With 25 categories, the award goes to the top-scoring companies based on evaluation criteria established by the publication.

"The award reflects the efforts of our employees, who are increasingly seeking greater efficiencies in our operations, based on three pillars of action: Service Excellence, Technical-Operational Excellence and Management Excellence, to the benefit of our clients," said Captain David Barioni Neto, president of TAM Linhas Aereas.

The Valor Economico newspaper publishes an annual Valor 1000 Yearbook, which in 2008 celebrated its eighth edition. The publication ranks the 1,000 Brazilian companies in terms of net revenues, based on their last balance sheet. In the case of 2008, the 2007 balance sheet is assessed. Of the 1,000 companies, the top corporation in each of 25 sectors is chosen, based upon a point total from seven criteria used. These include: profitability, margin of the activity, current liquidity, cash flow, sustainable growth, net revenues and generation of value. The latter three items have a double weight on the result.