Focus: Meet Chicago's 50 Fastest Growing Companies
http://www.chicagobusiness.com/section/ISSUE02?date=20140531
By: Lorene Yue
Tom Maas nearly sold off his company's hit product before it became a hit. Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
In 2010, this Loop company invested heavily in a partnership with Google to be a provider of the tech giant's cloud computing platform and… Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
Since it launched in 2008, this west suburban company has kept big-box retailers in its cross-hairs. Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
In December, this telecommunications company landed its first big fish, purchasing IntelePeer Inc. of San Mateo, California—a move that is expected to more than double Peerless… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
It might sound paradoxical that a small startup focuses solely on large companies. Since 2007, Ahead has been an information technology adviser to a half-dozen of the 10 largest law firms… Full Article
By: Julie Davis
Most grocery chains and stores have access to a wealth of untapped data: everything from their customers' favorite items to how much each promotion did—or did not— increase… Full Article
By: Andrew L. Wang
In the generics game, the window for profitability is short. So being first to market is crucial. At eight-year-old Sagent Pharmaceuticals, development of new products starts years in… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Nearly 1 in 10 commercial contractors in the U.S. subscribes to Textura's software platform for paying bills and sending legal documents. So it is often accountants and administrators in… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
After this Schaumburg company made a play in 2012 for its rival, Rockville, Maryland's Catalyst Health Solutions Inc., many observers expected Catamaran to take a long breath and integrate… Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
This third-party logistics company's January 2008 launch coincided with the start of the recession, a stroke of timing that determined its path. Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
Jeff Reimer, Paragon Micro's president (at right), credits the growth of his computer equipment and software consultancy to his 36-person sales team. Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
During the housing crash, CEO James McClelland's firm ratcheted up its business buying foreclosed homes, then fixing them up and renting them out to families. Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Last November, Access Media 3 landed its 16th acquisition, the biggest in its seven-year history. The company paid more than $20 million to gobble up another private cable operator, MDU… Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
This Evanston company has capitalized on the shift of marketing dollars from traditional to digital media, particularly as it relates to one type of customer: car dealerships, which make up … Full Article
By: John Pletz
In 2013, SingleHop lost its biggest customer after it was acquired by a larger company. CEO Zak Boca, 32 (at right), solved the problem mostly by selling new services to existing customers. … Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
This seven-year-old small health care insurer wooed—and won—tens of thousands of customers who lost their jobs and their insurance during the recession. Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
Like many companies, Brad's Deals offers retailers' promotions and printable coupons. But founder Brad Wilson (at right) has positioned his company as a consumer's ally, filtering thousands … Full Article
By: Julie Davis
“We have a fundamental belief that if we can't add value to a project, we don't want to do it,” says Robert Ferrino (at right), president of this Orland Park-based construction… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Gogo Inc. CEO Michael Small Photo: Kendall Karmanian Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
When it comes to priorities, co-founders Ross Freedman, 39, and Brad Schneider think first about how customers interact with brands on websites and apps. Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Andrew Smith, who founded Impact Advisors with his brother, Peter, in 2007, likes to point out that “the level of technology in your average grocery store exceeds the technology in… Full Article
By: Julie Davis
In March, Coyote Logistics merged with Access America Transport, a union that added a half-billion in revenue, says CEO Jeff Silver, 51 (at right). Full Article
By: Julie Davis
After buying Web development firm Gorilla Group in 2008, CEO Brian Grady (at right) steered the company toward e-commerce Web development just as the popularity of broadband wireless and… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
In 2013, Cooper's Hawk opened three restaurants, bringing this suburban company's total to 14. Four more are planned for 2014: two in Orlando, Florida, and one each in Richmond, Virginia,… Full Article
By: Esther Kang
Founder and CEO Dick Thomas, 57 (at right), says nimble responses to a fast-changing industry, a focus on digital and social media, and a highly selective hiring process have helped Trisect … Full Article
By: Esther Kang
With its mobile app launch in 2013, CEO Chris Krause (at right) says this national recruiting firm for prospective college athletes is “becoming the LinkedIn” for the athletes… Full Article
By: Esther Kang
In an already-hot big data market, Clarity Solutions' focus on being a single-shot practice sets it apart from the big-box companies that offer a dizzying array of services. Full Article
By: Esther Kang
In an industry flooded with key chains, pens, stress balls and ill-fitting T-shirts, Tangerine Promotions prides itself on retail-quality apparel and smart point-of-sale displays. Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
In 2008, CPT Network Solutions derived about 40 percent of revenue from one customer. Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Last summer, after nearly doubling its production capacity to 550,000 square feet, Creative Werks nabbed Kellogg Co. as a client. Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
Last year, this Loop-based e-commerce strategist added digital marketing to its strategy, design and implementation menu. “That was a big transformation,” CEO Richard Lyons, 49… Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
An acquisition in late 2012 gave this technology equipment remanufacturer the capacity to repair cellphones, adding nearly $300 million to annual revenue. Clover Holdings has expanded its… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Since 2007, Echo Global Logistics has made a rapid-fire 18 acquisitions, enabling the company to ascend to a No. 5 ranking among the biggest freight planning companies in the U.S. Full Article
By: Esther Kang
With this company, it all starts with smart customer service—Parts Town promises to answer calls within three rings. Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
Program Productions Inc. CEO Robert Carzoli and his brother, Joe Carzoli, vice president of labor, at a Blackhawks game Photo: Stephen J. Serio… Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
From 2012 to 2013, Arco/Murray's average project size shot up to $4.1 million from $2.8 million. “In the past, people were buying existing buildings and renovating,” says Brad… Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
The growing appetite for online shopping has provided this Bensenville parcel shipper ample opportunity. Since 2011, the number of packages it processes has increased by more than 30… Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Under CEO Steve Beauchamp, Paylocity has graduated from a payroll service specialist concentrated on a narrow swath of Midwestern clients to a national firm with products aimed at mid-… Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
Led by President Carter Sterling, 38 (at right), and his three brothers—Cooper, Christian and Carson—this third-generation family business recently lightened its product,… Full Article
By: Esther Kang
Aggressive marketing, including a detailed website and portfolio, and top-notch customer service have helped this Harwood Heights-based construction firm grow 282 percent over five… Full Article
By: Esther Kang
The bread and butter of this Tinley Park-based business is still hardware—scanners, printers, imaging products—but Proven's consultative services are growing yearly,… Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
Blue Chip has continued growing its niche helping pharmaceutical clients recruit participants for clinical trials of new drugs. The shopper and brand marketing practices also are thriving… Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
During the past 15 years, founder and President Bruce Leon, 52 (at right), has seen a threefold increase in the number of human resources regulations (now at about 108, he estimates) for… Full Article
By: Esther Kang
Built on a single platform, this software company's online portal, GoHealth, helps users shop for coverage, while other channels help brokers and carriers connect to users. (GoHealth gets a … Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
Early last year, KapStone initiated 5 percent price increases in key product lines, bringing its average sale price to $685 per ton of paper products. Full Article
By: Kevin McKeough
After years of serving midsized companies with small in-house IT budgets, last year RKON moved up to major corporations going through a merger or acquisition. Full Article
By: S.A. Swanson
This marketing firm netted some notable new clients last year, from Verizon Wireless and Nissan Motor Co. to Primaloft Inc., which prompted the company's first campaign work in Europe and… Full Article
By: Julie Davis
Windy City Limousine & Bus CEO George Jacobs Full Article
By: H. Lee Murphy
With 15 offices and more than $4 billion in listed sales volume, @Properties, as it is known, now ranks No. 2 among Illinois brokers behind Coldwell Banker. Full Article
By: Julie Davis
Scrap Metal Services' strength is in diversification, says founder and CEO Jeffry Gertler, 54 (at right). “We have different businesses that perform at different times in the economy,… Full Article
How'd we find them? Who was eligible? How was the data vetted? Here's the fine print. Full Article