You get a sense of General Electric's
Other than Berkshire Hathaway
When Immelt took over after industry legend Jack Welch retired five years ago, he set out to transform GE from a stodgy by-the-numbers operation into a dynamic, creative, and growing enterprise. The old hobbyhorse of being No. 1 or No. 2 in every market remained, but for the first time, managers of all levels were encouraged to challenge their assumptions and come up with ways to grow the business other than by acquisition.
GE was used to annual organic revenue growth in the 5% range; now the stated goal is "8% organic revenue growth and 10%+ earnings growth, with operating cash flow growth greater than earnings." For 2006, the company produced 9% organic growth, 14% better income from continuing operations, and yes, $24 billion of operating cash flow beats $20.7 billion of net earnings.
GE is one of only six non-banks with a AAA Standard & Poors credit rating -- others include UPS
Immelt is constantly reshaping his company in a manner that reminds me of Sam Palmisano at IBM
Further Foolishness:
Berkshire Hathaway and Pfizer are two Motley Fool Inside Value selections, and UPS is an Income Investor pick. Check out the whys and wherefores with a free 30-day trial to either service.
Fool contributor Anders Bylund is a Pfizer shareholder, but holds no other position in any of the companies discussed here. You can check out Anders' holdings if you like, and Foolish disclosure is always dependable.