Fortune 500 Includes 18 Companies from Pennsylvania

The annual Fortune 500 has hit the web, and 18 Pennsylvania companies have made the cut.

AmerisourceBergen, a pharmaceutical headquartered in Chester County, placed 16 on the list, the top Pennsylvania business. The editors note the company’s 2013 initiation of a partnership with the Walgreens Boots Alliance, a deal that was fully implemented in the first quarter of 2015.

“As a result of the deal, AmerisourceBergen and Walgreens are able to pool their generic drug buying to get even better discounts from manufacturers—a big boost to their bottom line,” the magazine says.

Fortune also highlighted the pharmaceutical’s venture in veterinary medicine with the January purchase of MWI Veterinary Supply, one of the top supply chain companies in the animal health industry. Amerisource Bergen’s full year earnings are expected to be up 16 percent for 2015 and up 14 percent in 2016, the magazine says.

Six more companies from the Philadelphia area made repeat appearances in this year’s Fortune 500, the 61st publication of the list. Comcast follows AmerisourceBergen at 43, up one spot from last year. There’s a big gap before the next Philadelphia company, Aramark at 207, moving up two spaces compared to 2014.

Lincoln National, headquartered in Radnor, is close behind at 223. It rose nine spots based on its 13 percent growth in revenues and 21 percent in profits. Philadelphia is represented again by Crown Holdings, which fell five spots to 318 in the 2015 list.

Two companies from King of Prussia finish out the area’s representation on the Fortune 500. Universal Health Services held steady to its place at 324, while utility holding company UGI rose 13 spots to 349.

Besides the seven companies from Philadelphia, business from Pennsylvania include six in Pittsburgh, such as U.S. Steel (176), PNC Financial Services (192) and H.J. Heinz (272). Other companies include Rite Aid, based in Camp Hill in Cumberland County, ranked 117th, Hershey at 376 and energy supplier PPL in Allentown at 257.

Check out the complete Fortune 500 here.