10. Toyota
Despite losing its crown as the world's biggest automaker earlier this year, Toyota continues to be a manufacturing giant. The company's employees have been quick to bounce back from the devastating earthquake and tsunami which struck Japan in March by putting in overtime and doing extra shifts.
9. BMW
The BMW Group sold 1,461,116 automobiles and 110,113 motorcycles in 2010 earning the company €60.48 billion in the process. Comprising of BMW, Mini and Rolls-Royce, the automotive group has built its success on a wide and diverse range of reliable yet luxurious vehicles.
8. Research In Motion (RIM)
Even though the maker of BlackBerry has lost ground to Apple and various Android powered devices, RIM still remains one of the world's most influential smartphone manufacturers. However, consumers seem to be losing confidence in the Canada-based brand as high-profile mistakes and network outages threaten to dent RIM's image.
7. HP
Multinational information technology company HP provides hardware, software and consulting solutions to 170 countries around the world. Having recently unified its brand portfolio under the tagline 'Let's Do Amazing,' HP continues to grow in the areas of information explosion, digital transformation, and environmental sustainability.
6. General Electric
While General Electric's geographical footprint is vast, its range of products and services is even broader. From everyday light bulbs to fuel cell technology, GE received $150.211 billion in revenue in 2010 and continues to grow in industries including healthcare, transportation, energy, retail, finance, media, and consumer products.
5. Marlboro
Made by Philip Morris USA, Marlboro is the most popular brand of cigarettes in the world. Despite stringent advertising regulations in place globally which have hindered the giant's marketing strategy, Marlboro's logo is still instantly recognisable and contributed to Philip Morris International's revenue of $27.208 billion in 2010.
4. Coca-Cola
Coca-Cola's global reach is phenomenal, with 1.7 billion people enjoying its branded products every day. With one of the most popular soft drinks in the world, Coca-Cola dominates the beverage industry and continues to grow the brand with new products, advertising campaigns and corporate social initiatives.
3. Microsoft
Best know for its Windows operating system, Microsoft also develops manufacturing software solutions in addition to producing MP3 players and video games consoles. However, for the first time in 20 years, Apple surpassed Microsoft in Q1 2011 quarterly profits and revenues due to a worldwide slump in PC sales.
2. Apple
Once again, Apple has had a remarkable year following the release of its next-generation iPhone, the 4S, and the continuing popularity of its tablet computer the iPad. A future without Steve Jobs is hard to predict, however the Cupertino-based company doesn't show any signs of slowing down just yet.
1. IBM
Even though Apple has been stealing technology headlines for the past year, IBM continues to be the driving force of the industry. Established in 1911, International Business Machines has been a continued market leader by providing IT services and developing hardware products across the globe. Some landmark inventions by the company include the Automatic Teller Machine (ATM), the floppy disk, the hard disk drive and magnetic stripe cards. IBM's recent success could be traced back to selling its PC business to Chinese manufacturer Lenovo in 2005 to concentrate on software and services. Dr Mark Dean, current Chief Technology Officer and one of the company's engineers who designed the first IBM personal computer even went as far as saying that PCs are 'going the way of the typewriter' and may soon be obsolete. In 2010, IBM employees topped 426,751 and revenue hit $99.870 billion.
Click here to read this article in the December issue of Manufacturing Digital!
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