The Unum headquarters building is located in downtown Chattanooga. America's biggest companies
1. Walmart - $482.1 billion in 2015 revenues 2. Exxon Mobil - $246.2 billion in 2015 revenues 3. Apple - $233.7 billion in 2015 revenues 4. Berkshire Hathaway - $210.8 billion in 2015 revenues 5. McKesson - $181.2 billion in 2015 revenues 6. UnitedHealth Group - $157 billion in 2015 revenues 7. CVS Health - $153.3 billion in 2015 revenues 8. General Motors - $152.3 billion in 2015 revenues 9. Ford Motor - $149.6 billion in 2015 revenues 10. AT&T - $146.8 billion in 2015 revenues Source: Fortune magazine
Despite an unprecedented dip in revenues last year, Walmart remained atop the list of America's biggest companies as measured by the sales they generate, Fortune magazine said Monday.
Although Walmart revenues declined 0.7 percent in 2015 to $482.1 billion, the world's biggest retailer still generated the most revenue, easily beating No. 2 Exxon Mobile. The oil giant suffered a 35.6 percent drop in revenues due to falling oil prices last year, cutting revenues to $246.2 billion.
Two Chattanooga area companies moved up on the Fortune 500 list, however.
The Chattanooga-based Unum Group, the world's biggest disability insurer, grew revenues last year by 2.1 percent to $10.7 billion, ranking the company as the 265th biggest company in the U.S. In the previous Fortune 500 list, Unum ranked 279th.
Mohawk Industries, the world's biggest floorcovering manufacturer based in Calhoun, Ga., grew its revenues last year by 3.5 percent to $8.1 billion. That ranked Mohawk as the 338th biggest company in the country. In 2014, Fortune ranked Mohawk No. 362 on its list of the 500 biggest companies.
America's 500 largest companies by revenue, took in about a half-trillion dollars less revenue in 2015 than in the previous year, and profits were less by about $100 billion, even though the U.S. and global economies were bigger.
"The Fortune 500 emerged a bit battered from events of the past year," said Alan Murray, a Chattanooga native who is editor of Fortune magazine. "The poor performance of energy companies, in particular, took its toll, as did the flight from public markets by companies like Safeway SWY and PetSmart -and the flight from the country by the likes of Chubb CB , Allergan and TRW."
Nonetheless, Murray said the annual Fortune 500 list "remains the benchmark of business success, with total revenues equaling two-thirds of U.S. GDP."
Total profits were 7 percent of sales, continuing a profit margin decline from the record 8.9 percent reached in 2013.
Patrons enter the new building during the grand opening of the Walmart Neighborhood Market off of East Brainerd Road in Chattanooga, Tenn., on September 9, 2015.