Inside Tucson Business: Inc. magazine lists fastest growing private companies

Inc. magazine lists fastest growing private companies

Published on Friday, August 31, 2007

Inc. magazine has come up with its first-ever list of America’s 5,000 leading private companies. Make that 4,999 leading companies.

The list, posted last week, includes First Magnus Financial Corp., which as of Aug. 16 has shut down.

Nine Tucson companies are on the list. The searchable database is posted on the magazine’s website at www.inc.com/inc5000.

Here is a summary of what Inc. had to say about the local businesses, they are ranked by rate of revenue growth from 2003 to 2006:

• 856 − simpleview, software and programming assistance for tourism boards. Founded: 2001. Revenue: $2.9 million, 406 percent growth. Employees: 30. Ranks No. 66 among software firms. Noteworthy: Has lost only two customers since the business was founded.

• 1,487 – hydroGEOPHYSICS, works on environmental projects focusing on contaminant plume delineation and long-term monitoring of potential groundwater contaminant problems. Founded: 1993. Revenue: $2.3 million, 242 percent growth. Employees: 25. Ranks No. 18 among environmental services firms. Noteworthy: Has international experience in Africa, Australia, Central America, Mexico, Caribbean, the Pacific Islands and Europe.

• 2,397 – Tucson Flooring Concepts, sells and installs floor and window coverings. Founded: 2002. Revenue $6.3 million, 147.2 percent growth. Employees: 60. Noteworthy: The company organizes itself into small teams to manage every stage of client transactions.

• 2,409 – CyraCom International, provides over-the-phone language translation and medical interpreter services for health-care providers and their patients. Founded: 1995. Revenue: $16 million, 146.3 percent growth. Employees: 217. Noteworthy: Published an award-winning study in 2006 highlighting the impact of diversity on the U.S. health-care system.

• 3,837 – Farwest Pump, drills water wells and installs water systems for governments. Founded: 1982. Revenue: $4.6 million, 69.3 percent growth. Employees: 28.

• 4,412 – Buffalo Exchange, retail chain that buys, trades and sells new and used clothing and accessories. Founded: 1974. Revenue: $43.9 million, 47 percent growth. Employees: 495. Noteworthy: President Kerstin Block grew up in Sweden and started Buffalo Exchange after failing typing and shorthand classes in college.

• 4,599 – First Magnus, residential mortgage provider. Founded: 1996. Revenue $470.4 million, 39.9 percent growth. Employees: 5,000. Noteworthy: Rather than relying on outside consultants for its technology, First Magnus developed its own online system in-house during start-up.