Big Business is Booming
13 on Fortune 500 list call Atlanta home

Atlanta’s reputation as one of the nation’s most business-friendly cities keeps the metro area on the short list for start-ups and Fortune 500 companies. From its early beginnings as a railroad terminus in 1837, Atlanta quickly expanded. Just two decades later it became the hub of four railroads as well as a major manufacturing center.

Today, the state’s capital city is home to 13 Fortune 500 and 12 Fortune 1,000 companies. Topping the list of Atlanta’s homegrown Fortune 500 firms are The Coca-Cola Company, the world’s best known soft drink company, and Delta Airlines, a key player at Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport—the world’s busiest passenger airport. Relative newcomer The Home Depot, founded by two Atlanta businessmen in 1979, is also listed among the top 25 Fortune 500 companies.

Atlanta continues to draw such top business names as UPS, NCR, ING Americas, Holiday Inn and Porsche Cars North America, all of which have established headquarters in the metro area.

Through various incentives, including the state’s low corporate tax structure, favorable employment climate and right-to-work status, the metro area is an enticing destination for businesses looking to relocate or expand.

Atlanta Fortune 500 Companies
1. The Home Depot, Rank: 25
2. UPS, Rank: 43
3. The Coca-Cola Company, Rank: 73
4. Delta Air Lines, Rank: 111
5. Coca-Cola Enterprises, Rank: 116
6. The Southern Company, Rank: 149
7. SunTrust Banks, Rank: 211
8. Genuine Parts, Rank: 247
9. First Data: 295
10. AGCO, Rank 306
11. Newell Rubbermaid, Rank: 387
12. NCR: 446
13. Asbury Automotive Group: 486

Georgia FORTUNE 500 companies
AFLAC, Rank: 165
Mohawk Industries, Rank: 328
Source: Fortune magazine

Atlanta is one of five U.S. cities served by three major interstate highways.