MEMPHIS, Tenn. -- International Paper today announced that it has once again been named by FORTUNE magazine as the No. 1 company in the Forest and Paper Products sector according to FORTUNE's annual report of "America's Most Admired Companies." This is International Paper's tenth time in the last eleven years to top the Fortune list within this category. Out of the nine key attributes on which companies are judged International Paper took the top spot in seven of those categories within its industry. Those categories included, people management, quality of management, financial soundness, quality of products and services, global competitiveness, use of corporate assets and innovation.

"This is well-deserved recognition and a reflection of International Paper's 68,000 talented employees around the globe," said John Faraci, chairman and chief executive officer. "Managing through an uneven global economy while continuing to generate solid results is what good execution is all about. Congratulations to all of our employees."

Survey Methodology

The FORTUNE/Hay Group study compiles its data from approximately 1,400 companies: the Fortune 1,000 (the 1,000 largest U.S. companies ranked by revenue) and non-U.S. companies in Fortune's Global 500 database with revenue of $10 billion or more. Hay then selected the 15 largest for each international industry and the 10 largest for each U.S. industry, surveying a total of 687 companies from 30 countries. To create the 57 industry lists, Hay asked executives, directors, and analysts to rate companies in their industry on nine criteria, from investment value to social responsibility. A company's score must rank in the top half of its industry survey to be listed.

To arrive at the top 50 Most Admired Companies overall, the Hay Group asked 3,800 respondents to select the 10 companies they admired most. They chose from a list made up of the companies that ranked in the top 25% in last year's survey, plus those that finished in the top 20% of their industry. Anyone could vote for any company in any industry.

Hay Group, which has conducted the research for the World's Most Admired Companies list since 1997 and for America's Most Admired Companies since 2001, is a global management consulting firm. For information about Hay Group's services, go to haygroup.com.