Philip Morris International (PM) was spun off from Altria (MO) in 2008, with Altria serving the U.S. and Philip Morris owning the international rights to all of Altria’s most famous brands, including the industry's best-selling brand, Marlboro.Philip Morris sells its cigarette brands, which mostly target the higher end of the market, to more than 150 million customers in over 180 countries and has close to 30% international market share (excluding China and the U.S.).While traditional tobacco products still generate the vast majority of the company's profits, reduced-risk products, or RRPs, account for about 15% of the firm's sales and are growing rapidly as smokers seek cigarette alternatives.

Founded in 1928, Genuine Parts Company (GPC) is one of the largest replacement part makers in the automotive, industrial, and office equipment industries. The company markets its products through a global network of distribution centers and retail outlets, including thousands of NAPA and Alliance Automotive Group auto parts stores. The firm's most important business segments are its automotive (56% of sales) and industrial units (34%), which combine to account for 90% of company-wide sales and profits. Business products generate the other 10%.

Kimberly-Clark (KMB) was founded in 1872 and has grown into one of the largest manufacturers of tissue and hygiene products. The company's products have such a wide reach that they are used by one-quarter of the world's population. Kimberly-Clark's products are sold under a number of well-known brands, including five billion-dollar brands: Huggies, Kleenex, Cottonelle, Scott, and Kotex. Products are primarily sold to supermarkets, mass merchandisers, drugstores, and other retail outlets.

Hormel Foods (HRL) was founded in 1891 and has proven to be one of the most resilient food providers in the world. The company’s brands include Skippy peanut butter, SPAM meat, Dinty Moore stew, Wholly Guacamole dips, Jennie-O turkey, and numerous Hormel-branded meat products. Perishable products (fresh meats, frozen items, refrigerated meals) account for 56% of Hormel's revenue, followed by poultry (19% – turkey), shelf-stable goods (19% – canned meats, peanut butter, hash, stews, chips, etc), and miscellaneous products (6% – nutritional food products, dessert and drink mixes, etc).