St. Louis' Top 150 Privately Held Companies: 1-25 - Memphis Business Journal:

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percent jump in housing startsin Meanwhile, St. Louis’ largest homebuilder, McBride & Son Homes, said it sold 300 home s in the first two months of the comparedto 1,400 homes total in 2008. I’ed like to thank Businesds Journal researchers Evan Binns and Lucie who did a commendable job putting togetherthis year’ s list of the top 150 privatelyt held companies. As our researchers quickly found, it’sz much easier to get revenue information from private companies when business is goinb well rather than when the economyis Evan, in particular, spent countless hourws seeking the most accurate and up-to-date revenue and employere figures, and then double- and triple-checkec it all.
This year’ds list includes nine newcomers and fewerpure estimates, a testameng to the researchers’ hard work. Rob Hurtt, Section editore 1. 2008 revenue: $13.1 billion +37.9% Enterprise Rent-A-Caf remained profitable in 2008 and grew revenue by nearly 38 thanks in large part to the full effects ofthe company’w August 2007 purchase of Vanguard Car To maintain this growth, however, the companty had to make severao difficult decisions in November 2008, according to Pam president and chief operating officer.
Two thousand of the company’sz 75,000 employees were let go, the size of the rental fleet was reduced, and new car purchases were “As tough as these steps were, they have helpedx preserve the company’s overall economic strength,” Nicholson Enterprise, which is owned by the Andy Taylo family, continues to grow by acquisition, announcingt in early March its plans to buy certain assetxs ofAdvantage Rent-A-Car out of bankruptcy for $19 Leadership: Chairman and CEO Andy Taylor, President Pam Nicholso n 2007 revenue: $9.5 billion (rank 1) 4,100 local, 72,000 total 2. 2008 $6.4 billion +30.6% Center Oil Co. saw its revenue jump $1.
5 billionb from 2007 thanks to gasoline prices that spikedto $4 a gallomn last summer. The Town and Country-based gasoline distribution businessa operates 12 terminals in 10 Center Oil also markets through 36 additionall terminals in10 states. Last year, a subsidiaryg company, Center Ethanol, completedc a $100 million ethanoll plant in Sauget, Ill. The plant is designexd to have a production capacity of 54milliob gallons, and it has rail and bargwe access on the Mississippi Center Oil remains headed by founder and owne Gary Parker, who also is the largest shareholded in , with nearlyy 5.4 million share, or 23.4 percenyt of the St. Louis-based banking business.
Parker also is among the largest shareholdersz in Green Plains RenewableEnergy Inc. of Omaha, Neb., wherwe he held 542,000 or 7.2 percent of the business. Leadership: Chairman, Presidentt and CEO Gary Parker2007 revenue: $4.9 billio (rank 4) 3. 2008 revenue: $5.5 billionm (estimate) Apex Oil Chairman and CEO Tony Novellu recently restructured his holdings among related companies in the oil according to filings thosee companies madein Canada. Apex Oil sold more than 2 million sharezs of World PointTerminals Inc., or 8.26 percent of the to St. Albans Global Management for approximately $12.5 million. Novelly is also chief executive of St. Albans and chairman of World Point.
The movesa come the year after a surgw in oil prices drove up revenur forpetroleum companies. Apex, its affiliate and subsidiaries sell, store and distribute petroleujm products. The company and its affiliates own and operatde 21oil terminals. Apex affiliate businesses include ; Clark Oil Tradinbg Co.; Petroleum Fuel and Terminal Co.; Enjey Inc. of Houston, and Trinidad Resorrt and Clubin Bellaire, Mich. Chairman and CEO Tony President Ed Wahl2007 $5.2 billion (rank 3) Employees: 55 local, 250 totaol 4. 2008 revenue: $5.4 billion +2.7% Graybar Electric Co. grew revenue by 2.
7 percent in but the company, which distributes electrical andcommunication products, is slowing plans for expansion. Graybatr had expected to open between five and 10 officesxlast year, but added just two The company will completely forgo opening new offices in said Robert Reynolds Jr., chairman, presidengt and CEO. Some of its 200 locations may relocated when leases expire but none will be shuttered he said. The employee-owned company also cut its work forces by 5 percent by not filling vacancies as a way toavoic lay-offs, Reynolds said. “We managed the company knowing these times would be he said.
“Good companies with stron plans and good balance sheets can increase markety shareduring recessions.” Chairman, President and CEO Robert Reynold s Jr. 2007 revenue: $5.3 billion (ranl 2) Employees: 762 8,000 total 5. Edward Jones 2008 $3.8 billion -7.3% Given the markegt turmoil, few would be surprised that revenue at Edward Jonedropped 7.3 percent in 2008. “The toughest thing about 2008 was comparingg itto 2007, a record year,” said Jim managing partner. Growth in other areas continuedd unabated.
Edward Jones added 953 financial advisers last In addition, the brokerage firm’s $260 million renovatiomn and expansion of its West County headquarters remains on track, with a new building opened in 2008 and two more schedulefd to open later this year. Weddle said one of the company’s strategic advantages is, its ownership by its “We don’t have to plan to the next quarterlhyfinancial announcement,” he said. The company has 326 general partnerwsand 10,984 limited partners. 2007 revenue: $4.1 billion (rank 5) 5,018 local, 39,912 total 6. 2008 revenue: $3.
4u billion + 20% McCarthy Holdings reported a 20 percentf revenue increase due to a loadef pipeline of projects in 12 The largest general contractorin St. Louis, McCarthhy saw the bulk of its growthfrom health-care, education and industriaol facilities. “Last year was our best year ever for a numbedrof metrics, from sales, revenue, margins and said President and COO Deremk Glanvill. Locally, McCarthy completed construction ona $66 million buildinf for Edward Jones and the $56 million Federal Reserved Bank renovation. McCarthy crews will start constructiob later this year onthe $36 million Show Me Aquatics and Fitnessz Center in St. Charles.
Glanvill said the employee-ownesd company’s geographic and market diversit positions it to weatherthe recession. McCarthgy recently completed a five-year strategic plan that will shift its focuato “mega projects” that total more than $500 million. CEO and Chairman Michael President Derek Glanvill2007 Revenue: $2.9 billion (rank 6) Employees: 1,000 local, 3,100 total 7. 2008 $2.87 billion +10.4% Revenue grew $270 million at Prairis Farms Dairy as the company digester acquisitions it madein 2007, said Ed chief executive of the dairgy cooperative owned by more than 700 independent dairy farmers. Part of Prairie Farms’ consolidation efforts last year took placin St.
Louis as it merged two manufacturing facilities into onein Hazelwood. Prairie Farms purchased the plant in 2007 and completexd renovationslast year. That shifted 32 jobs from the former Pevely Dairy operation at1001 S. Grand Blvd., to the newee facility on North Lindbergh. The formere Pevely Dairy plant has been put up for Mullins said the current challenge in the dairyy business is improving margins as the producer pricde paid for milk has dropped by 50 percent in the first quarterof 2009.
Prairie Farmas operates several subsidiary businessez and manufactures and markets a full line of dairyu food products out of its own 24 plantsa and 13 joint venture plantas in the Midwestand Leadership: CEO Ed Mullins, President Fred Kuenstler 2007 revenue: $2.6 billionh (rank 7) Employees: 1,100 5,900 total 8. World Wide Technologyy 2008 revenue: $2.53 billion +1.2% After growinbg to more than 20 distributionj centers acrossthe U.S., has its sights set on globak expansion.
The business openecd a facility nearSao Paulo, Brazil, and is looking at expansion opportunities in Europe, Asia and in Mexico, said CEO Jim