The companies that define America

IN 250 YEARS, THE U.S. HAS BECOME both an economic powerhouse and an incubator of globally relevant companies. To paint a picture of that business legacy, TIME and Statista conducted a nationally representative survey to rank the 250 American companies that are not only commercially successful but also have most shaped culture and society.

- BY CHARLOTTE HU

“America was branded as this special place. There was a story around welcoming people to this beautiful country to realize their dreams,” says Americus Reed, professor of marketing at the University of Pennsylvania. “The mechanics of this is that when you invite the brightest and best to come to one place, you get this bastion of creativity. You get innovation. You can see that infused in the brands, the products, services, organizations that start here.”