Top 200 Private Companies list.
High-ranking debuts mark this year's edition of the Top 200 Private Companies list, as two large restaurant-based businesses are ranked for the first time.
Burger King Corp. re-established itself as an independently owned Florida company in 2002 after 36 years as a subsidiary under various corporate parents.
The No. 2 fast-food restaurant in the U.S., behind industry leader McDonald's, Burger King is also No. 2 among the state's privately owned firms, topped only by Lakeland-based Publix Super Markets.
While Burger King is a long-established brand, No. 9 Obee's Franchise Systems is a new kid on the fast-food block. The Port Charlotte-based franchisor was founded in 1995 with a single location and has since expanded its presence to 22 states, with plans to open locations outside the U.S.
The companies on this year's list had combined revenues of $93.6 billion and employed nearly 402,000 people in 2002. The industries represented range from air cargo carriers (No. 94 Arrow Air) to rare coin wholesalers (No. 162 National Gold Exchange).
This list ranks only privately held Florida-based companies. Subsidiaries, divisions and other holdings were not considered. Information was provided by company representatives; in some cases, estimates were obtained by staff research. Florida Trend assumes the information is accurate and truthful. Companies that did not provide sufficient information were not included on the list.