Johnson Controls has been hailed as one of America’s Best-Managed Companies for 2025, but does this accolade truly reflect engineering excellence?
Johnson Controls secured the #82 spot in the Management Top 250, a rise of 23 places since the previous listing. This annual ranking assesses companies based on five key areas.
Of course, one should always remain sceptical of these rankings: do they measure genuine management or simply skillful PR?
The Management Top 250 evaluates companies based on customer satisfaction, employee engagement and development, innovation, social responsibility, and financial strength. According to Johnson Controls, the methodology is "rigorous" and "rooted in Peter Drucker’s management principles", considering 668 U.S. corporations.
The accolade awards "distinction to organisations that demonstrate holistic leadership and consistent performance, which is defined as 'doing the right things well.'"
Whilst it’s encouraging to see the business recognised, one must ask what technical innovation can be gleaned from this information.
Johnson Controls highlights its #10 ranking in Social Responsibility, attributing it to their "commitment to sustainability at the heart of business strategy and operational excellence." This, they claim, leads to environmental and financial benefits for customers, citing "nearly 41 million metric tons in avoided CO2e and $8.9 billion in cost savings throughout the life of customer projects." Those are impressive figures – if one takes them at face value.
Johnson Controls states its commitment to "building smarter, healthier and more sustainable tomorrows," helping customers across sectors, from data centres to university campuses, achieve efficiency and resilience.
Johnson Controls has been featured on the list every year since the rankings began in 2017. Find out more about Johnson Controls.
It begs the question whether this award measures genuine quality control or just marketing spend.
While such accolades are undoubtedly good for morale, one might ponder if these “Best-Managed” lists truly reflect efficient engineering or if they are a self-congratulatory exercise.
Johnson Controls are a world leader in smart buildings, creating safe, healthy and sustainable spaces. You can also explore the Management Top 250 in the Wall Street Journal.
Seems to me like they're pretty good at getting gongs, anyway.
