America’s 5,000 Fastest-Growing Private Companies Revealed

New York - October 6, 2008 – Inc. ranked Compete, Inc. 1,181 on its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country.  The list is the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy – America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs.  Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy. 

“Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism,” said Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth.”    

“Traditional, digital and social media are enabling marketers to engage with consumers in a very targeted and intimate manner,” said Dean DeBiase CEO of TNS Media. “As a result, the need for quantifying and understanding this engagement continues to increase, paving the way for another year of innovation and growth for Compete as we help our customers evolve digital marketing as a primary tool for building brand equity and sales.”  Among this year’s accomplishments, Compete was acquired by Taylor Nelson Sofres plc (TNS) in March.  In addition, Compete was named among the Inc. 5000, named to the Honomichl Top 50, celebrated Compete.com surpassing one million unique visitors in April, and launched Compete PRO in July (site, search and referral analytics in a single product and user interface). 

 “Compete’s insights are at the center of the conversations between advertisers, advertising agencies & media companies,” said Scott Ernst, president of Compete.  “As marketers’ interactions with consumers across all media intensify, Compete will continue to deliver its clients a unique vantage point on the marketing ecosystem.”  

The 5000 companies that made the list reported aggregate revenue of $185 billion and median three-year growth of 147 percent.  Most important, the 2008 Inc. 5000 companies were engines of job growth, having created more than 826,033 jobs since those companies were founded. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region can be found at www.inc5000.com. 

The New York metro area tops the Inc. 5000 list with the most companies of any city with 355.  Washington, D.C. comes in a close second with 300 companies on the list; Los Angeles comes in third with 244 companies, and Atlanta (194 companies) and Chicago (189 companies) round out the top five.  Interestingly, only 62 companies on the Inc. 5000 are not based in metropolitan areas.  

Grand Rapids, Mich. leads the list with the highest median revenue of any metro area ($26.2 million, 16 companies), followed by San Antonio, Texas ($21.3 million, 25 companies), Baton Rouge, La. ($18.8 million, 14 companies), Houston ($17.1 million, 97 companies), and Kansas City, Mo.-Kan. ($16.5 million, 39 companies).

Hottest Industries for Fastest-Growing Businesses

The most notable median growth categories among the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing businesses are in the Energy category (which grew by 298%), followed by Government Services (which grew by 220%), Security (200% growth), IT Services and Software (both grew by 187%), and Consulting (which grew by 182% on average).

The largest business category is IT Services, with 579 Inc. 5000 companies.  Business Services (532 companies), Construction (459), Manufacturing (405), and Advertising & Marketing (361) complete the top five industries ranked on the 2008 Inc. 5000.

Industries reporting the highest median revenue are Travel ($38.8 million), Financial Services ($16.3 million), Logistics ($15.4 million) Government Services ($14.2 million), and Energy ($14.2 million). 

Methodology

The 2008 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2004 through 2007.  To qualify, companies must be U.S.-based and privately held, for profit, independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2007, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2004, and $2 million in 2007.

Companies can apply for next year’s Inc. 5000 by registering with “IncBizNet, Business Network for Private Companies”, at www.incbiznet.com. 

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About Inc. 500|Inc. 5000 Conference Each year, Inc. magazine and Inc.com celebrate the remarkable achievements of today’s entrepreneurial superstars — the privately held small businesses that drive our economy. The Inc. 500|Inc. 5000 Conference brings together members of the Inc. 5000 community—both a new class of Inc. 5000 honorees and the list’s alumni—for three days of powerful networking, inspired learning, and momentous celebration.  For the first time ever, this powerful networking event is open to all. Please join us September 18-20, 2008 at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center in Washington, D.C.  For more information or to register, visit www.Inc500Conference.com or call us at 877-211-0489. 

About Compete, Inc.
Compete, a unit of TNS media, helps the world’s top brands improve their marketing based on the online behavior of millions of consumers. Leading marketers such as Carlson Hotels Worldwide, Hyundai Motor America, Upromise, Chrysler, and Verizon Wireless rely on Compete’s services to create effective online experiences and highly profitable advertising campaigns.  Compete’s online behavior database – the largest in the industry – makes the web as ingrained in marketing as it is in people’s lives.

Compete was founded in 2000 and is located in Boston, MA, with offices throughout the U.S.  For more information about us, please visit http://www.competeinc.com/, or to join the conversation visit http://www.compete.com/.