From well-paying jobs to philanthropic activity to purchasing products and services from other businesses, head offices are a valuable asset to local and regional economies.

According to the latest list* from the Financial Post, Alberta was home to the head offices of 130 of Canada’s 800 largest companies last year (as measured by annual revenue in 2023). That’s down one large head office from 2022, but still seven more than in 2021. Only Ontario has more at 367.

However, when we adjust for population size, Alberta emerges as the leader with 2.7 large companies per 100,000 residents in 2023. Ontario is in second place at 2.3 followed by British Columbia and Saskatchewan at 1.8. Atlantic Canada has the fewest number of large companies at 0.8.

At 104, Alberta’s large companies are concentrated in Calgary. Of these, 72 were listed as either an energy or oil field services company (there was only energy/oil field services entry on the Alberta list outside Calgary).

The Edmonton Census Metropolitan Area is home to 22 of the head offices with the remaining four located in Lacombe, Medicine Hat, Okotoks, and Vegreville.

With revenue of $52 billion in 2023, Cenovus Energy Inc. was the largest company in Alberta and the 11th largest in the country. Imperial Oil Ltd., Suncor Energy Inc., Enbridge Inc., and Canadian Natural Resources Ltd. round out the top five largest businesses by revenue in Alberta.

The combined annual revenue of all 131 of the companies on the list with head offices in Alberta was $509 billion in 2023.

*The Financial Post prepares a list of the 800 largest companies in Canada based on annual revenue that is available for purchase.

Answer to the previous trivia question: Not including the one next week, there have been 59 U.S. presidential elections.

Today’s trivia question: When was the first U.S. presidential election held?