to offer the best price. Not until the US comes to a complete stop.

Most all of these companies work very hard for their profits. Exxon is at least American. Citco is not. Walmart sells mostly out of country products, but no smart comments for them.

Isn’t it strange that Exxon Mobile & Cheveron, Conoco Phillips, and Valero Gasoline Companies are in the top yet consumers are paying higher gas prices. I guess we are paying for their profits. I guess no one is investigating as to why they are making the profits as consumers pay over $ 4 a gallon on gas.

I work for Verizon and I can tell you now there is nothing like our FTTP network. I am directly involved with the construction of the new plant and it is so far ahead of our competitors its scary. Our competition is “light years” away from what Verizon’s capabilities are now. Luckily, our leaders had the foresight to see the future of our industry. Our CEO, Ivan S., was brilliant, when he made the leap of faith, his advisors made the right call. I enjoy working for Verizon, just hold on consumers a whole new world is available to you.

Wow YUM brands went up on the list again, perhaps NOW they won’t be so greedy by keeping their stores understaffed.

It just goes to say how important General Motors is to the Unite States. BUY FROM AMERICAN COMPANYS and the money will help America Grow.

why are they STILL getting subsides?? It should end now.

How very sad that a company that has broken so many labor and employment laws around the country makes it to the top of the Fortune 500 list. Wake up Walmart shoppers!

I absolutely agree this is a very misleading list. Why not list these companies at least by “Profit”?

The average reader might get the wrong impression as of the real “worth” of the companies in the list, and its absurd that companies that lost a lot of money (*cough* Ford *cough*) make the top 20.

okay all you socialist out there with your basket weaving degrees. companies are in it to make a buck and if that means going other places to do it where labor cost are cheaper they are going to do it. i think you need to look at your democratic socialist party and your labor unions who think that you should make 30 dollars a hour for turning a screw for 8 hours. get off the kool aid boys and girls and start thinking like men and woman. look at obama and hillary you call them presidential material, your laughable. are economy is hurting right now and they talk about raising taxes. obvious neither of them took an economics course. bailing mortgage companies out of there ridiculous lending practices and helping people out of there stupid decisions on houses they could ‘nt afford the answer is NO.

Amazing how you see much less SUV’s and trucks on the freeways. People are going to 4 cylinder cars again, but according to investors, the demand is still increasing? Where???? No special fixes for gas, everyone needs to change their consumption. Went from a full size truck to a saturn. Makes a huge difference on the wallet. If you want to take action, everyone use a vacation day or two and STAY HOME!!!! Don’t venture out in your vehicle. Maybe that can make a difference along with reducing our overall consumption.

In March 2008 I ordered a Dell laptop with Ubuntu Linux on it and the estimated ship date was about ten days out from my order. That was all well and good until on the day the laptop was supposed to ship I get an email saying it had been pushed back another week. Needless to say I wasn’t very happy so I went ahead and cancelled the order. That night I did more research and settled on purchasing a MacBook from Amazon.com that was shipped to my front door the very next day.

I guess Dell is making too much money to care about whether or not their orders actually get filled. But I have to admit I couldn’t be happier with the MacBook so it all worked out for the best.

Did anyone else puke in their mouth a little when they saw the profit for Exxon. When will our elected officials stand up to the lobbyists and stop capalizing on the American tax payer? Yes, I mean you George!

the fact that walmart made number one is actually quite sad. it just shows what americans choose to do with their time. instead of spending time with your families at the park, they choose instead to ‘go look around at walmart’. walmart is nothing more than a future monopoly, that mistreats and underpays its hardworking employees. pretty soon everything is going to start saying ‘made by walmart stores inc.’ and everything in the country will be being built by walmart. then thigns will be falling apart because walmart is so damn cheap. as a former employee i can personally vouch that walmart is a seriously ill workplace, and that with ample space to work, we wil not have any cool little stores on the corner. EVERYTHING will be put out of business by WALMART! is that where AMERICA is headed? and is that where we want it to go?

I’ve worked for Costco for almost 20 years.It’s the best company I have ever worked for, they treat their employees very well and offer great pay and benefits. I’ve worked at other large companies and worked for alot less money and alot more work. Yes, you work hard at Costco but the rewards are well worth it.

“the first time the Pentagon has awarded a major aerospace contract to an overseas company.” This is incorrect Northrop Grumman is an American Company. Just thought that you might want to correct your text. [EDITOR'S NOTE: Thanks, but we were referring to EADS ("In March, the company lost a tanker deal with the U.S. Navy to a group that includes Airbus-parent EADS"), which is an overseas company, not Northrop.]

What do companies like big oil and rich people do with their money? They don’t bury it in the back yard. They invest it somewhere or they spend it. OK, if they invest it in banks this makes more money available for others to borrow and the more money that is invested in banks drives interest rates lower. Is that bad for people who need to borrow money? They could invest it in stocks and bonds, i.e., companies that produce a profit. Let me see now, profit….that is something that accrues when a company creates a product that is made efficiently and is of use to people. Oh, and I guess it also creates jobs, hmmm. Now the other thing they can do with their money is spend it. OK, what do they spend it on? Yachts, cars, food, comsumer goods…..hmmmm. Someone has to build cars, yachts,….produce consumer goods…does that mean more jobs? No, lets not do that, lets give it to the government in the form of taxes, then the politicians can give themselves another raise for life or spend it on a pet project like a highway servind a half dozen people. Hmmm, I think I get it. nowhere

Interesting that everyone from Texas (and that crackpot Bernard from Jersey) seems to support Big Oil . . .

Your article should note that these companies are rated by “Revenues” and there are several other measurements that are not considered here. For example, Exxon Mobile and several other companies had much higher Profits. AND your report does not show Net Worth which would probably shows that Exxon Mobile has a much higher Net Worth than Wal-Mart.

Oh, poor poor Exxon-Mobil. They only made number 2 on the list (revenues), but were number 1 (profit) by a long-shot.

That works out $10,000,000 for every US soldier who died in Iraq.

Scott B. of San Diego needs to LOOK AT THE FACTS instead of giving opinions. Every refiner in the United States today is trying to find ways to expand their refineries. This time period is the first time in the last 30 years that there has been enough incentive to build new refining capacity. Refineries are huge capital investments and how much more do you invest in refining capacity when oil field discoveries are declining. All the easy oil has been found. The average Joe is spending more on fuel but the Gunther’s, Pierre’s and Jose’s of the world (Europe, Japan, etc.) have been spending $3 to $4 per gallon for over 20 years. The US oil companies have provided pretty good value to US citizens over this 20 years. Think about Scott: The price of a barrel of oil is over $100 for a 42 gallon barrel. Out of this 42 gallon barrel, you might get 20 gallons of gasoline. Now you get other products out of the barrrel of oil but just do the math and you can see that the raw material cost for a gallon of gas is roughly $2.50 per gallon before you add upgrading costs to turn the oil into gasoline. Alternative fuels would be great but the cost for all other fuels that can make any impact and provide the amount of energy we consume are more expensive per unit of energy. Fossil fuels are the most efficient to convert into a usable form, i.e., gasoline, diesel, etc. Ethanol is a waste of energy as it takes more energy to make a gallon of fuel than it actually provides. As the cost of fossil based fuels goes up, alternative fuels will becom more viable and practical. Yes, and good old Hugo Chavez…the only way he can provide 25 cent per gallon gasoline is because his government controlled oil company produces its own oil. Do you think he sells his crude to other countries for $10.50 per barrel? Venezuela also has a very good beer….Polar, which sells for about 15 cents per bottle. Venezuela and other countries that have the oil can do things like this. If the US loses what access we have to oil now, our economy will crater. We had better be finding ways to use nuclear, solar, and wind and get over our reluctance to use coal which is said to be able to provide the US’s energy needs for 200 to 300 years.

both Mcdonalds(106) and Bristol Myers made about 10% profit. That means somehow u r paying pharma patent level premiums for fast food!
Halliburton(167) pulled in a whopping 23 % profit higher than the software companies which essentially mint the bucks. U must be through the nose to give their profit such a healthy boost.

Right on Scott (San Diego). The fact of the matter is: we are all admist a hoarding scam backed by the government with thier billion dollar acceptance through thier lobbyists) America is WIDE AWAKE and stop drinking the KoolAid about Percentage Profit that the big boys are trying to feed us.

Hydrogen is not an efficient way to replace oil. Currently the way that hydrogen is produced commercially is from natural gas. Hydrogen is not a green fuel in the sense that it does not replace fossil fuels. It is only a green fuel for people who drive hydrogen cars and say “my car doesn’t put out any CO2″ that is true, but the CO2 is simply being released into the atmosphere somewhere else when they make the Hydrogen.

For all of you that think anyone who works in the oil field is “having a good life” — Oil field workers make $12-$14 an hour and work at least 60 hours a WEEK!!(Many work 80 or more)AND, many don’t have any benefits except for a 2 week vacation! Let’s see the what a union worker making much much more an hour would do IF they had to work more than 40 hours a week!! If oilfield personal worked only 40 hours a week, you might really see the price of gas really go up. Hey, how about groceries? The government gives farmers help! They get money not to plant certain crops! Did you know that? Maybe, if we weren’t so dependent on foreign oil, gas prices would not be a high. Oil field workers are paying high prices just like everyone else. If big oil companies make too much profit - we want to add an additional tax. Isn’t this America? Poor farmers? Some, but not all! Rich Oil Men? Some, but not all! What I am saying - deal with it and get on with your life!

So…we blame the oil companies. Want to know who’s responsible for high gas prices? LOOK IN THE MIRROR! Want lower prices? All us consumers have to do is not use our vehicles just one day a week. Catch a ride with a friend, walk, take transit, ride a bike - any of the above will do. Do I think this will happen? No - we’re too dumb. But I would LOVE to see it happen, though.

COSTCO PAYS WELL BUT WORKS YOU LIKE A DOG. AND IF YOUR NOT UP TO PAR YOUR OUT OF THERE

Kyle C. (Macon, MO) sez:

“I am just as upset as the next person on paying 3.50 a gallon, and I refuse to support and of the Big Oil companies by owning even a single share of their stock, but we cannot hold the oil companies responsible for high gas prices.”
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha!!!

He says he refuses to support the oil companies by owning their stock.

Here the ignorant American shows his, uh, er, ignorance.

If this guy (and the rest of you) would INVEST a small portion (1-2%) of your income in ExxonMobil, Chevron, ConocoPhillips, you would be supporting American energy companies and fellow American workers at those companies. You would also support YOURSELVES and over the course of your 30-40 year work life, your investment would add up to more than the scam of Social Security will ever provide you, AND you would actually have had your lifetime worth of gasoline PAID FOR by the return on your investment…

Wake up America! You are a bunch of socialist lemmings who know nothing about Capitalism…

Scott B - Keep in mind, the average Joe in the United States is an idiot. I’m sure that comment will offend some, but it’s true. Look at voting records in the US (Less than a third of registered voters actually vote), look at the current sub-prime meltdown (”I can’t afford my adjustable mortgage. I knew it could go up, but I didn’t think it ever would. Goverment, please help me!!!”). And finally, look at what the average Joe does with his (or her) money. What percent of American live within their means (i.e. spend less than what they make each year)? How many of those are actually saving anything? How about investing in profitable ventures?
America used to be full of individuals who wanted to be independent and self-sufficient. Everyone wanted their own farm so that they could provide for themselves, and if it got too expensive to live somewhere, they’d move to cheaper, greener pastures. We all have ancestors that did it.
Unfortunately, the average Joe is now an idiot. He (or she) doesn’t save, doesn’t plan for the future, and constantly wants government to play Robin Hood. The big oil or any other big company aren’t the problem here. Idiocy is.

Let’s just hope Timken will stay in business in Canton, Ohio and for that matter the US period. Canton, Ohio has lost so many jobs that the lost of Timken plants would devastate Canton.

Scott B: Blame you liberal Democrats for your “most expensive gas in the U.S. They TAX you between .30 to 60 cents PER GALLON to subsidize your outrageous “social programs” for “inner-city yutes” and ILLEGAL immigrants (ExxonMobil EARNS ab