BusinessTN

To give readers a one-stop source for surveying the state’s leading companies, Business Tennessee for the first time is combining several of our popular business rankings into a single issue. The TN250 spans companies that employ just five people in the state to a quarter million people all across the world. In their diversity of size, industry and location, they combine to form a reliable barometer of Tennessee’s economic strength. Their growth over the past year testifies to the state’s sound business foundation.
Business Tennessee Fast50: This second annual rendition recognizes companies that in the aggregate generated $1.8 billion of sales, up from $1.4 billion by our 2004 Fast50. Their mean revenue was $7 million and their average rate of revenue growth in recent years was a blistering 74%. With the review of independent accounting firm KraftCPAs, we selected the 50 companies with the fastest revenue growth based on self-reported data from closely held companies that submitted nomination forms. To qualify for consideration, the companies had to be privately owned, not a unit of any other company, headquartered in Tennessee, employ at least five people and generate at least $750,000 of revenue.

Top private companies: This year’s expanded list of 125 businesses includes companies based in the state with the greatest amount of revenue, based on disclosure from the companies or other sources believed to be reliable.

Top publicly traded companies: While there are plenty of other companies whose shares trade occasionally on the so-called Pink Sheets—especially in the banking industry—the 75 companies presented are the most substantial of our public companies in terms of revenue and trading liquidity. It was a fine year for Tennessee’s public companies—their shares gained on average 12% in the year ended June 30, versus 4% for the S&P 500.