My 10 Favorite For-Profit Businesses
University of Phoenix. Founded in 1976, University of Phoenix
is the nation's largest private, accredited university. They provide a relevant,
real-world education to working adults at more than 116 campuses and learning
centers in the U.S., Puerto Rico and Canada, and via the Internet. Currently,
they enroll over 250,000 degree-seeking students.
http://www.phoenix.edu/catalog/
Marriott International, Inc. 75-year-old Marriott International is firmly lodged as the #1 lodging company in the world with almost 2,400 owned or franchised properties in 64 countries and 13 lodging brands. Its heritage can be traced to a small root beer stand opened in Washington, D.C., in 1927 by J. Willard and Alice S. Marriott. Marriott Rewards offers the fastest way to a free night or free flight. My favorite locations are the Residence Inn in Placentia, CA and Reno, NV, the Marriott University Park in Salt Lake City, Utah, and the Maui Marriott. http://www.marriott.com/
Southwest Airlines. The official Southwest Airlines website with Ticketless Travel reservations, schedules and fares, and general information about the airline. Southwest Airlines has become the fourth largest major airline in America. They are the only shorthaul, low-fare, high frequency, point-to-point carrier in America. Rapid Rewards is their award-winning frequent flyer program honored for the past three years with the Freddie Award for "Best Award Redemption" by Inside Flyer magazine.
http://southwest.com/
The San Francisco 49ers have the distinction of being the first
major league professional sports franchise on the West Coast. The 49ers entered
professional football in 1946. Since 1981, the 49ers have won 13 division titles,
five conference championships and five Super Bowl championships (the first franchise
in NFL history to win five), claiming the world title in 1981 (Super Bowl XVI),
'84 (Super Bowl XIX), '88 (Super Bowl XXIII), '89 (Super Bowl XXIV) and '94
(Super Bowl XXIX).
http://www.sfgate.com/sports/49ers/
Deseret News. The newspaper business in Salt Lake City began
152 years ago, when the first 220 copies of a "small weekly sheet, as large
as our circumstances will permit," rolled off the press of Brigham H. Young
in Great Salt Lake City, as the 3-year-old town was known at the time. The Deseret
News has been a part of the history of the West ever since.
http://deseretnews.com/dn
The
Coca-Cola Company
On May 8, 1886, Atlanta druggist Dr. John Pemberton (former Confederate
officer) invented "Coca-Cola" syrup. It was mixed in a 30-gal. brass kettle
hung over a backyard fire. It was marketed as a "brain and nerve tonic" in drugstores.
Frank M. Robinson, Pemberton's bookkeeper, was the person who suggested the
name "Coca- Cola." Coca Cola is the Manufacturer, marketer
and distributor of nonalcoholic beverage concentrates and syrups, used to produce
more than 230 beverage brands, with about $4.2 billion in annual sales. My
favorite drink is Diet Coke.
http://www.cocacola.com/
ESPN.COM
At this popular site you can get extensive sports news and results, along
with featured articles, interviews, and live audio clips of games and matches.
http://espn.go.com/main.html
Expedia.Com features a well-organized home page that makes it
easy to book planes, cars, and hotels for a vacation or business trip. Expedia.com
offers vacation ideas, packages, and all sorts of information from travel news
to driving directions to 360-degree virtual tours to help you make the most
of your vacation time. Great bargains at this site.
http://msn.expedia.com/daily/home/default.asp
The Great American Insurance Company "Great American"
is a multi-line property and casualty insurer that traces its origin to a company
which began business in 1872. A.M. Best Company has established an A "Excellent"
rating for Great American, which rating is given to companies that "have
a strong ability to meet their obligations to policyholders over a long period
of time." Standard & Poor’s has established an A "Strong"
Insurer Financial Strength rating for Great American.
http://www.greatamericaninsurance.com/Welcome_Page.asp
Nolo.com Nolo's mission is to make the legal system work for
everyone -- not just lawyers.
http://www.nolo.com/index.cfm