# What's the biggest (US) company you've never heard of? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [November 25, 2014, 5:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613 "2014-11-25T17:26:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![That\_Don\_Guy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/that_don_guy/32/538_2.png) [@That\_Don\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/That_Don_Guy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/21 "2014-11-25T19:59:20Z")
I know about Valero because (a) they sponsor the Alamo Bowl and (b) there’s a Valero refinery about a mile from where I live. For those of you who have never heard of it, it’s an oil company. I have heard of McKesson because of its acquisition of Foremost dairy products a few decades ago. Apparently, Foremost is still in business, but I can’t remember the last time I saw anything from that brand in a supermarket. Then again, it appears as if Foremost has moved its operations to in/near Wisconsin. The highest one I am not familiar with is Express Scripts at #20. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/22 "2014-11-25T20:09:28Z")
For me, the first I’d never heard of is Energy Transfer Equity, L.P. followed by Enterprise Products Partners L.P. ---
**Author:** ![Absolute](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b2d939/32.png) [@Absolute](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Absolute)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/23 "2014-11-25T20:12:58Z")
I have heard of the existence of a company called Express Scripts before but had no idea what they do, or that they were anywhere near the Fortune 500. I’ve never heard of Amerisource Bergen before. ---
**Author:** ![DataX](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e99b99/32.png) [@DataX](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DataX)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/24 "2014-11-25T21:58:59Z")
McKesson For all intents and purposes - Berkshire Hathaway is Warren Buffet. It is basically a holding company for all the companies he (and other shareholders of it) own. While you may not have heard of it - you probably have heard of GEICO, Dairy Queen, Fruit of the Loom - which I belive it owns a 100% and other companies it owns lesser amounts of such as American Express. ---
**Author:** ![Trom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/958977/32.png) [@Trom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trom)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 10:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/25 "2014-11-25T22:07:46Z")
I made it to 117 - Avnet, Inc. That was the first one that I couldn’t name the stock ticker symbol off the top of my head. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/26 "2014-11-25T23:08:32Z")
I know most of them, because I mostly invest in blue chip stocks. Like most, I’m not familiar with McKesson or Cardinal, however. Got bored after that, but spotted a few others I haven’t heard of. I’m surprised that people haven’t heard of Express Scripts, as they are the big gorilla in the room when it comes to mail order prescription services and have been around for quite awhile. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 11:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/27 "2014-11-25T23:46:13Z")
I knew McKesson as a provider of Electronic Medical Records systems, since I did IT in a few hospitals. But I didn’t realize how much other stuff they did. I’m a little surprised that they’re such a runaway favorite so far in the thread. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/28 "2014-11-25T23:54:54Z")
The popularity of McKesson may be because it’s the first company on that list that’s not a household brand. ---
**Author:** ![Simplicio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c37758/32.png) [@Simplicio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Simplicio)\ **Post date:** [November 25, 2014, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/29 "2014-11-25T23:58:18Z")
> [@Baron\_Greenback](#): > > Same here, but I’m not in the US. > > A surprise: IBM has greater revenues than Microsoft. I’d actually have trouble articulating what exactly IBM does these days, though obviously I’ve heard of them. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/30 "2014-11-26T00:20:47Z")
> [@Chefguy](#): > > I know most of them, because I mostly invest in blue chip stocks. Like most, I’m not familiar with McKesson or Cardinal, however. Got bored after that, but spotted a few others I haven’t heard of. > > I’m surprised that people haven’t heard of Express Scripts, as they are the big gorilla in the room when it comes to mail order prescription services and have been around for quite awhile. McKesson and Cardinal for me also. Valero bought all the old Exxon stations around here, so I know them well. I never heard of ExpressScripts either until they bought the company which did my prescriptions, only to get booted shortly thereafter by my company. They sent mail about every five minutes trying to get me to renew through them before they lost the gig. I could have been up to my ass in Warfarin if I paid attention. ---
**Author:** ![DingoelGringo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/9d8465/32.png) [@DingoelGringo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DingoelGringo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 12:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/31 "2014-11-26T00:25:41Z")
> [@Bayard](#): > > Interesting. What part of the country do you live in (assuming you’re in the US)? Phillips seems to have gas stations in a lot of the US. Still? years ago, in the 70’s I had a Phillips gas credit card, but when their stations disappeared about 1980 or so I dropped it as unusable in our area. ---
**Author:** ![Joey\_P](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/919ad9/32.png) [@Joey\_P](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Joey_P)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/32 "2014-11-26T00:47:58Z")
Valero for me, than McKesson. When I saw the OP, before I thought about looking at the Fortune 500 my first thought was that for most people it’s going to be some Pharma company. Most people know the drugs, but unless you’re in the industry or play the stock market you probably don’t keep up with names like Gilead of Abbvie. ---
**Author:** ![suranyi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e36b37/32.png) [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/33 "2014-11-26T01:13:35Z")
McKesson is mainly a wholesaler of pharmaceuticals, but they have gotten into many other areas of the healthcare industry. A huge company, but not one that anyone not on the business would ever deal with. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/34 "2014-11-26T01:38:02Z")
> [@DingoelGringo](#): > > Still? years ago, in the 70’s I had a Phillips gas credit card, but when their stations disappeared about 1980 or so I dropped it as unusable in our area. Hmmm. I’m in mid-Missouri, and there are several Phillips branded stations within a couple miles of my house. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 2:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/35 "2014-11-26T02:18:53Z")
Another vote for McKesson followed by Express Scripts Holding. (I have Valero gas stations in my area.) ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/36 "2014-11-26T04:04:20Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > I never heard of ExpressScripts either until they bought the company which did my prescriptions, only to get booted shortly thereafter by my company. They sent mail about every five minutes trying to get me to renew through them before they lost the gig. I could have been up to my ass in Warfarin if I paid attention. I think they expanded too quickly and bullied/badgered people into using them. They started screwing up the orders and pissing people off, and their stock took a pretty hefty whack. I used to own shares, but the newsletter I presently subscribe to said ‘sell’, so I sold. They’re currently rated a ‘buy’, but not for me. They keep sending me letters and I keep throwing them in the garbage. Got a phone call the other day and told them to leave me alone. ---
**Author:** ![Ponch8](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ponch8/32/9883_2.png) [@Ponch8](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ponch8)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/37 "2014-11-26T04:06:42Z")
McKesson for me also. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/38 "2014-11-26T04:18:27Z")
> [@njtt](#): > > Phillips66. > > I lived in California for 20+ years and never encountered them. Huh. Grew up with them… The neighborhood station was one. I think they all rebranded in the early 1970s. ---
**Author:** ![Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/db5fbb/32.png) [@Hirka\_T\_Bawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hirka_T_Bawa)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 4:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/39 "2014-11-26T04:21:51Z")
The first for me was #27:Archer Daniels Midland. Seams to be some sort of agricultural conglomerate. I’m surprised at most peoples choices, but then I’m in the health care biz, so Mckesson and Cardinal are well known as the largest, and second largest, pharmaceutical wholesalers. I get a delivery every week day from Mckesson for example. Express Scripts on the other hand, I’m not real surprised people don’t know them. They are the largest Pharmacy Benefit Manager in the US. They process about 60 to 70% of all prescriptions filled in the US. They are the middle men between your actual insurance (BCBS, TriCare, Aetna, etc) and the actual pharmacy. For the longest time they hid in the background, I think they were first heard of by most people a few years back, when Walgreens pharmacy and Express Scripts had a dispute, and Walgreens stopped accepting them. Walgreens showed documents showing Express Scripts made about 10 times as much profit on every prescription filled through them then they did, while just acting as a bunch of middle men… Probably part of the reason Express Scripts (the largest PDM) is number 20, while Walgreens (the largest pharmacy) is 37… ---
**Author:** ![Itself](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/d07c76/32.png) [@Itself](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Itself)\ **Post date:** [November 26, 2014, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613/40 "2014-11-26T05:31:51Z")
Of the top 20, I’m not familiar with Valero or Express Scripts Holding. The former might be a regional thing; glancing through its wikipedia page, I think Valero is mostly active in the southwest and west coast. I don’t know anything about Express Scripts. > [@Ethilrist](#): > > Never heard of them either, here in the US. Warren Buffett seems to be involved in the company in some way, given the web page listed. Berkshire Hathaway is Warren Buffett’s holding company. (The name is a historical artifact.) Aside from its association with Buffett, it’s famous for having an insanely high stock price: $221k at the moment, Google tells me. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-biggest-us-company-youve-never-heard-of/705613.md?page=3)