The Great 80

In spite of the past year's weak housing market, companies in development- and construction-related industries once again rule Gulfshore Business' annual ranking of Southwest Florida's sales leaders. Some newcomers even have joined the regular suspects. And although we thought we might have to leave the gross annual revenues benchmark at $13 million, or even lower it, that wasn't the case at all. In fact, the showing was so strong that we raised the bar to those that grossed $16 million or more-and the entries still surpassed the number that made last year's list.

The biggest difference? The significant decline in the number of residential developers and homebuilders ranked. When the market was booming, they trumpeted their success. This year, some of the most prominent in the industry are off the list-perhaps not because they wouldn't have made it, but because they choose not to reveal the "bloodletting," as one exec put it.

Not all ducked out, however. WCI, for all its recent woes, remains near the top. Taylor Woodrow, The Jack Parker Corp., Elias Brothers and others make a strong showing for the homebuilding industry.

The commercial construction industry, meanwhile, is still going strong, and the roster includes many related companies, from cement, metals and lumber producers to HVAC companies and general contractors.

The banking and healthcare industries also are well represented again this year.

The list is compiled primarily from information provided by the companies, although we also check public-information sources for those for which they're available. Not all industries are included, such as real estate firms, attorneys and hotel chains, because their reporting practices aren't comparable.

We know that we might have missed some companies that qualify to be ranked among the region's top companies, and we'd like to hear about them for future consideration. If you know of one, please contact Gulfshore Business editor Jill Tyrer at jillt@gulfshorebusi ness.com or (239) 449-4151.

Here are the sales leaders for 2007:

1: Health Management Associates

Collier County

Healthcare

Chief executive: Burke W. Whitman

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $4.1 billion

2005: $3.6 billion

Employees: 33,000

Founded: 1977

www.hma-corp.com

Owns and operates hospitals throughout the United States, including Charlotte Regional Medical Center, Lehigh Regional Medical Center, Peace River Regional Medical Center, the new Physicians Regional Medical Center-Collier Boulevard and Physicians Regional Medical Center-Pine Ridge. It was named Fortune magazine's 2006 Most Admired Health Care Services Company.

2: WCI Communities Inc.

Lee County

Homebuilder

Chief executive: Jerry L. Starkey

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $2.05 billion

2005: $2.6 billion

Employees: 3,200

Founded: 1946 (predecessor companies)

www.wcicommunities.com

Based in Bonita Springs, WCI develops master-planned communities and high-rise residential towers in Florida and the Northeast. It operates Prudential Florida WCI Realty, as well as title, property-management and recreational amenities services. Severe losses in the past year's soft real estate market have led to employee layoffs, an effort to take over the board and initiatives to sell the company.

3: Source Interlink Companies Inc.

Lee County

Media distributor

Chairman: Michael Duckworth

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $1.8 billion

2005: $1.5 billion

Employees: 7,600

Founded: 1995

www.sourceinterlink.com

A marketer, merchandiser and distributor of entertainment products, including DVDs, music CDs, magazines, books and related items. The recent $1.2 billion acquisition of Primedia Inc.'s Enthusiast Media division, with more than 70 magazine titles and 90 Web sites, adds publishing to the company's enterprises. Source Interlink serves about 110,000 retail store locations throughout North America. Supply chain relationships include movie studios, record labels, magazine and newspaper publishers and confectionary companies.

4: Lee Memorial Health System

Lee County

Healthcare

Chief executive: James Nathan

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $1.68 billion

2005: $1.58 billion

Employees: 8,000

Founded: 1916

www.leememorial.org

The largest and only community-owned healthcare system in the area, and the largest public system in Florida that receives no direct tax support. Last year, it acquired HCA's Gulf Coast Hospital and Southwest Florida Regional Medical Center, making it the only hospital system in Lee County. Cape Coral Hospital, Gulf Coast Hospital, HealthPark Medical Center, Lee Memorial Hospital and Southwest Florida Regional Hospital have each ranked among the Top 100 Hospitals in the country.

5: Chico's FAS Inc.

Lee County

Retail

Chief executive: Scott A. Edmonds

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $1.65 billion

2005: $1.4 billion

Employees: 14,882

Founded: 1983

www.chicos.com

A specialty retailer of women's clothing, accessories and gift items. Chico's operates 937 stores in 47 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico operating as Chico's, White House | Black Market, Soma Intimates and Fitigues.

6: NCH Healthcare System

Collier County

Healthcare

Chief executive: Allen Weiss, M.D.

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $1.18 billion

2005: $1.15 billion

Employees: 3,800

Founded: 1955

www.nchmd.org

Ranked for four years in a row by HealthGrades among the top 5 percent in the nation in cardiac care, commended by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations (JCAHO), and was on Solucient's 100 Top Hospitals list for improvement, among other honors. NCH Healthcare System is an alliance of more than 500 independent physicians and medical facilities throughout Collier County, including Naples and North Collier hospitals.

7: Gates

Collier County

Development, construction, brokerage, property management

Chairman: Todd Gates

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $750 million

2005: $150 million

Employees: 160

Founded: 1995

www.gatestotalsolutions.com

Begun as a commercial construction company, the company now called Gates grew to include other real estate-related enterprises, including residential construction and condo hotels. Known until recently as Gates McVey, it merged last year with D'Alessandro & Woodyard Inc., adding commercial brokerage and property management. It is ranked as the second-largest builder on Florida's west coast from Tampa to Naples. Among its awards are the Associated Builders and Contractors' 2007 Excellence in Construction Award for NCH Briggs Wellness Center; 2002, 2004 and 2006 Sand Dollar Awards; and the Economic Development Council of Collier County's 2005 Excellence in Industry Business Expansion Award.

8: Kraft Construction Co. Inc.

Collier County

Construction

Chief executive: Fred Pezeshkan

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $653.3 million

2005: $481.2 million

Employees: 510

Founded: 1986

www.kraftconstruction.com

Kraft moved into its new corporate headquarters on Pine Ridge Road in January and has offices in Fort Myers, Sarasota and Charlotte Harbor. The firm is ranked among the top 100 contractors in the country by Engineering News-Record, a construction industry magazine. The largest project starting in 2007 will be Moraya Bay Beach Tower on Gulfshore Drive in Naples.

9: Pulte Homes

Lee County

Homebuilder

Chief executive: Richard Dugas (national CEO), Greg Wolpert (division president)

Gross annual revenue

2006: $592 million

2005: $370 million

Employees: 200

Founded: 1950

www.pulte.com

Ranked No. 170 on the 2007 Fortune 500 list of America's largest companies, down from No. 147 the year before. Pulte, which also encompasses the Del Webb and DiVosta brands, is the builder of several communities under way at the new town of Ave Maria.

10: Germain Motor Co.

Collier County

Automotive sales

Chief executive: Robert L. Germain Jr.

Gross annual revenue (Florida division):

2006: $500.5 million

2005: $500.3 million

Employees: 481

Founded: 1947

www.germain.com

Germain Motor Co. is a leading dealer for Acura, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ford, Honda, Hyundai, Lexus, Lincoln, Mercedes-Benz, Mercury, Nissan, Scion and Toyota in Ohio, Arkansas, Arizona, as well as Naples and Sarasota. Germain BMW of Naples is opening a facility this summer on U.S. 41 just north of Immokalee Road, and recently launched a used-car lot at Airport Pulling Road and Exchange Avenue.

11: Boran Craig Barber Engel Construction Co. Inc.

General Contractor

Collier County

Chief executive: Melvin L. Engel Jr.

Gross annual revenues

2006: $478.7 million

2005: $335.8 million

Employees: 425

Founded: 1972

www.bcbe.com

BCBE provides commercial and residential construction services for projects in Southwest Florida as well as Miami, Palm Beach and the Palm Coast.

12: Arthrex Inc.

Collier County

Surgical instrument manufacturing

Chief executive: Reinhold Schmieding

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $410 million

2005: $330 million

Employees: 500

Founded: 1981

www.arthrex.com

Designs and manufactures surgical devices for arthroscopic procedures. Headquartered in Naples, it recently added foreign subsidiaries in Korea and Switzerland. It is the exclusive sponsor of the online medical publication Journal of Arthroscopy, and has received numerous advertising achievement awards from The Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery and The American Journal of Sports Medicine.

13: Robb & Stucky Ltd. LLP

Lee County

Furnishings and interior design

Chief executive: Clive Lubner

Gross annual revenue

2006: $300.8 million

2005: $299.2 million

Employees: 1,315

Founded: 1915

www.robbstucky.com

In 2006, Robb & Stucky opened Interiors and Patio showrooms in Orlando and Palm Beach Gardens. Expansion plans continue in 2007 with Robb & Stucky Interiors opening in Dallas and Southlake, Texas, and Las Vegas, as well as Robb & Stucky Patio opening in Boca Raton. It also is opening a 4,000-square-foot design studio in Costa Rica and will oversee the interior design and furnishing of model residences.

14: Raymond Building Supply Corp.

Lee County

Construction supplier

Chief executive: Duane Swanson Sr.

Gross annual revenue:

2006: approximately $300 million

2005: $248 million

Employees: approximately 800

Founded: 1957

www.rbsc.net, www.contractorschoicesupply.com

Spent about $17 million in expansion in 2006. Completed truss-production facility in North Fort Myers and purchased a maintenance facility to service the fleet. Recently purchased Contractor's Choice Supply, a cabinetry and appliance supplier with facilities in Tampa and Fort Myers and fiscal year 2006 revenues of about $24 million. Horizon Council Industry Appreciation Award; 2001 Pro Sales Dealer of the Year; 2003 Pro Sales Excellence Award; 2006 Horizon Council Business Expansion Award.

15: Radiation Therapy Services Inc.

Lee County

Healthcare

Chief executive: Daniel E. Dosoretz, M.D.

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $295 million

2005: $227 million

Employees: 1,100

Founded: 1983

www.rtsx.com

Publicly traded developer and operator of radiation-therapy clinics for the treatment of patients with cancer.

16: Scanlon Auto Group

Lee County

Automotive sales

Chief executive: John E. Scanlon

Gross annual revenue:

2006: $257.2 million

2005: $259.98 million

Employees: 240

Founded: 1980

www.scanlonauto.com

Franchise retail sales and service of Lexus, Lincoln Mercury, Mazda and Acura. Two-facility expansion planned for 2007. In 2006, CEO John Scanlon was nominated for both Time magazine's Quality Dealer Award and Ford Motor Co.'s Corporate Citizenship Salute Award. Vice President Jay Scanlon sits on national and regional advisory councils for the Mazda, Acura, and Lexus franchises, and is a board member of the Boys & Girls Club of Lee County.