Top 20 rank: 19
Rank in Medical and Other Precision Equipment: 3
The company that invented masking tape, Scotchgard, and Post-it notes gets respect because it has managed to become a $24 billion global business while continuing to generate new ideas (and a healthy return on equity). Rank in Medical and Other Precision Equipment: 3
A big part of 3M's secret might be the set of principles coined by William McKnight, a bookkeeper who joined the company a century ago and eventually became president and chairman. In McKnight's own words, "Management that is destructively critical when mistakes are made kills initiative. And it's essential that we have many people with initiative if we are to continue to grow." The upshot: Don't tell employees how to do their jobs -- let them innovate. An admirable idea indeed. -Jon Fortt
See how 3M rates in 8 key areas
Last updated March 03 2008: 2:10 PM ET
