Walmart 2000 Annual Report Download - page 15

al-Mart proudly
moved up in
Fortune’s list of
the top 10 “America’s
Most Admired
Companies” in 2000,
rising to fifth on the
list and being flanked by
the likes of General
Electric, Coca-Cola,
Microsoft, Dell Computer,
Berkshire Hathaway,
Southwest Airlines, Intel,
Merck and Walt Disney.
The Bentonville, Ark.-based
retailer made its first top-10
appearance on Fortune’s Most
Admired list in 1987 and has
been included eight times since
then. In ranking the top 10,
Fortune surveyed more than
10,000 executives, directors and
securities analysts, who were
asked to choose the companies
they admired most, regardless
of industry.
Wal-Mart earned its inclusion
in the Most Admired List, in
part, with fiscal 2000 revenue of
$165 billion and with the 70.4
percent annual return that
investors received on the
Company’s stock.
Wal-Mart received another
major honor last year when the
Company was named by CIO
magazine as a recipient of the
CIO-100 award for excellence in
the information systems field.
It was the 12th year for the CIO-
100 program, and Wal-Mart has
been chosen for the honor in
11 of those 12 years.
In other distinctions, the
Foundation Center recently
ranked the Wal-Mart Foundation
fifth in giving out of all U.S. foun-
dations, and Wal-Mart also was
ranked first in the 1999 Cone/
Roper Report, an annual national
public survey on philanthropy
and corporate citizenship.
Wal-Mart also has been recog-
nized recently both by Hispanic
Magazine and Latina Magazine
as one of the best 100 companies
to work for in the United States
for Hispanics and Latinas.
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the individual and has faith in their
ability to learn and succeed.
The reason we chose Wal-Mart as
Retailer of the Century wasn’t its
size, its profits, or its phenomenal
growth record (though those things
certainly don’t hurt.) The reason is
that Wal-Mart cares about the individ-
ual, whether he or she is an Associate
or a customer.
On my desk I keep a copy of Sam
Walton’s “Rules for Building a
Business,” and my favorite is No. 7:
“Listen to everyone in your company.
Figure out ways to get them talking.
The people on the front line — the
ones who actually talk to the cus-
tomers — are the only people who
really know what’s happening.”
Wal-Mart still has the courage and
good sense to follow these universal
operating principles. Congratulations,
Wal-Mart, for both recognizing and
continuing to implement a great
business philosophy. You have my
admiration and respect.
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W
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Children's department
mannequins are guests at
an Associate's impromptu
“tea party.”
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