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Wednesday, February 19, 2025

BNC’s annual ranking of the state’s largest private companies

 

Business North Carolina’s list of the state’s largest private companies includes 50 enterprises with revenue topping $500 million in 2021 and combined employment of more than 140,000 staffers.

While most of the closely held companies receive limited publicity, their critical role in North Carolina’s economy can’t be overstated. So we appreciate the many companies that provide revenue and employment information for the BNC 125. The list, which is based on many emails, phone calls and hours of research, also includes our best estimates for those employers that decline to provide those specifics.

We try to make the list more comprehensive every year by adding businesses that we may have overlooked previously. Newcomers include Kinston-based private jet operator FlyExclusive, Charlotte law firm Moore & Van Allen, Wilmington retailer Reeds Jewelers and Dunn-based grocery chain Carlie C’s IGA.

Departures from last year’s list include two prominent Charlotte-based companies: payroll software developer AvidXchange went public, while fiber network and telecommunications provider Segra was acquired by Atlanta-based Cox Communications.

The list includes North Carolina-based companies controlled by private-equity groups. But most of the businesses are closely held organizations, including many family-owned operations.

Many thanks to those who contributed to this report.

—By David Mildenberg, Jennings Cool Roddey and Neill Caldwell

 

1. Hendrick Automotive Group
Charlotte
Automotive dealerships
CEO: Rick Hendrick
Employees: 10,800
The company, which operates 131 franchises with 25 different nameplates, was named the top dealership in online reputation for the third straight year, according to an independent study of customer reviews by Reputation.com. About 20,000 auto dealerships and brands were measured in the United States and Canada.

2. Epic Games
Cary
Video game software
CEO: Tim Sweeney
Employees: 3,118

3. American Tire Distributors
Huntersville
Tire distribution service
CEO: Stuart Schuette
Employees: 4,700

4. Belk
Charlotte
Department store retailer
CEO: Don Hendricks
Employees: 17,000
Hendricks became the company’s leader in May after Nir Patel left to become chief operating officer at GameStop. Hendricks joined Belk in 2016, a year after Sycamore Partners bought the retailer. He became president in 2020.

5. Alex Lee
Hickory
Wholesale and retail grocer
CEO: Brian George
Employees: 14,850

6. SAS Institute
Cary
Software development
CEO: James Goodnight
Employees: 11,952

7. Parkdale Mills
Gastonia
Textiles
CEO: Anderson Warlick
Employees: 15,000

8. Bojangles
Charlotte
Restaurants
CEO: Jose Armario
Employees: 9,000

9. National Gypsum
Charlotte
Wallboard product manufacturer
CEO: Thomas Nelson
Employees: 2,500

10. House of Raeford Farms
Rose Hill
Poultry processor
CEO: Robert Johnson
Employees: 4,500

11. Leith Cars
Raleigh
Auto dealerships
COO: Danny Williams 
1,800  (estimate)

12. Flow Automotive
Winston-Salem
Auto dealerships
CEO: Don Flow
Employees: 1,700

13. Market America 
Greensboro
Digital marketer
CEO: JR Ridinger
Employees: 746

14. Pike 
Mount Airy
Construction and engineering services
CEO: J. Eric Pike
Employees: 2,000

15. Golden Corral 
Raleigh 
Restaurants
CEO: Lance Trenary
Employees: 22,000
The buffet chain rebounded after the pandemic slammed its business in 2020. More than 90% of revenue is from franchised stores. After losing about 85 restaurants in the crisis, it expects to end 2022 with about 400 locations, Trenary told the Eat This, Not That newsletter.

16. AmWINS Group
Charlotte
Wholesale insurance provider
CEO: Scott Purviance
Employees: 3,634

17. SteelFab 
Charlotte
Steel fabricator
R. Glenn Sherrill Jr.
1,200

18. Form Technologies 
Charlotte
Metal components manufacturer
Global VP: Daniel Adam
Employees: 8,800

19. Case Foods
Troutman
Poultry processor
CEO: Michael Popowycz
Employees: 3,200  
Popowycz, who joined the company in 1987, was named to the top job in February. He succeeded Kevin Phillips. Owner Thomas Shelton called Popowycz integral to the company’s success.

20. Variety Wholesalers
Henderson
Discount retailer
CEO: Art Pope
Employees: 7,000 (estimate)

21. CTE
Charlotte
Construction equipment dealer
CEO: Ed Weisiger Jr.
Employees: 1,590

22. Atlantic Packaging
Wilmington
Packaging materials distributorz
Russell M. “Rusty” Carter
Employees: 2,000

23. Prestage Farms
Clinton
Poultry processor
CEO: William H. “Bill” Prestage
Employees: 2,600

24. Southco Distributing
Goldsboro
Convenience-store supplier
CEO: Sherwin Herring
Employees: 240

25. Shoe Show
Concord
Retailer
CEO: Robert Tucker
Employees: 10,000 (estimate)

26. Window World
North Wilkesboro
Window installation service
CEO: Tammy Whitworth
Employees: 2,000 (estimate)

27. Charlotte Pipe & Foundry
Charlotte
Pipe manufacturer
CEO: Hooper Hardison
Employees: 1,500 (estimate)
In July, the company owned by the Dowd family bought Wisconsin-based Neenah Enterprises, one of the largest U.S. manufacturers of manhole covers and other industrial castings. Neenah has plants in Medley, Florida; Neenah, Wisconsin; and Lincoln, Nebraska.

28. Gregory Poole Equipment
Raleigh
Construction equipment dealer
CEO: J. Gregory Poole III
Employees: 1,350

29. Goldsboro Milling
Goldsboro
Turkey producer
CEO: H.G. Maxwell III
Employees: 800

30. CaptiveAire Systems
Raleigh
Manufacturer of kitchen-ventilation products
CEO: Bob Luddy
Employees: 1,250

31. MegaCorp Logistics
Wilmington
Logistics services
CEO: Ryan Legg
Employees: 530

32. Sampson-Bladen Oil Co.
Clinton
Petroleum products distributor
CEO: Haddon Clark III
Employees: 950 (estimate)

33. Liberty Healthcare & Rehabilitation
Wilmington
Nursing homes and health services
CEO: John McNeill Jr.
Employees: 5,500 (estimate)

34. Vannoy Construction
Jefferson
General contractor
CEO: Eddie Vannoy
Employees: 386

35. Concord Hospitality Enterprises
Raleigh
Lodging services
CEO: Mark Laport
Employees: 4,949

36. Shurtape Technologies
Hickory
Manufacturer of adhesive tape               and office supplies
CEO: Vuk Trivanovic
Employees: 1,600

37. The Cook & Boardman Group
Winston-Salem
Distributor of doors, frames and related building products
CEO: Darrin Anderson
Employees: 1,300  (estimate)

38. True Homes
Monroe
Homebuilder
Dan Horner
Employees: 350 (estimate)

39. Pink Energy
(formerly Powerhome Solar) 
Mooresville
Solar energy and roofing
Jayson Waller
Employees: 2,100
The former Powerhome Solar rebranded as Pink Energy in April. CEO Waller says it reflects expected expansion into battery and lighting systems. The company opened in 2014.

40. National Coatings and Supplies
Raleigh
Paint distributor for collision-repair shops
John Leavy
Employees: 1,225

41. Mako Medical Laboratories 
Raleigh 
Medical testing
Chad Price
Employees: 1,500

42. Samet
Greensboro
General contractor
Arthur Samet
Employees: 330 (estimate)

43. Clancy & Theys Construction
Raleigh
General contractor
President: Baker Glasgow 
Employees: 385

44. ACN
Concord
Telecommunications services
Greg Provenzano
Employees: 1,100 (estimate) 

45. Rodgers Builders
Charlotte
General contractor
Patricia A. Rodgers
Employees: 286

46. Eastwood Homes
Charlotte
Homebuilder
Clark Stewart
Employees: 306

47. RH Barringer 
Raleigh
General contractor
Mark Craig
Employees: 140

48. Barnhill Contracting
Rocky Mount
General contractor
Robert Barnhill III
Employees: 850 (estimate)

49. Inmar Intelligence
Winston-Salem
Retail data analytical services
Interim CEO: Spencer Baird
Employees: 5,400
David Mounts retired as CEO after 12 years leading the company as it shifted from coupon redemption to more digital and analytical functions. He had been a senior executive at Domino’s Pizza and UPS. Spencer Baird joined the company in 2020.

50. Snider Fleet Solutions
Greensboro
Tire distributor
CEO: Marty Herndon
Employees: 1,200

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