These 25 NC companies are the best in the state, Forbes says. Here’s why
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Forbes reviewed thousands of companies and ranked 25 North Carolina firms on a new list.
- Charlotte and the Triangle are home to 16 of the state’s 25 best firms.
- Many firms are also on Forbes’ best employers and best companies for tech workers lists.
Forbes recently made its first-ever best-in-state list to rank top companies, and 25 firms based in North Carolina are included.
The popular business publication considered “millions of data points” to find companies that are excelling at satisfying customers, keeping their employees and growing.
Thousands of companies were evaluated on factors including size, financial strength and employee and customer satisfaction, Forbes says, but 750 companies made the final list.
Government entities and nonprofits such as colleges and hospitals were not considered for this list. Many North Carolina universities, health systems and municipal governments are included in and rank highly on Forbes’ other business rankings.
Also, companies were only assigned to the states in which they are headquartered. Walmart, for example, could only be included in the list of the best companies in Arkansas.
Here are the top 25 firms in North Carolina.
Best companies in North Carolina, according to Forbes
More than half of the best companies in North Carolina are based in Charlotte (nine) or the Triangle (seven). They span a range of industries including banks and manufacturing.
- Bank of America: Charlotte; holding companies (bank)
- Honeywell International: Charlotte; aerospace industries (manufacturing)
- Nucor: Charlotte; buildings-metal-manufacturers
- Advance Auto Parts: Raleigh; automobile parts and supplies
- Lowe’s: Mooresville; home centers
- Syngenta: Greensboro; wholesale seeds and bulbs
- Trane: Davidson; air conditioning contractors and systems
- Labcorp Holdings: Burlington; medical laboratories
- Duke Energy: Charlotte; electric companies
- Hanesbrands: Winston-Salem; textile mills (manufacturing)
- SAS: Cary; software/application/platform publishing
- Volvo Group North America: Greensboro; industrial trucks
- IQVIA: Durham; research service
- Glaxosmithkline Pharmaceuticals: Durham; drug millers (manufacturing)
- First Citizens Bank: Raleigh; holding companies (bank)
- Charlotte Pipe and Foundry: Charlotte; pipe-plastic (manufacturing)
- Ingersoll Rand: Davidson; industrial research
- Old Dominion Freight Line: Thomasville; trucking-motor freight
- Curtiss Wright Corporation: Davidson; manufacturers, distributors and industrial products
- Fundamental Global: Charlotte; insurance
- Albemarle: Charlotte; chemicals manufacturers
- Sonic Financial: Charlotte; race tracks
- Extreme Networks: Morrisville; software/application/platform developers and programmers
- ABB: Cary; automation systems and equipment manufacturing
- Truist Financial: Charlotte; holding companies (bank)
Other rankings of top NC companies
Earlier this year, Duke Energy, Sonic Automotive, Lowe’s, Bank of America, Labcorp Holdings, Volvo and Old Dominion ranked in Forbes’ best employers in North Carolina.
Labcorp Holdings, Bank of America, Lowe’s, Duke Energy, Truist Financial and Honeywell International were named among the top companies for tech workers, according to Forbes.
