America is home to more than a few global companies – but if you think they're all based in the biggest cities or Silicon Valley, you'd be mistaken. Surprisingly big names can be found all over the US, so read on to find the most famous company currently in your state.
Did you know that America's second largest book chain is headquartered in Birmingham? Books-A-Million operates a total of 260 stores across 32 states, 40 of which contain Yoghurt Mountain outlets. Other notable firms based in Alabama include Bruno's Supermarkets and the conglomerate EBSCO Industries.
Given The Last Frontier's distance from the rest of the states, few major firms are based there. GCI, which provides cable TV, internet and wireless telephone services, is probably the most famous Alaska-headquartered company, followed by supermarket chain Carrs-Safeway.
Several large companies operate from sunny Arizona. One of the largest is Best Western, which has more than 4,700 hotels and motels worldwide. Other brands include pet superstore PetSmart, moving company U-Haul, and the restaurant chain P.F. Chang's.
Over in Arkansas, one major company rules the roost: Walmart. The planet's second-biggest retailer, recently taken off the top spot by Amazon, is headquartered in the town of Bentonville. Other leading Arkansas-based businesses include private investment bank Stephens and media distributor Hannover House.
California boasts more world-famous firms than anywhere else in America. These range from Silicon Valley tech titans such as Google, Apple and Facebook to media giants Disney and Netflix. Global payment behemoths Visa and PayPal are also headquartered in the Golden State.
Coors Brewing Company has been located in Golden, Colorado since it started production in 1873. A variety of other well-known brands also call Colorado home, including satellite TV provider Dish Network and shoemaker Crocs. Meanwhile, fast food chains Smashburger and Taco del Mar are both based in Denver.
Connecticut's best-known companies include the printing company Xerox, which is headquartered in Norwalk, and the sandwich chain Subway, headquartered in Milford. Other famous Connecticut firms include the sports channel ESPN and telecom company Charter.
One major company stands out from the rest in the tiny state of Delaware: DuPont. The chemicals conglomerate, which was established in 1802, is one of the world's largest chemicals companies and invented the synthetic materials Lycra, Teflon and neoprene.
The Sunshine State has more than its fair share of instantly recognizable firms. Burger King is based in Miami-Dade county and Tupperware is headquartered in Kissimmee. Hospitality groups Hard Rock Cafe and Planet Hollywood are also both based in Flordia.
Similar to Alaska, Hawaii's isolation from the contiguous US doesn't make it an especially practical place to base a national or global enterprise. The Aloha State's most recognizable firm is Hawaiian Airlines, the state's largest and only locally-based airline.
World-famous firms are something of a rarity in the state of Idaho, although Boise-based Micron Technology is known across the globe for its flash memory products and solid-state drives. On a smaller scale, manufacturer Boise Cascade sells building materials across North America.
The world's largest fast food chain is based in Illinois. McDonald's was previously based in Oak Brook, a suburb of Chicago, but moved to the West Loop – a much more central location in the Windy City – in June 2018. Other top Illinois-based companies include aircraft manufacturer Boeing and construction equipment company Caterpillar.
Nationally and internationally known firms are few and far between in Indiana, but the state is home to Klipsch Audio Technologies, which is renowned the world over for its high-end audio products. Garden mail order firms Gurney's and Breck's are both located in the Hoosier State too.
Likewise Iowa is home to few, if any, companies with global reach. However, several well-known American brands are headquartered here, including window and door manufacturer Pella – based, as you might expect, in the city of Pella – and Tex Mex chain Pancheros, located in Coralville.
Kansas, on the other hand, is the home state of several internationally renowned companies. These range from aircraft manufacturers Learjet and Cessna, both headquartered in Wichita, to telecom company Sprint and conglomerate Koch Industries.
No prizes for guessing the most famous firm in this state. KFC (Kentucky Fried Chicken) was founded in 1930 by Colonel Sanders and is still headquartered in Kentucky. Other big-name companies in the Bluegrass State include Papa John's Pizza and seafood chain Long John Silver's.
The McIlhenny Company of Avery Island, which has produced the Tabasco brand of hot sauce since 1868, is Louisiana's best-known business. Phone company Lumen Technologies, formerly CenturyLink, comes a not-so-close second.
As you'd expect from its name, Tom's of Maine is based in the state and known across North America for its natural personal care products such as toothpaste, deodorant and soap. Several other famous firms, including natural beauty products company Burt's Bees, also started out in Maine but few are still headquartered here.
Aerospace and defence giant Lockheed Martin is headquartered in North Bethesda, Maryland. Home products company Black & Decker also calls Maryland home, as do two major hotel groups: Marriott Hotels & Resorts and the internationally renowned Ritz-Carlton.
Massachusetts is home to many big brands across a variety of industries. Boston-based General Electric (GE) is one of the biggest names, as well as Boston Scientific, which is actually based in Marlborough. Shoe manufacturers Converse, Reebok and New Balance are also based in the state, as are the finance firm Fidelity Investments, the world's largest chain of specialty ice cream stores Baskin-Robbins, and TJX Companies, which owns HomeGoods, Marshalls and TJ Maxx.
Michigan has always dominated the American car industry and most major automakers are headquartered in the state, including Ford, Chrysler and General Motors. Michigan is also home to household name Kellogg's and home appliance company Whirlpool Corporation.
Minnesota's most famous enterprise is the department store chain Target, headquartered in Minneapolis. The state is also home to General Mills, the firm behind the much-loved Pillsbury brand, and 3M, the company that makes Post-it Notes and Scotch Tape.
Only a small number of Mississippi-based companies enjoy nationwide or international recognition. Perhaps the best-known firm is the appliance manufacturer Viking Range, which opened a cooking school in Greenwood, Leflore County in 2005.
Controversial agribusiness company Monsanto is headquartered in Missouri. The state's less divisive businesses include Hallmark Cards, Enterprise Rent-A-Car and O'Reilly Auto Parts.
Montana doesn't have any companies with a significant international reach, and there are few firms that are well-known outside the state. However, one Billings-based company will be familiar to the many Americans who enjoy camping: Kampground of America (KOA), which operates more than 500 private campgrounds across the US and Canada.
Berkshire Hathaway is hands-down the most famous company in Nebraska, and arguably one of the most famous in America. Owned by billionaire investor Warren Buffett and based in Omaha, the holding business was the third largest public company in the world in 2017. It wholly owns or has major interests in GEICO, Dairy Queen, Kraft Heinz, American Express and more.
As you'd expect, Nevada is most renowned for its gambling and entertainment companies. The Sagebrush State is the center of operations for MGM Resorts International, Las Vegas Sands and Wynn Resorts. Beyond hotel and casino brands, online shoe retailer Zappos is also located in Las Vegas.
Known for its clothing brands, New Hampshire is home to outdoor apparel label Timberland. It also boasts the footwear and accessories company Cole Haan, which is based in Greenland.
A number of firms have eschewed New York to make their base in neighboring New Jersey. These range from the pharmaceuticals giant Johnson & Johnson to the investment firm Prudential Financial Inc. The Garden State is also home to the world's largest budget hotel chain, Super 8.
New Mexico is hardly overrun with widely recognized firms. Convenience store chain Allsup's, headquartered in Clovis, is possibly the most famous of a not-so-well-known bunch.
Giving California a run for its money, New York is home to some of the biggest brands in America and the world. These range from major technology and financial services companies, such as Goldman Sachs, Mastercard and IBM, to consumer favorites PepsiCo, Colgate-Palmolive and Tiffany & Co.
Bank of America, the second largest bank in the US, is based in North Carolina. The state is also the centre of operations for the Lowe's chain of home improvement stores and clothing company Hanesbrands Inc.
Super-famous companies are thin on the ground in sparsely populated North Dakota. However the state is home to Bobcat, a well-known manufacturer of farming and construction equipment.
Unlike North Dakota, Ohio isn't short on companies with national and even international reach. Procter & Gamble, which is headquartered in downtown Cincinnati, is the state's most famous firm, followed by opticians LensCrafters, Jo-Ann craft stores and Kroger supermarkets.
Love's Travel Stops & Country Stores was founded in Oklahoma and the chain, which operates 430 truck stop and convenience stores across 41 states, is based in The Village. The company is by far the best-known enterprise in the state.
Oregon's most famous company by miles is Nike, which is based near Beaverton in the Portland metro area. The sportswear multinational is joined by Columbia, maker of skiwear and camping equipment, as well as the specialty food chain store Harry & David.
Based in Philadelphia, professional services firm Aramark is the largest company in the Keystone State. Other recognizable Pennsylvania-headquartered companies include Comcast, Crayola and the Pep Boys chain of auto shops.
Despite being the smallest state of them all, Rhode Island is home to some of the largest companies in the country. These include pharmacy chain CVS Health and toy giant Hasbro.
Many of South Carolina's favorite companies are relatively unknown outside the Palmetto State, but its biggest names are probably the packaging company Sonoco and restaurant chain Denny's.
Unless you're a native South Dakotan you probably haven't heard of even the biggest businesses in the state, the most famous of which is arguably scoreboards and LED video display company Daktronics.
Ben & Jerry's ice cream is arguably the most famous product to have come out of Vermont. Ben Cohen and Jerry Greenfield founded their eponymous company in 1978 and the firm is still based in South Burlington, though it's now a subsidiary of Unilever.
Virginia is the operational hub for several world-famous firms. Confectionery multinational Mars Inc., the Hilton Worldwide chain of hotels, and Capital One bank are all headquartered in the state.
Washington rivals California and New York when it comes to big-name companies calling the state home. Microsoft is based in Redmond, Amazon and Starbucks are headquartered in Seattle, and Costco has its head office in Issaquah.
The Mountain State's flashier neighbor Virginia may hog most of the big names, but West Virginia isn't completely devoid of famous(ish) companies. It has the Marquee chain of cinemas, which operates in nine states, as well as discount clothing retailer Gabe's.
Like neighboring Minnesota, Wisconsin is home to some of the most iconic American brands. These include motorcycle manufacturer Harley-Davidson and department store chain Kohl's, both based in the state's largest city Milwaukee.
The least populous state in America might not be jam-packed with world-famous firms, but does boast the popular fast food chain Taco John's. The Mexican-inspired restaurant has been based in Cheyenne since 1969.