The Inc. 500|5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2004 through 2007. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2004, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent -- not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies -- as of December 31, 2007 (a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired since that date). Revenue in 2004 must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in 2007 must have been at least $2 million. One company, Sourcentra, provided updated revenue figures that qualified it for the Inc. 500 after the Inc. 500 issue had gone to press; the company has since been added to the list. Full-time and part-time employees are included in the head count; independent contractors are excluded. As always, we reserve the right to reject applicants for subjective reasons.