Title: Talk Around the Globe: Top companies in tough times

" Talk around the globe on him and -- and we're talking more about the globe 100 today the paper is out with its annual list of the top performing public companies in Massachusetts assistant business editor Mike or shot as editor of the -- 100. He joins us from the globe newsroom Mike thanks for joining us thank you. You were nice enough to give us a preview of the top five yesterday and -- Peter how did a great profile cubist pharmaceuticals. Tell about the companies at the top of this year's list and what it says about the economy in Massachusetts right now."

" This one of the great things about the -- 100 is that it draws a picture over the years of where the actions in the economy you know fifteen years goes tech companies ten years ago banks this year. Itself bio -- aunts and cell phone technology and certain technologies that are hot. And hopefully will help lead the recovery right behind cubist. That happens to be State Street court just because it's such a giant company and it seems to be getting to the crunch better than. Other banks that size but only -- companies like sapiens which is today. Eight technology marketing company very innovative. Start networks which -- A lot of companies will building. Services to deliver cell phone talking. Services start was building data services for a lot of the cellphone. Networks and now that a cellphones do so much more than just talk to each other. They have a handle on -- very very good market. And that's been sort of the marker of of the global hundred this year a lot of a lot of Biotech life sciences in each. Technology. Sort of moving up the list and and traditional companies that are based in Massachusetts holding the line as well."

" We know that the recession has been the big story for the past year affecting all sectors how did you see that translate to this year's list are there any companies that seem to be recession proof."

" I don't know if anybody's recession proof I mean half the companies in the globe 100 saw their profit margins squeezed from last year. A quarter of them -- revenues go down at least a little bit. And that's a lot for for the 100 top performing companies in the state. But I think the best story is is the story of Perini -- which is a still a big in the end. Construction company with a future. But had built a lot of growth. Are not the construction boom in Las Vegas and casinos. And when that fell down Perini kind of hit a wall and from being the number one company two years in a row. They came completely off the globe 100 list this year."

" I know that globe 100 is full of this. Interesting list but also a lot of other great information you've got some interviews with some heavy hitters in the business world we do Ballmer of Microsoft -- he had to say."

" Steve -- Microsoft we -- a series of interviews for the globe 100 there online and in the magazine sort of we call them the big think. And what we did was went out to people like Steve -- the head of Microsoft Eric -- red head of the Boston Fed Sheila Bair head of the FDIC Michael Porter from Harvard. And we said to that you know this is a very. Unique moment this is the first time we've done this check in annually on the mass economy. When there's been such a hard environment this recession is tough. And up all -- he was funny he said you know. The Massachusetts has a very unique. Atmosphere to -- technology companies if it wasn't for Cambridge that would be -- on Microsoft there's some great features from all of your business reporters. And some iPod play lists from some local -- as well. We do I don't have them off the top of my head but Michael prince -- at some I had some good tunes on his iPod. We had Jim cook from. Boston Beer Stephanie some of them from -- And and they -- they sort of shared with us how they decompress -- part of doing a survey like this and talking about company's performance in all of these matters is also talking about how it. How it is to live through this moment at these companies. And so it was interesting to see what CEOs have on their iPods and which CEOs half iPods. Mike -- shot editor of the globe 100 thanks for joining us thank you that's thank you so much."