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Four firms crack state ranking Rogue Valley hard to find on list of large companies By David Preszler Rogue Valley companies continue to be somewhat scarce among the state�s largest privately owned firms. Only four Rogue Valley companies � Cascade Wood Products, Sherm�s Thunderbird Market, Naumes Inc. and Combined Transport � cracked Oregon Business Magazine�s annual rankings of the 150 largest privately owned companies based on revenue. The annual list, researched by Arthur Andersen and featured in the magazine�s July issue, ranks 139 companies and lists another 11 "mystery companies" that won�t disclose revenue information. Exact revenue figures aren�t listed for each company. Instead, firms are grouped together into categories: $1 billion plus, $250 million to $1 billion, $150 million to $250 million, $100 million to $150 million, $75 million to $100 million, $50 million to $75 million, and $50 million and less. Cascade Wood Products ranked highest among the Rogue Valley firms, edging up from 61st a year ago to 60th this year. The White City wood products company�s revenues are listed at $100 million to $150 million. Medford-based Sherm�s Thunderbird ranked 85th, slipping a half dozen spots from a year ago. The grocery store chain falls in the $75 million to $100 million range. Naumes Inc., the Medford-based fruit-growing company, ranked 114th � the same spot it held a year ago � with revenues of $50 million to $75 million. Combined Transport of Central Point, a trucking company that delivers to 48 states, ranked 136th with revenues of less than $50 million. It ranked 133rd a year ago. Ashland-based Croman Corp. failed to make this year�s list after ranking 120th a year ago. At least two privately owned Rogue Valley companies whose revenues likely approach or exceed the $50 million mark were left off the list: Erickson Air Crane of Central Point and Sabroso Co. of Medford. Last year, Erickson confirmed that its revenue was in the $50 million to $100 million range annually but said it hadn�t been contacted about the list. Sabroso is very private about its financial data and officials have said in the past that the company has no interest in being ranked. Though the list is heavily weighted with Portland area firms, a Southern Oregon company remains at the top � a spot it laid claim to years ago. Klamath Falls-based Jeld-Wen continues to be the biggest of the big, one of only two on the list with annual revenues of more than $1 billion. Jeld-Wen is also among the nation�s largest private companies. It ranked 78th in Forbes� 1999 list of the 500 biggest private companies. Though Jeld-Wen closely guards financial data, Forbes estimated the company�s 1999 revenues at $1.825 billion. If that figure�s accurate, then Jeld-Wen brought in more money in its fiscal 1999 than some very well-known companies � including Starbucks ($1.7 billion) and E&J Gallo Winery ($1.35 billion). Jeld-Wen is best known as a maker of windows, doors and other building materials. But the company also has more than 100 subsidiaries in the real estate, retail and hospitality business. It is, for instance, the parent company of Amerititle. Rounding out the top five are: No. 2, North Pacific Group, a Portland wood products wholesaler and distributor; No. 3, Roseburg Forest Products, a Roseburg wood products company; No 4, R.B. Pamplin Corp., a Portland conglomerate that deals in construction products, entertainment media and retail; and No. 5, Colson & Colson/Holiday Retirement Corp., a Salem company that is the nation�s largest owner and operator of retirement housing. Several companies with presence in the Rogue Valley also made the list. Among those in the top 50: Les Schwab Tire Centers (sixth), Bi-Mart Membership Discount Stores (11th), Ray�s Food Place parent company C&K Markets (27th), Copeland Lumber Yards (33rd), and Shari�s (48th). Obituaries | Sports | Business | Classifieds | Tempo | Prime Times | So Oregon Sites | Outdoor Journal | Subscribe | Contact | Movies | Advertise | Real Estate Showcase | Archive | Editorials | Letters to the editor | Religion | Wake-up Call | NIE | Cyber Chef | Job Network | So Oregon Weather | WSJ Northwest | Forums | AP Wire | AP Money | F.A.Q. | Awards Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. The Community Newspaper Subsidiary of Dow Jones & Co, Inc Copyright �The Mail Tribune 2000, Medford, Oregon USA