Most corporate lobbyists in Washington, D.C., work well below the radar and secure deals on a more low-key level than their hired-gun counterparts. But make no mistake, these lobbyists have become a major force in Washington as corporate America has realized the importance of having a presence in the nation's capital. Below are The Hill's top corporate lobbyists.

Taking care of businessSam Adcock, European Aeronautic Defence and Space Co. A former aide to Sen. Trent Lott (R-Miss.), Adcock has contacts in Washington who are key to Paris-based EADS's ability to make a play for the U.S. commercial and defense aerospace market.

Thomas Beddow, 3M Co. Heads up 3M's Washington office and looks out for the company's manufacturing interests across a diverse range of products.

Nick Calio, Citigroup Calio is a lobbyist's lobbyist, known for thoughtful and at times humorous gestures. The former head of President Bush's lobbying team once gave a staunchly Democratic lobbyist a plaque signed by the president commemorating the birth of the lobbyist's daughter.

Kenneth Cole, General Motors Cole has lobbied for one of the country's most iconic companies for over two decades, acquiring in the process an unsurpassed expertise on the issues facing the domestic car industry.

Brian Dailey, Lockheed Martin With experience on both the White House's National Space Council and the Senate Armed Services Committee, Dailey has a broad understanding of how Washington works and is plugged in at both the Pentagon and on Capitol Hill. He works with a former aide to House Speaker Dennis Hastert (R-Ill.), Bill Inglee.

Rudy DeLeon, Boeing Boeing has had its shares of trials in the last several years, but DeLeon has persevered and is considered a strong but discreet force in Washington. A former Hill staffer, DeLeon is particularly strong in the Pentagon, where he served as deputy defense secretary.

Nancy Dorn, General Electric A former deputy White House budget director and aide to Hastert, Dorn is a recent addition to GE, which spent over $16 million on lobbying last year.

Marcel DuBois, UPS DuBois has helped make UPS one of the most powerful lobbying forces on the Hill.

Don Duncan, ConocoPhillips Played a major role in securing federal help for a proposed natural gas pipeline from Prudhoe Bay, Alaska, to markets in the United States.

Wayne Gable, Koch Industries Koch is among the top givers to Republican candidates who embrace its anti-regulation, free-market philosophy, which the company also pushes through think tanks it supports. Gable has led the company's government affairs shop, which spent more than $800,000 on lobbying in 2004.

Bob Helm, Northrop Grumman Helm, a former Senate Budget Committee staffer and Pentagon appointee, leads a lobbying shop that has a reputation for strength on Capitol Hill. He understands congressional politics at the retail level, one source said.

Jack Krumholtz, Microsoft Although Krumholtz is rarely on the Hill himself lobbying these days, he oversees one of the strongest corporate lobby shops in the high-tech industry and is active in political circles.

Bill Lane, Caterpillar A 20-year veteran of Capitol Hill trade battles, Lane most recently led efforts to push through free-trade pacts with Chile and Australia. You can always find Bill in the mix on a trade issue, said one colleague.

Tim McBride, Freddie Mac The longtime DaimlerChrysler lobbyist was named to the top lobbying spot at the mortgage giant earlier this year.

Hank McKinnell, Pfizer The chairman and CEO of the pharmaceutical giant is also chairman of the Business Roundtable, where he works in partnership with the group's president, John Castellani, one of Washington's most successful and influential lobbyists .

Timothy McKone, SBC Has been at the company amid tumultuous times in the telecom industry, including the recently announced merger with AT&T.

Buzz Miller, Southern Co. A self-described 800-pound gorilla in the energy industry, Southern is always listened to and has political clout far beyond their region, and it's Miller who often makes his company's case.

Betsy Moler, Exelon Moler has worked on Capitol Hill, served as chairwoman of the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission and was a deputy secretary at the Energy Department. Now she is the reigning monarch of electricity lobbyists, said one source.

Ziad Ojakli. Ford Motor Co. A former White House lobbyist to the Senate, Ojakli has retooled Ford's lobbying shop with the help of ex-House Energy and Commerce Chief of Staff Dan Brouillette.

John Scruggs, Altria Scruggs leads the lobbying efforts for tobacco giant Philip Morris, a company with close ties to House Majority Whip Roy Blunt (R-Mo.).

Matt Stanton and Chris Swonger, Allied Domecq PLC Stanton, the former Democratic liaison to Congress for the Distilled Spirits Council, now heads up Allied Domecq's government affairs shop with Swonger. Lobbying is in Stanton's blood: His father is Michael Stanton of the Alliance of Automobile Manufacturers.

Bill Sweeney, Electronic Data Systems Unlike most other companies on this list, Electronic Data Systems is not a household name, but its name is well-known in Washington's power corridors.

Thomas Tauke, Verizon Communications A former Republican congressman from Iowa who served for 12 years.