What Makes Cox One of America’s Most Innovative Companies

For more than 127 years, Cox Enterprises has been guided by a simple idea: building a better future. That purpose hasn’t changed. The way we bring it to life has, as we’ve evolved and expanded our impact, to address the most pressing problems of our time. 

Our journey began in journalism and has since expanded into automotive marketplaces and sustainable agriculture. Along the way, we’ve embraced new technologies, industries and ways of thinking. Invention and reinvention have always been part of our story. 

That legacy of forward thinking continues to earn national recognition. Cox has once again been named one of America’s Most Innovative Companies by Fortune. 

We’re proud of the honor. More than that, we’re proud of what it reflects: a workplace where curiosity and creativity are welcomed, and where ideas have the support to become something meaningful.

Innovation isn’t a department — it’s embedded in everything we do 

Fortune’s ranking, compiled in partnership with Statista, evaluates companies across three areas: 

• Product innovation: originality, usability and appeal of products and services 
• Process innovation: effectiveness across the value chain, from sourcing and production to marketing, sales and support 
• Innovation culture: how well a company fosters entrepreneurship and creativity and enables ideas to be put into action 

All three are important, but an innovation culture is what makes the other two possible here at Cox. Innovation starts with people feeling empowered to think differently and supported to try new approaches. It begins the moment someone feels comfortable asking, “What if we tried it this way?” 

What that looks like at Cox: 

• Teams collaborating across businesses 
• Employees testing ideas and learning from them 
• Leaders creating space for curiosity 
• A culture that values progress over perfection 

“When I joined Cox almost nine years ago as a senior engineer, the difference was immediate. I was surrounded by incredibly bright, talented developers. For the first time in a long time, I had people to learn from, to challenge my thinking and to validate my ideas. This environment has helped me grow tremendously.”  - Danny Miller, Senior Software Engineering Manager 

“Our leadership consistently encourages us to explore and adopt emerging innovations,” Johnny added. ”AI is the latest example, but before that, we led a major cloud migration, moving all our applications to AWS. Our teams regularly explore new concepts that deliver customer value and business impact.” - Johnny Chu, Director of Software Engineering 

A shared vision across different businesses 

Cox is a family of businesses spanning very different industries, but we’re connected by the same drive to create lasting positive change for customers, communities and the planet. From investments to in-house solutions, innovation at Cox takes many forms: 

• At Cox Automotive, technology and data are reshaping how vehicles are bought, sold and owned. 
• At Cox Farms, now North America’s largest greenhouse operator, advanced greenhouse innovation is helping create a more resilient, sustainable food system. 
• Through Socium Ventures and startup accelerators, we amplify emerging technologies and support founders tackling complex problems.  
• Cox’s continuous investments in cleantech and sustainable businesses — totaling more than $2 billion since 2007 — are fueling long-term environmental and economic impact.  

The industries may differ, but the mindset is the same: constantly asking how we can do things better. And we’re just getting started. 

If you’re looking for a place where you can build, experiment and grow — while also having the stability of a long-standing, family-owned company — Cox offers both. 

Ready to help build what’s next? Explore job opportunities across Cox and see where your ideas can take you.