In 2023, Black-owned employer firms in the United States generated $249 billion in receipts, the U.S. Census Bureau reported. It counted about 201,000 such firms. The Black-Owned Companies here occupy a small upper tier: firms able to supply major corporations, run complex operations and report more than $100 million in annual revenue.
Their work is easy to miss. A customer sees a Coca-Cola product on a store shelf, a meal at a chain restaurant or a new vehicle. Behind each may be a bottling route, a food distributor, an assembly contractor or a supplier whose name never reaches the end buyer.
Most figures below come from ForbesBLK’s 2026 reporting. It says it checked financial information against company data, news reports and third-party sources. The figures are not all the same kind of measure: some are estimates, others reported revenue or sales. ForbesBLK set a $75 million revenue floor for established businesses; this feature uses $100 million as its cutoff.
1. World Wide Technology — More Than $20 Billion
World Wide Technology (WWT) started in 1990, founded by David Steward and Jim Kavanaugh. In 2025, the company said annual revenue exceeded $20 billion. WWT sells technology, but its work goes beyond supplying equipment: it helps clients test, integrate and deploy systems across cloud computing, cybersecurity and data centres. More than five million square feet of warehouse and integration space supports that operation.
The company is privately held, and Forbes identifies Steward as its majority owner. In a TIME interview about keeping WWT private, he put the priority this way:
“And my whole goal and objective is not all about the money, it’s about how we serve our clients better than anybody else.” — David Steward
2. Coca-Cola Beverages Florida — $2.2 Billion
On May 30, 2015, the first Coca-Cola Beverages Florida truck rolled out of its Tampa facility. Founder Troy Taylor had acquired Central Florida bottling and distribution rights. Within 22 months, the company had added operations in North and South Florida. A University of South Florida account reported that sales passed $1 billion within two years.
ForbesBLK reported $2.2 billion in revenue for 2025. Coke Florida is family-owned and serves more than 21 million consumers across 47 counties. A franchise territory only becomes a business at this scale when production, warehousing and delivery can keep pace with it.
3. Voltava — $2.3 Billion
Three automotive suppliers became one when Detroit Manufacturing Systems (DMS) completed its acquisitions of Android Industries and Avancez on December 12, 2025. The combined company took the name Voltava. Bruce Smith owns it outright. ForbesBLK puts its revenue at $2.3 billion; Voltava provides assembly and related manufacturing services to automakers including General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and Toyota.
The acquired operations had substantial sales of their own. DMS reported $1.2 billion in annual sales before the combination; Android and Avancez together reported nearly $570 million in 2024 sales. Wells Fargo acted as agent on a $450 million asset-based credit facility to help effect the acquisition. A separate January 2026 announcement described a $160 million senior-secured facility, including a $135 million acquisition term loan and $25 million in additional liquidity. These facility amounts do not establish how much Voltava drew.
4. James Group International — More Than $1 Billion
John James and his uncle Calvin Outlaw founded O-J Transport in 1971. Nine years later, the company became the first Black-owned firm to receive permanent common-carrier authority in all 48 contiguous states to transport auto parts, according to MotorCities.
That trucking business grew into James Group, with warehousing, assembly and sequencing operations serving automakers including Ford and General Motors. John’s son Lorron now leads the company. In June 2026, James Group acquired EnovaPremier, adding tire and wheel assembly. The company says its three main subsidiaries now generate more than $1 billion in annual revenue.
5. Heartland Coca-Cola — Roughly $1 Billion
Junior Bridgeman’s entry into Coca-Cola bottling followed a major sale. In 2016, he sold most of his restaurant interests for an estimated $250 million and used the proceeds to acquire distribution territory across Kansas, Missouri and Illinois. ForbesBLK puts Heartland’s revenue at roughly $1 billion. After Bridgeman died in 2025, his son Justin became CEO.
Heartland later committed $400 million to a 700,000-square-foot production campus in Olathe, Kansas. The campus officially opened in 2024; the public grand opening and ribbon-cutting took place in June 2025. The Kansas Department of Commerce reported on the ceremony. The investment gives the bottler production capacity to match its regional reach.
6. Thompson Hospitality — $925 Million
Warren Thompson learned restaurant operations at Marriott. Then he used a leveraged buyout to acquire 31 Big Boy restaurants in the Washington, D.C., area and founded Thompson Hospitality in 1992. ForbesBLK reports $925 million in revenue and more than 6,000 employees. Today, the company combines contract food service with restaurants and franchises, serving corporate clients and institutions, including 18 historically Black colleges and universities.
His advice to aspiring entrepreneurs comes from the years he spent learning the industry before taking on the risk himself. In an interview with the University of Virginia’s Darden School, Thompson said:
Make mistakes on their dime, as opposed to going out-of-business on yours. — Warren Thompson
7. The Anderson-DuBose Company — More Than $800 Million
Anderson-DuBose supplies food and paper products to McDonald’s and Chipotle restaurants across Ohio, Pennsylvania, New York and West Virginia. ForbesBLK reported more than $800 million in revenue for 2024. Warren Anderson and Steve DuBose acquired a majority interest in a McDonald’s distributorship in 1991. Anderson bought DuBose’s stake in 1993 and became sole owner in 1995, according to the company’s historical account.
The company has also expanded its facilities. Tennessee announced a nearly $40 million centre in Jefferson City in 2024, with 80 expected jobs; ForbesBLK reported the facility opened in 2026. In Jacksonville, a $60 million centre began operations in September 2025, months before its April 2026 ribbon-cutting.
8. Baldwin Richardson Foods — $600 Million in Estimated Sales
Baldwin Richardson Foods makes sauces, syrups, toppings, drinks and fillings for food and beverage companies. ForbesBLK estimates its sales at $600 million and names McDonald’s and Kellanova among its customers. Founder Eric Johnson bought Baldwin Ice Cream in 1992, then acquired Richardson Foods five years later and combined the businesses.
Johnson’s daughters Erin Tolefree and Cara Hughes are co-owners. Tolefree became CEO in 2023; Hughes took on the chief customer and community impact role in 2024. The family’s next generation now holds both operating roles and ownership stakes.
9. H.J. Russell & Company — About $500 Million
Mercedes-Benz Stadium and the Smithsonian National Museum of African American History and Culture are among H.J. Russell’s completed projects. The Atlanta company works in construction management and development. ForbesBLK puts its revenue at about $500 million and reports data-centre work in Virginia and Texas. A $510 million North Carolina facility was described as planned, not completed. The project’s total value is not the contractor’s revenue.
Construction firms can have to pay workers and suppliers before a client pays them.
10. The Chemico Group — $240 Million
The Chemico Group manages chemicals for manufacturers, with General Motors its largest client, and also serves aerospace, electronics and healthcare customers. ForbesBLK reports revenue of $240 million. Founder Leon Richardson started with a $25,000 commission check. He later bought Product-Sol, a paint-chemicals business that had gone bankrupt.
Richardson had worked in chemical sales before founding Chemico. The company handles inputs manufacturers need managed safely and consistently. Consumers may never see its name, but its work is part of the production process behind the finished goods.
What the Revenue Figures Leave Out
Revenue is not profit, cash flow or the owner’s personal wealth. It says how much business a company reports, not how much it keeps. These firms have built different assets—technology integration networks, bottling territories, assembly operations, food production, distribution routes and construction expertise. Each takes people and money to operate before the largest customers pay.
That can make a big contract both an opportunity and a strain. A major customer may offer repeat work; the supplier may still have to cover payroll, materials and delivery costs while waiting for payment.
Ownership also varies. WWT is private, with Steward as majority owner. Smith owns Voltava outright. Coke Florida describes itself as family-owned. Justin Bridgeman succeeded his father as Heartland’s CEO; Tolefree and Hughes are co-owners of Baldwin Richardson. Their businesses followed different routes to scale, and control over future decisions remains with different owners and family members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Which Company on This List Has the Highest Revenue?
World Wide Technology is the largest, reporting more than $20 billion in annual revenue. Its business combines technology sales and systems integration with warehousing and distribution for corporate and public-sector customers.
What Does Voltava Do?
Voltava combines Detroit Manufacturing Systems, Android Industries and Avancez. It provides vehicle and component assembly, sequencing and related manufacturing services to automakers including General Motors, Ford, Stellantis and Toyota.
How Did Heartland Coca-Cola Finance Its Expansion?
Junior Bridgeman sold most of his restaurant interests in 2016 for an estimated $250 million and used the proceeds to enter Coca-Cola bottling. Heartland later invested $400 million in its Olathe production campus.
What Is Thompson Hospitality’s Business Model?
Thompson Hospitality combines contract food service with restaurant operations and franchise ownership. Its clients include corporations and institutions, among them 18 historically Black colleges and universities.
Why Do Many of These Companies Sell to Other Businesses?
Corporate and institutional customers can provide recurring demand. Serving them takes infrastructure, skilled staff and working capital; payment delays or dependence on a few large buyers can strain cash flow.
