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

5,000 Fast-Growth Companies to Quell Your Recession Fears –

List Reports Aggregate Revenue of $185 Billion

Starlite Productions Ranks on the 2008 Inc. 5,000

With Three-Year Sales Growth of 49.8%

NEW YORK, August 20, 2008 – INC. today ranked Starlite Productions on its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country with a 3-year sales growth of 49.8%.  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.”

“In one of the most exciting growth periods we have experienced, Starlite Productions has refocused and redoubled our efforts in our core markets while identifying and purging weaker performing segments” stated Dean M. Danowitz, President and CEO.  The company has been an industry-leading supplier of professional audio, video, theatrical lighting, and special effects systems and services to a broad array of clientele.  Clients such as performing arts centers, universities, museums, casinos, themed environments, live concerts and special events have counted on Starlite Productions for their expertise and innovation for 25 years.  Looking forward to 2008 and 2009 the Company expects to make continued investments in advanced technology while pushing for further penetration into the permanently installed systems integration market.

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. 

Hottest Regions for Fastest-Growing Companies

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.

About Starlite Productions Starlite Productions, based in Cherry Hill, NJ is a leading supplier of professional audio, video, theatrical lighting, dimming, and special effects equipment and services.  Founded in 1983, the company has been successful at developing interesting and challenging projects in a variety of disciplines.  Services include: system design and consultation, equipment sales, long and short-term rentals, technical and creative services, as well as live event production services. For more information, visit www.starlite.com or call (800) 738-7400.