The Inc. 500 Timeline, inc5000 Article

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The Inc. 500 Timeline

In 1982, Drew Barrymore was befriending an alien, and Inc. was starting a list celebrating the fastest-growing companies in America. Look back with us at some of the newsmakers from the last 25 years--and the Inc. 500 companies who ranked No. 1 each year. (Roll over the icons for details.)

Roll over the icons to see the trends and newsmakers from the past 25 years of the Inc. 500 list.

- No. 1 Company: Altos Computer Systems, San Jose, Calif.
  Manufacturer of multiuser microcomputers
  '81 revenue: $21.4 million
  Fate: Altos was acquired by Acer America for $94 million in 1990.
- Top Grossing Movie: E.T.
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Rosanna" by Toto
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.29
- World Series Champs: St. Louis Cardinals
"This is what I've always wanted it to be--a family business." --Gerald Sigal
- No. 1 Company: Sigal Construction, Washington, D.C.
  Construction management services
  '82 revenue: $47.5 million
  Fate: See The No.1 Companies From 1982 -- 2005: Where are they now?
- Highest Rated TV Show: "60 Minutes"
- Top Grossing Movie: Star Wars: Return of the Jedi
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Beat It" by Michael Jackson
- World Series Champs: Baltimore Orioles
- No. 1 Company: Pedus International, Los Angeles
  Building maintenance and security services
  '83 revenue: $60.5 million
  Fate: In 2001, the company changed its name to Pedus Services. Operating in southern California and Arizona, it employs 1,500 and had 2005 revenue of $35 million.
- Top Grossing Movie: Ghostbusters
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "What's Love Got To Do With It" by: Tina Turner
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.21
- World Series Champs: Detroit Tigers
- No. 1 Company: Herbalife International, Los Angeles
  Developer and distributor of health and nutrition products
  '84 revenue: $423 million
  Fate: Following the death of founder Mark Hughes in 2000, the company was acquired by Whitney & Co. and Golden Gate Capital. In December 2004, it went public.
- Median Income for American Males: $16,311 Females: $7,217
- Highest Rated TV Show: "Dynasty"
- Top Grossing Movie: Back to the Future
- World Series Champs: Kansas City Royals
- No. 1 Company: ABC Supply, Beloit, Wash.
  Distributor of building supplies
  '85 revenue: $183.4 million
  Fate: See The No.1 Companies From 1982 -- 2005: Where are they now?
- Top Grossing Movie: Top Gun
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Higher Love" by Steve Winwood
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $0.92
- World Series Champs: New York Mets
- No. 1 Company: American Photo Group, Atlanta
  Photo-finishing production and marketing
  '86 revenue: $77.9 million
  Fate: Shortly after making the list, the company was sold to Eastman Kodak for an estimated $45 million.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "The Cosby Show"
- Top Grossing Movie: Three Men and a Baby
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $0.94
- World Series Champs: Minnesota Twins
- No. 1 Company: American Central Gas, Tulsa
  Gathers, processes, treats, and markets natural gas
  '87 revenue: $92.9 million
  Fate: After the business peaked with $420 million in revenue in 1990, a difference of opinion among ACG's four founders resulted in extensive litigation and the 2003 sale of the company to MarkWest Energy Partners.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "The Cosby Show"
- Top Grossing Movie: Rainman
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by: Bobby McFerrin
- World Series Champs: Los Angeles Dodgers
- No. 1 Company: Cogentrix, Charlotte, N.C.
  Development and operation of cogeneration facilities
  '89 revenue: $201.9 million
  Fate: In December 2003, Cogentrix was acquired by Goldman, Sachs for $2.3 billion in assumed debt.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "Roseanne"
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Wind Beneath My Wings" by: Bette Midler
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.02
- World Series Champs: Oakland Athletics
- No. 1 Company: Cogentrix, Charlotte, N.C.
  Development and operation of cogeneration facilities
  '89 revenue: $201.9 million
  Fate: In December 2003, Cogentrix was acquired by Goldman, Sachs for $2.3 billion in assumed debt.
- Median Income for American Males: $20,293 Females: $10,070
- Top Grossing Concert Tour: New Kids on the Block
- Average Tuition and Fees Per Year at a Four-Year Private University: $10,348
- World Series Champs: Cincinnati Reds
- No. 1 Company: Gateway 2000, N. Sioux City, S.D.
  Manufactures and sells computers
  '90 revenue: $275.5 million
  Fate: Now known simply as Gateway, the company went public in 1993, currently employs 1,800, and has annual revenue of $3.8 billion.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "Cheers"
- Top Grossing Movie: Terminator 2: Judgment Day
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.14
- World Series Champs: Minnesota Twins
"There was no big strategy. If someone knocks on your door and offers you double what your house is worth, you say, Okay." --David Sun (right) with partner John Tu
- No. 1 Company: Kingston Technology, Fountain Valley, Calif.
  Designs and manufactures memory modules and Flash memory products
  '91 revenue: $140.6 million
  Fate: See The No.1 Companies From 1982 -- 2005: Where are they now?
- Highest Rated TV Show: "60 Minutes"
- Top Grossing Movie: Aladdin
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Tears in Heaven" by Eric Clapton
- World Series Champs: Toronto Blue Jays
- No. 1 Company: Drypers, Houston
  Manufactured disposable diapers and training pants
  '92 revenue: $140.2 million
  Fate: In 2000, Drypers declared bankruptcy. It was subsequently acquired by Associated Hygenic Products.
- Top Grossing Movie: Jurassic Park
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "I Will Always Love You" by Whitney Houston
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.10
- World Series Champs: Toronto Blue Jays
Ken Marshall took Object Design to No. 1 in 1994--and then left to start another company that grew even faster.
- No. 1 Company: Object Design, Burlington, Mass.
  Developed database software using object-oriented technology
  '93 revenue: $24.7 million
  Fate: See The No.1 Companies From 1982 -- 2005: Where are they now?
- Highest Rated TV Show: "Home Improvement"
- Top Grossing Concert Tour: The Rolling Stones
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "All I Wanna Do" by Sheryl Crow
- No. 1 Company: Furst Group, Shamong, N.J.
  Provider of long-distance telephone services
  '94 revenue: $92.2 million
  Fate: In 2000, Hong Kong-based e-Kong Group acquired Furst for an estimated $12 million.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "Seinfeld"
- Top Grossing Movie: Toy Story
- Median Income for American Males: $22,562 | Females: $12,130
- World Series Champs: Atlanta Braves
- No. 1 Company: Equinox International, Las Vegas
  Sold personal-care and hygiene products
  '95 revenue: $194.7 million
  Fate: In 1999, Equinox was charged with operating an illegal pyramid scheme, making false earnings claims, and enabling distributors to violate federal law. After Equinox settled with the FTC for $40 million in April 2000, the company was liquidated.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "E.R."
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.23
- Average Tuition and Fees Per Year at a Four-Year Private University: $12,243
- World Series Champs: New York Yankees
- No. 1 Company: Optiva, Bellevue, Wash.
  Seller of hygiene devices and manufacturer of sonic toothbrushes
  '96 revenue: $72.7 million
  Fate: See The No.1 Companies From 1982 -- 2005: Where are they now?
- Highest Rated TV Show: "E.R."
- Top Grossing Movie: Titanic
- Average Tuition and Fees Per Year at a Four-Year Private University: $12,881
- World Series Champs: Florida Marlins
- No. 1 Company: Justice Technology, Culver City, Calif.
  Resold telecommunications and related services
  '97 revenue: $55.3 million
  Fate: In October 1999, Justice Technology changed its name to Justice Telecom. In 2000, the company was purchased by TotalAxcess, based in Oakland, Calif. Justice was subsequently sued for patent infringement and declared bankruptcy.
- Top Grossing Movie: Saving Private Ryan
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.05
- World Series Champs: New York Yankees
- No. 1 Company: Roth Staffing, Orange, Calif.
  Provides temporary and direct-hire staffing
  '98 revenue: $73.8 million
  Fate: With founder and CEO Ben Roth still at the helm, Roth Staffing now has 150 locations in 21 states and $250 million in annual revenue.
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Smooth" by Santana featuring Rob Thomas
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.16
- Average Tuition and Fees Per Year at a Four-Year Private University: $13,973
- World Series Champs: New York Yankees
- No. 1 Company: Parson Group, Chicago
  Provides accounting, finance, risk-management, and insurance services
  '99 revenue: $56.2 million
  Fate: Parson Group was sold for $55 million in 2002 to the Management Consulting Group.
- Top Grossing Concert Tour: Tina Turner
- Median Income for American Males: $28,343 Females: $16,063
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.51
- World Series Champs: New York Yankees
- No. 1 Company: High Point Solutions, Sparta, N.J.
  Sells and services routers, switches, communications servers, and access devices
  '00 revenue: $60 million
  Fate: Since 2001, the company has built a state-of-the-art 36,000-square-foot facility and increased staff by 20 percent.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "Survivor II"
- Top Grossing Movie: Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
- Average Tuition and Fees Per Year at a Four-Year Private University: $15,470
- World Series Champs: Arizona Diamondbacks
- No. 1 Company: The Outsource Group, Walnut Creek, Calif.
  Provides professional human- resources services to employers
  '01 revenue: $294.5 million
  Fate: In June, the Outsource Group was sold to TriNet, an Inc. 500 Hall of Fame company owned by General Atlantic Partners. "We saw a good opportunity, and we grabbed it," says former Outsource Group CEO Kevin Grauman, who has started another HR company.
- Top Grossing Movie: Spider-Man
- Grammy-Award Winning Song: "Don't Know Why" by Norah Jones
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $1.35
- World Series Champs: Anaheim Angels
- No. 1 Company: American Biophysics, N. Kingstown, R.I.
  Manufactures the Mosquito Magnet
  '02 revenue: $54.6 million
  Fate: In 2005, the company was sold to Ritchie Capital Management, one of the company's major investors. "We are now more focused on the quality of our product," says Kendra Dennis, director of marketing at American Biophysics.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "CSI"
- Median Income for American Males: $29,931
- Median Income for American Males: $17,259
- Average Tuition and Fees Per Year at a Four-Year Private University: $16,948
- World Series Champs: Florida Marlins
- No. 1 Company: InPhonic, Washington, D.C.
  Sells wireless devices and services through private-label websites such as Wirefly
  '03 revenue: $119.4 million
  Fate: In 2004, InPhonic went public with one of the year's largest technology IPOs ($148 million). The company now has annual revenue of $320.5 million.
- Top Grossing Concert Tour: Prince
- Top Grossing Movie: Shrek II
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $2.06
- World Series Champs: Boston Red Sox
- No. 1 Company: Video Gaming Technologies, Roebuck, SC
  Makes touchscreen gaming machines and leases them to Indian casinos in Oklahoma—and now to casinos in South America
  '04 revenue: $99.8 million
  Fate: In the year after topping the list, VGT increased its annual revenue to more than $153 million. It now employs 200 people.
- Highest Rated TV Show: "CSI"
- Top Grossing Movie: Star Wars: Episode III
- Average Price Per Gallon of Reg. Unleaded: $2.26
- World Series Champs: Chicago White Sox
- Read all about this year's No. 1 company, Litle & Co., and learn more about the Inc. 500 class of 2006.

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