J.B. Hunt climbs to No. 407 on Fortune 500 list, Wal-Mart tops list for fifth straight year

by Talk Business & Politics staff ([email protected]) 411 views 

J.B. Hunt Transport Services moved up nine spots to No. 407 on the Fortune 500 list.

On Thursday (June 8), the Lowell-based carrier announced it has been on the list for five consecutive years. In 2013, the company made its debut at No. 485. The list ranks the largest U.S. companies by revenue.

In 2016, the company’s revenue increased 5.9% to $6.55 billion, from $6.18 billion in 2015. Earnings for the year rose 1% to $432.09 million, from $427.23 million.

Being on the list for the fifth year in a row is a “tremendous honor,” said John Roberts, president and CEO of J.B. Hunt. “It’s a testament to our company’s ongoing commitment to excellence and innovation as we work to meet the supply chain solution needs of businesses throughout North America.”

Among other Arkansas-based companies, Bentonville-based retailer Wal-Mart Stores was No. 1 on the list for the fifth straight year, with 2016  revenue of $485.87 billion, followed by Berkshire Hathaway and Apple with revenues of $223.6 billion and $215.63 billion, respectively. Springdale-based Tyson Foods was No. 82, with revenue of $36.88 billion, El Dorado-based Murphy USA was No. 291, with revenue of $9.63 billion, Little Rock-based Dillard’s was No. 417, with revenue of $6.41 billion, and Little Rock-based Windstream Holdings was No. 485, with revenue of $5.38 billion.

This year marks the 63rd Fortune 500 list. The companies on the list account for two-thirds of the U.S. GDP, with $12 trillion in combined revenue, $890 billion in earnings and $19 trillion in market value. Worldwide, the companies employ 28.2 million people.