Fortune’s Global 500: the six biggest Canadian companies on the list

Fortune has published its much-anticipated Global 500, its annual look at the companies around the world that generate the most revenue. 

Organisations from 34 countries are present in the ranking and Canada is one of them, bringing 11 businesses to the list.

Here, in reverse order, we take a look at the six highest-revenue generating companies in the country:

#311 – Alimentation Couche-Tard (US$34.1bn)
Couche-Tard is one of the biggest convenience store operators in the world.

From its headquarters in Laval – where it opened its first shop in 1980 – Couche-Tard manages over 12,000 stores globally across North America, Central America and Europe.

#304 - Royal Bank of Canada (US$34.9bn)
The RBC is the largest bank in the country, serving over 16 million clients.

Founded in Halifax in 1864, it now bases itself in Toronto but has offices in 40 other countries around the world. 2017 marks its 23rd year on the list. 

#293 - George Weston (US$36.2bn)
George Weston represents a number of food and drug retail companies including Loblaw and Weston Foods.

The conglomerate is Canada’s biggest employer in the private sector with over 200,000 employees, though it originally just started out with George Weston building a Toronto bakery business in the 19th century.

#290 - Magna International (US$36.4bn)
Car supplier Magna International works in nearly 30 countries globally with 321 manufacturing operations and 102 product development, engineering and sales centres. 

Magna has a reputation for innovation and technology having picked up numerous awards for its first-to-market concepts.

#266 - Power Corporation of Canada (US$38.3bn)
Power Corp. of Canada is a Montreal-based holdings company that has close to $800bn worth of assets under management.

According to its website, its main interests are in ‘financial services, renewable energy, communications and other business sectors’. 

#250 - Manulife Financial (US$40.2bn)
Topping the mini-Canadian list for this year – and ranking halfway down the overall ranking - is Manulife Financial with over US$40bn worth of revenue.

The insurance and financial services company has a customer base of over 22 million in its three key areas of North America, Asia and the United Kingdom. 

Manulife has been operating in Canada for 125 years, serving one of five of the population.

See also: 

• China satisfies its hunger for Canadian lobster through JD.com
• Grain shipments behind prosperous second quarter for Canadian Pacific Railway
• Business Review Canada magazine - July issue