Wesley Batista

If you had to guess the world’s biggest meat seller, you’d be hard-pressed to think of JBS. But this 62-year-old family-run Brazilian company has been on an acquisition rampage for more than a decade: Swift, Pilgrim’s Pride, and units of Smithfield, Tyson, and Cargill have disappeared into its maw. No surprise: JBS’s sales have risen nearly 30-fold over a decade. JBS is still digesting a lot of debt but is improving its margins. Its shares are up 40% over 12 months even as Brazil’s index has slumped by 20%.