Do You Think Guitar Center, Inc. Is A Fortune Five Hundred Company?

Well, I sure didn't and... evidently... neither does Fortune Magazine which ranks it at #861 in their 1,000 (and not their 500 list) list:

http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fortune/fortune500/snapshots/2366.html

But somebody should tell the LA Times this:

Gregory W. Griggs
Times Staff Writer

August 8, 2006

Agoura Hills. Thousand Oaks. Westlake Village. Their names are a tribute to the rolling hills, trees and lakes that dot the landscape.

So proud were they of their surroundings, the three Conejo Valley cities lobbied for several years to have a 16-mile stretch of the Ventura Freeway designated a scenic highway.

The state turned down the request because there were too many billboards, industrial parks and gas station signs lining the road. That was more than a decade ago.

Although the corridor that connects Los Angeles and Ventura counties is still known for its dramatic topography, these days, corporate headquarters and luxury homes define the valley. Further enhancing its image, a Four Seasons resort and spa is set to open in November, adding Westlake Village to its list of locations that include London, Paris, Singapore and Bangkok, Thailand.

Wealth and fame are no strangers to this area, home to five Fortune 500 companies:
Countrywide Financial Corp., Dole Food Co., the Ryland Group Inc., Guitar Center Inc. and Amgen Inc., the world's largest biotechnology firm, which for more than two decades has helped fuel the business boom.

On the positive side, I also would have never imagined that a small guitar store that my old writing partner used to hang out in back in the 1960's during his rock star phase would become one of the 1,000 largest companies in the country.