04 WINDSTREAM

04 WINDSTREAM

INDUSTRY: TELECOMMUNICATION SERVICES

SALES: $3.2 BILLION

NET INCOME: $435 MILLION

When Windstream was created from the spin-off of Little Rock-based Alltel's local telephone division in 2006, former Alltel CFO Jeff Gardner took the helm. The company combines the services of regional players Alltel and Valor Communications, grabbing customers that giants such as AT&T and Verizon Communications don't reach. Windstream has managed to reap steady profits by offering phone, digital TV, and broadband service to rural customers in 16 states. Because the company has no wireless product, its growth prospects aren't as robust as those of other telecoms, but these days stability counts for a lot.