News Summary
The BNC 125 list highlights North Carolina’s largest private companies, showcasing economic drivers and key employers. This year, 59 companies exceed $300 million in revenue, with 30 reporting over $1 billion. New entrants such as Cornerstone Building Brands and Crete United signify ongoing investment in the state. Companies like Epic Games and Bojangles also feature, illustrating a diverse economic landscape across various sectors, including technology, restaurants, and manufacturing, for the upcoming year.
Charlotte, North Carolina – Largest Private Companies for 2025 Revealed
The latest edition of the BNC 125 list provides an updated view of North Carolina’s largest private companies, highlighting the state’s key employers and economic drivers for the upcoming year. The list is compiled annually to showcase the most substantial private-sector businesses in the state, based on revenue and employment figures.
Key Highlights of the BNC 125 List
This year’s list features 59 companies with annual revenues exceeding $300 million. Among these, 30 companies report revenues over $1 billion, underscoring the strong presence of large-scale private enterprises in North Carolina. The BNC 125 aims to continually expand its coverage, even though some businesses might be inadvertently left off in each edition.
New Entrants to the 2025 List
This year’s list includes several new companies representing various industries and controlling interests. These new entries include:
- Cornerstone Building Brands (Cary)
- Crete United (Charlotte)
- Odyssey Logistics (Charlotte)
- Lumexa Imaging (Raleigh)
Most of these newcomers are owned or controlled by private-equity firms, suggesting ongoing investments in North Carolina’s business landscape. Many longstanding companies on the list, however, remain family-owned or operated businesses.
Major Companies and Recent Developments
Epic Games
Epic Games, a prominent technology and gaming company, recently secured a legal victory against Google. This ruling enables Epic to list its games store for Android users directly on the Google Play store. With an employee base exceeding 5,000 and a valuation around $31.5 billion in 2022, Epic remains a vital player in the digital entertainment sector.
Cornerstone Building Brands
Cornerstone Building Brands, acquired by private-equity firm Clayton Dubilier & Rice for $5.8 billion in 2022, recently appointed Gunner Smith as CEO, taking over from Rose Lee. The company, which specializes in building products, continues to expand its leadership and operations in North Carolina.
Food and Restaurant Industry
Bojangles, a regional fast-food chain, is exploring a potential sale valued at approximately $1.5 billion. The company has significantly increased its presence, now operating over 830 restaurants across 20 states, up from about 600 units in 2019 when operating in just 12 states.
Meanwhile, Variety Wholesalers has taken over 219 Big Lots stores, including remodeling efforts to modernize the retail spaces. Company CEO Lisa Seigies indicated a strategic shift away from e-commerce, focusing more on brick-and-mortar retail operations.
Home Improvement and Manufacturing
Window World, claiming to be the largest U.S. replacement window company, reports annual sales of over one million windows. The company operates more than 220 locations nationwide and has donated over $19 million to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital in the past 12 years.
Financial Services and Mergers
Captrust, a major financial management firm managing approximately $1 trillion in assets, recently hired Mike Wunderli for mergers and acquisitions activities, reflecting its ongoing expansion.
Restaurant Group Operations
The Quality Restaurant Group operates about 350 quick-service restaurants across 15 states, including brands such as Arby’s, Moe’s, Pizza Hut, and Sonic, indicating broad national reach.
Baker Roofing, another significant company, transitioned to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP) this summer and now operates in eight states, offering employee ownership opportunities.
Landmark Builders celebrated its 50th anniversary and established its own ESOP, emphasizing employee inclusion and equity as part of its corporate culture.
Energy Sector and Recent Challenges
Pine Gate Renewables, involved in renewable energy projects, recently laid off approximately 15% of its workforce following federal budget reductions affecting incentives for alternative energy projects. This move reflects the challenges and adjustments faced by energy companies amid changing political and economic climates.
Overall Impact and Purpose of the List
The BNC 125 list’s primary goal remains to present an accurate representation of North Carolina’s private-sector economy. By highlighting leading companies across diverse industries—technology, manufacturing, retail, and energy—the list provides an important overview of the state’s economic health and growth prospects for 2025.
As the list evolves yearly, it continues to serve as a valuable resource for understanding the shifting landscape of North Carolina’s largest private companies and economic influence, reflecting both longstanding family businesses and the growing presence of private-equity controlled enterprises.
Deeper Dive: News & Info About This Topic
HERE Resources
North Carolina Reveals Business Insights with BNC 125 List
Hines Acquires Major Industrial Property in Titusville, Florida
Additional Resources
- Business North Carolina: BNC 125 Top Private Companies 2025
- Forbes: Largest Private Companies
- WRAL Tech Wire: NC’s Biggest Private Companies
- Wikipedia: Private Company
- Google Search: Largest Private Companies in North Carolina
Author: STAFF HERE RALEIGH WRITER
RALEIGH STAFF WRITER The RALEIGH STAFF WRITER represents the experienced team at HERERaleigh.com, your go-to source for actionable local news and information in Raleigh, Wake County, and beyond. Specializing in "news you can use," we cover essential topics like product reviews for personal and business needs, local business directories, politics, real estate trends, neighborhood insights, and state news affecting the area—with deep expertise drawn from years of dedicated reporting and strong community input, including local press releases and business updates. We deliver top reporting on high-value events such as the North Carolina State Fair, Raleigh Arts Festival, and the Hopscotch Music Festival. Our coverage extends to key organizations like the Greater Raleigh Chamber of Commerce and Visit Raleigh, plus leading businesses in technology and education that power the local economy such as Red Hat and NC State University. As part of the broader HERE network, including HEREAsheville.com, HERECharlotte.com, HEREGreensboro.com, and HEREOBX.com, we provide comprehensive, credible insights into North Carolina's dynamic landscape.
