Five Arkansas companies have clinched a spot on the annual Fortune 500 list of the largest companies in the United States. The five companies that made the list are Walmart, Tyson Foods, Murphy USA, J.B. Hunt Transport Services and Dillard’s.
Walmart retained the top spot on the Fortune 500 list, where it has remained since 2013. The Bentonville retail giant first earned a spot on the Fortune list in 1995, debuting at #4, where it stayed until 1998. In 1999, Walmart jumped to the #3 spot and to the #2 spot in 2000. The company received the #1 ranking for the first time in 2002, and has only dipped to the #2 spot in 2006, 2009 and 2012.
According to Fortune’s breakdown, Walmart had $523.964 billion in revenues for the fiscal year that ended Jan. 31, 2020. This was a 1.9 percent increase. The company also recorded $236.495 billion in assets for the fiscal year.
Behind Walmart, the biggest U.S. companies are, in order, Amazon.com, Exxon Mobile, Apple, CVS health, Berkshire Hathaway, UnitedHealthGroup, McKesson, AT&T and AmerisourceBergen.
The second-highest Arkansas company on Fortune’s list is Tyson Foods at #79. Tyson increased by one ranking after being ranked #80 in 2019. The Springdale poultry and pork company has also been on the Fortune 500 since 1995, reaching a high mark of #66 in 2016.
Tyson Foods had $42.405 billion in revenue during the past fiscal year, a $5.9 percent increase from the previous year.
Murphy USA dropped five spots in 2020, landing at #262 on the list. The El Dorado-based firm reported $12.101 billion in revenue, a 3.4 percent decline. Murphy USA made its first appearance on the list in 2014, with its highest ranking to date at #175. Since that time, Murphy USA’s ranking has declined, although it increased in both 2018 and 2019.
J.B. Hunt Transport Services had the biggest jump in ranking, rising eight spots from last year. In 2020, J.B. Hunt is ranked at #346, compared to last year’s 354. Since first making the list in 2013, J.B. Hunt has steadily risen through the ranks of U.S. companies. The company’s first ranking was #486, and it has increased year-over-year.
“Advancing on the Fortune 500 list reflects our ability to leverage industry experience and innovative technology to meet the evolving needs of customers,” John Roberts, president and CEO of J.B. Hunt, said in a statement. “As we focus on creating the most efficient transportation network in North America, businesses can rely on J.B. Hunt to provide safe, reliable transportation and logistics services, demonstrating our tradition of excellence and efficiency.”
The Lowell-based transportation and logistics company reported $9.165 billion in revenue for the past fiscal year.
Dillard’s recorded the biggest drop on the Fortune 500 list, falling 10 spots to #468. The Little Rock department store operator has mostly declined in the rankings since the list’s debut in 1995. Its highest ranking was at #193 in 2000, and it has stepped down, with several exceptions, since that time.
Dillard’s reported a revenue of $6.343 billion in the last fiscal year.
In addition, two other Arkansas companies made the top 1000 rankings among U.S. companies. These companies are Windstream Holdings and ArcBest, which are ranked at #543 and #786, respectively. Murphy Oil is also listed as an Arkansas company at #625, although the company recently moved its corporate headquarters to Houston, Texas.
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