Fortune’s Top 20 Most Admired Companies list is out and Apple took the top spot, beating out companies like Google, Starbucks and FedEx. The Mac and iPod maker also topped the Fortune most admired company for innovation list.
“It is a tribute to its CEO that Apple, which ten years ago seemed headed for the slag heap, is No. 1 on this list. Steve Jobs has always had a knack for weaving magic out of silicon and software,” Fortune noted. “But who knew he could build a $24 billion (in sales) company on the strength of a portable jukebox and a computer with a single-digit market share?”
Fortune asked over 3,700 people from several industries to pick the ten companies they admire the most, and the businesses that floated to the top all sport strong innovation, leadership and financial strength records.
Rounding out the rest of the top ten companies were Berkshire Hathaway, General Electric, Google, Toyota, Starbucks, FedEx, Procter & Gamble, Johnson & Johnson, and Goldman Sachs.
Apple also took the top spot on the Fortune 10 Most Admired for innovation. Coming in behind Apple were Nike, Medco Health Solutions, Procter & Gamble, Herman Miller, Walt Disney, Fortune Brands, Burlington Northern Santa Fe, McDonald’s, and ProLogis.
On Apple’s innovation track record, Fortune commented “iPod, iPhone, iMac. Apple is the “i” word in action. Led by Steve Jobs, the company has disrupted three different industries — computers (the Mac), music (the iPod) and movies (Pixar).”