The private-company thread

KOTV reports that QuikTrip is listed as the 47th biggest private company in the US.

QuikTrip is a great company. I've thought this for years. Nowadays, after moving to Tulsa, I'm friends with some very highly-placed people there.

I went to the grand opening of their new headquarters a few weeks ago. They handed out a document about the 40 best things they've done in the past 40 years and it was very impressive.

And it really struck me that going is the best way for companies to go. Then they don't have to make bad, long-term (or short-term) business decisions based on how the Street will value their stock (re:P/E ratio or otherwise).

(That implies that publically offered stock and public companies and the stock market and retirement funds in the stock market are all screwed up. Hmm...)

For example, just read Eisner's statements about ABC not doing well enough for their stock price. To have stock price drive your business would be a nightmare, in my book.

Here's an article from an old issue of Forbes on QT.

And while I was look over that list, I came across another favorite company: Hy-Vee - grocery stores based in Iowa. Hy-Vee is ranked 28th on the Forbes list. Terrible name. Terrible logo. Great quality products and service.

Many of these companies are grocery stores (QT is a convenience store). Cargill is Ag. Mars is a food concern.

Others are financial-type services - knowledge-based where you'd expect a lot of profit margin - Pricewaterhouse Coopers and Ernst and Young.

Any trends here?