5 Global Corporations Headquartered in Atlanta

Atlanta is no stranger on the Fortune 1,000 and the Fortune 500 lists, in fact, Atlanta Ga is home to 26 companies on the Fortune 1,000 and 15 of those are ranked on the Fortune 500. By the end of FY2017, these 26 companies generated nearly $360 billion in aggregate revenue.

In this medium.com/@atlantabusiness article, we will take a look at the history behind 5 of Atlanta’s largest companies that are also headquartered in the city.

The following Fortune 500 companies call Atlanta home. Each comes with an incredible (often intriguing) story of how they came to be:

#1 The Home Depot — On June 22, 1979, the first two Home Depot stores opened in Atlanta, Georgia. The concept was to create one-stop DIY shopping, at the time, the first stores averaged around 60,000 square feet each and stocked about 25,000 individual products.

Hardware stores and lumber yards found themselves dwarfed by these new warehouses, which today is the largest home improvement retailer worldwide. With nearly 400,000 associates working amongst the 2,200 stores (averaging over 100,000 square feet each) in the US, Canada, and Mexico, The Home Depot now offers over a million in-store and online products to its customers.

Currently ranking number 23 on the Fortune 500, The Home Depot has reached annual revenue of nearly $100 billion.

#2 United Parcel Service (UPS) — With its beginning on August 28, 1907, in Seattle Washington as the American Messenger Company, UPS would see several mergers and name changes before becoming the powerhouse it is today.

It was in 1975 that UPS moved its headquarters to Greenwich, Connecticut, serving all 48 contiguous states in the country, expanding to international deliveries, and became the first package delivery company to serve every address in the continental United States.

In 1991, the company relocated its headquarters to Sandy Springs, Georgia (part of greater Atlanta) where it remains to present day. 107 years and 11 CEOs after its founding, UPS delivers worldwide and employs nearly half a million staff in the US and abroad.

Currently ranking number 44 on the Fortune 500, UPS has reached annual revenue of nearly $66 billion.

In 1941, Delta moved its headquarters to Atlanta where it continued to grow by acquiring other airlines and the addition of more routes. By the 1980s, the company was competing internationally across the Atlantic and Pacific oceans.

Over the past two decades, Delta has survived bankruptcy, merged with Northwest Airlines, and begun renewing its fleet of 870 aircraft. The company employs over 80,000 employees in the US and abroad.

Currently ranking number 75 on the Fortune 500, Delta Air Lines has reached annual revenue of nearly $41.2 billion.

#4 The Coca-Cola Company — Dr. John Stith Pemberton produced the first syrup for what would become Coca-Cola on May 8 1886, in Atlanta, Georgia. Served for the very first time at Jacobs’ Pharmacy, the theme “Delicious and Refreshing” was attributed from the beginning and resonates to the present day. By 1895 (only three years after the company’s incorporation), Coca-Cola was being consumed in every state and territory of the US.

In 1900, the drink found its way abroad, and by the 1980s Coca-Cola was confirmed as being the best-known and most-admired trademark worldwide.

With operations in more than 200 countries producing nearly 450 brands, the company employs nearly 62,000 people globally and is headquartered in Downtown Atlanta.

Currently ranking number 87 on the Fortune 500, The Coca-Cola Company has reached annual revenue of nearly $35.4 billion.

#5 SunTrust Banks, Inc. — In 1891, the Commercial Travelers’ Savings Bank in Atlanta was granted a charter by the Georgia General Assembly. Two years later the company would change its name to Trust Company of Georgia, and on July 1, 1985, the Trust Company of Georgia and SunBanks, Inc. merged to form SunTrust Banks, Inc.

Back in 1919, Trust Company of Georgia provided underwriting services to none other than the Coca-Cola Company, receiving some of its very first publicly traded stock in exchange for the services.

In 2016, the company commemorated the 125th anniversary of its founding in Atlanta, Georgia where it is still headquartered. Today, SunTrust holds $208 billion in assets, while employing a workforce of nearly 24,000.

Currently ranking number 303 on the Fortune 500, SunTrust Banks, Inc. has reached annual revenue of nearly $9.74 billion.

Now that you are familiar with the history and achievements of some of the most prominent businesses headquartered in Atlanta, it is important to understand that the city is still growing and continues to attract major companies from around the globe.

Due to the infrastructure in greater Atlanta, including road, rail, and air, access to the national and international markets is greatly facilitated. Likewise, when quality of life and education standards are factored into a company’s business plan, Atlanta shines even brighter in its ability to help companies sustain their growth.

If you plan to open a company, are scouting for a new location, or are looking to seat your headquarters, Atlanta remains one of the premier cities in the south to accommodate your needs.

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