This Is The Best Private Company In MI; 8 Others Ranked By Forbes

Gordon Food Service is the best private company in Michigan, and is among eight others from the state that were ranked nationally in Forbes’ recent list of America’s Top Private Companies.

The Grand Rapids food service distributor employs 20,000 people and had revenue of $23 billion in its most recent year, according to the ranking of 200 private companies released in mid-December. The company, founded in 1897, ranked No. 12 nationally.

To qualify for the list, companies had to have had estimated revenue of at least $3 billion in their most recent fiscal year, which was calendar year 2024 for 85 percent of the list members, Forbes said. Other companies had fiscal years that ended in October 2025.

Rounding out the top private companies in Michigan and their ranking nationally are:

• Meijer, Grand Rapids, No. 14
• Amway, Ada, No. 81
• Walbridge, Detroit, No. 102
• Illitch Holdings, Detroit, No. 122
• Barton Malow, Southfield, No. 138
• Plastipak Holdings, Plymouth, No. 174
• Piston Group, Redford, No. 188
• Dart Container, Mason, No. 194

There were few surprises at the top of the ranking. Minneapolis-based agriculture giant Cargill, which maintained its top spot for the fifth consecutive year, has been No. 1 for 38 of the 39 years Forbes has published the ranking.

Among 43 other companies in the ranks throughout its history of the list are Wawa, Pennsylvania-based convenience store Wawa (No. 21); Racine, Wisconsin-based cleaning products company SC Johnson (No. 38); Modesto, California-based E&J Gallo Winery (No. 125); and Jacksonville, Florida-based boat parts reseller Crowley Marine (No. 167). Additionally, nearly two-thirds of the companies currently in the ranks have been on the list for a decade, Forbes said.

The 12 newcomers on the list notably include Sam Alton’s OpenAI (No. 155), the San Francisco software company that had an estimated $3.7 billion in 2024 revenue.

» For the full ranking, go to Forbes.

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