Cargill, Incorporated

Type: Private
On the web: http://www.cargill.com
Employees: 159,000
Employee growth: (0.6%)

Cargill may be private, but it's highly visible. The US's second-largest private corporation (after Koch Industries), Cargill's diversified operations include grain, cotton, sugar, petroleum, and financial trading; food processing; futures brokering; health and pharmaceutical products; agricultural services such as animal feed and crop protection; and industrial products including biofuels, oils and lubricants, starches, and salt. The company is one of the leading grain producers in the US, and its Excel unit is one of the top US meatpackers. Cargill's brands include Diamond Crystal (salt), Gerkens (cocoa), Honeysuckle White (poultry), Sterling Silver (fresh meats), and Nutrena (dog and cat food).

Key numbers for fiscal year ending May, 2009:
Sales: $116,579.0M
One year growth: (3.2%)
Net income: $3,334.0M
Income growth: (15.6%)

Officers:
Chairman and CEO: Gregory R. (Greg) Page
SVP and CFO: David W. MacLennan
Corporate VP and CIO: Rita J. Heise

Competitors:
ADM
Bunge Limited
Corn Products International