Arizona copper companies soaring

Two Arizona companies made it onto Fortune magazines list of 100 Fastest-Growing Companies 2007: Southern Copper (#9) and Freeport McMoran Copper and Gold (#19).

Southern had earnings-per-share growth of 83%, revenue growth of 67%, and total return of 83% (all 3-year annual rates). Freeport's numbers were 127%, 51%, and 44%.

Baseline magazine also just selected Southern Copper as the #1 company in the country at using information technology to increase productivity, with a return on IT investment of 1290%, adding $1.098 billion in value to the company. Southern Copper credited deployment of business intelligence software and Internet telephony.