Eighteen Illinois companies made the cut to be named among Fortune magazine’s “World’s Most Admired Companies" of 2015, three of which boast spots in the top 50.
Those considered the best of the best include Boeing at no. 27, Caterpillar at no. 28 and McDonald’s at no. 46. All three ranked first in “global competitiveness” in their respective industries.
Boeing came in first for the aerospace and defense industry category with revenues reaching $90.8 billion last year.
Caterpillar, which recently announced its global headquarters will stay in Peoria, ranked highest in long-term investment value, quality of products/services and global competitiveness.
Although McDonald's ranks high on the list, the world's largest hamburger chain's no. 46 ranking is down from its previous rank at 22. Their 2015 spot is the lowest they have sat in the seven years they've appeared in the top 50.
Fortune says “consumer criticism over the company’s menu offerings, as well as a series of protests by labor rights activists over minimum wage” contributed to its lower ranking. However, the magazine says “with CEO Don Thompson’s recent ouster, McDonald’s is now tasked with a major turnaround.”
Apple took the top spot on the list for the eighth year in a row, becoming the first company to hit more than $700 billion in market value. Google, Berkshire Hathaway, Amazon.com and Starbucks also place in the top 5.
Other Illinois companies that did not place in the top 50 but are ranked high in their respective industries include:
- Abbott
- AbbVie
- Allstate
- Archer Daniels Midland
- Deere
- Exelon
- Hyatt
- Illinois Tool Works
- Jones Lang LaSalle
- Mondelez International
- Motorola Solutions
- Northern Trust
- State Farm
- W.W. Grainger
- Walgreens Boots Alliance
