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.

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