For Weeks to qualify a company for the 1987 INC. 500, a company must have been independent and privately held on August 1, 1987, when applications were due. The rankings are based on the percentage increase in sales during a five-year period. During the base year (fiscal 1982), sales must have been between $100,000 and $25 million. And during the fifth year (1986), sales must have been greater than the year before.
Information on each application was verified by phone both with company officials and with their accountants. The checking process is something of a painstaking task that falls mainly to our summer interns. We remember, in particular, the dietary habits of interns Angus Macaulay, who ate three bologna sandwiches each day for lunch, and Suelette Daniel-Dreyfus, for whom a typical meal consisted of two doughnuts, a bag of popcorn, and a diet Coke. Elizabeth Thompson represented the magazine with distinction in a big summer road race, but less agile Mason O'Neal broke his hand just putting on a pair of roller skates. Karen Novick wins the prize for finding the accountant with the most distinctive name, one Barefoot Bonehead. And on one of her first days, Erin Oatway telephoned another accounting firm and asked to speak with "Mr. Waterhouse" -- apparently neither he nor Mr. Price was available.
The INC. 500 is prepared under the direction of special projects editor Sara Baer-Sinnott. She also had help from Robyn Campbell, Brad Drury, Elizabeth Scaccia, and Kathryn Thibodeau. Researcher Leslie Brokaw authored the brief profiles that appear among the listings.
The information published here is the only material INC. will make available.
Note: This table may be divided, and additional information on a particular entry may appear on more than one screen.
Sales growth
1982-86
Company (1986 rank) Percent '86 sales '82 sales
Business description increase ($000) ($000)
1. American Photo Group Atlanta, GA 52,244% $77,992 $149
Photo-finishing production & marketing
2. PC Connection Marlow, NH 25,644 59,984 233
Retails mail-order peripherals &
software
3. Compuadd Austin, TX 15,127 44,158 290
Retails microcomputers & peripherals
4. Measurement Sciences Farmingdale, NY 12,385 32,960 264
Distr. computer software & equipment
5. American Cimflex Pittsburgh, PA 12,178 26,397 215
Mfrs. computer-integrated systs.
6. United Phone Book Advertisers (48) 10,928 15,770 143
Lincoln, NE
Publishes telephone directories
7. Gates Distributing Richmond, CA 10,721 26,836 248
Distr. microcomputer hardware &
software
8. Customer Development Peoria, IL 10,664 17,868 166
Customer database mgmt.
9. Brett Aqualine Huntington Beach, CA 9,160 9,445 102
Mfrs. health-spa equipment
10. CareerTrack Boulder, CO 9,082 25,526 278
Professional development training
11. Bluebird Systems Carlsbad, CA 7,933 11,648 145
Publishes & distr. software
12. Homeowners Marketing Services 7,640 16,331 211
Hollywood, FL
Provides real-estate marketing &
support svcs.
13. Applied Systems University Park, IL 7,627 10,431 135
Develops & mfrs. microcomputer
software
14. Lunar Radiation Madison, WI 7,522 14,634 192
Mfrs. bone densitometry equipment
15. Zymark (11) Hopkinton, MA 7,490 12,372 163
Develops & sells lab automation
equipment
16. G.O.D. Kearney, NJ 7,487 12,671 167
Overnight express motor carrier
17. Penn Lyon Homes Selinsgrove, PA 7,383 23,720 317
Mfrs. modular homes
18. Maui & Sons (10) Irvine, CA 7,233 9,753 133
Mfrs. menswear
19. Sun Financial (33) Clearwater, FL 7,112 8,366 116
Provides equipment leasing &
brokerage svcs.
20. Morris & Raper Realtors Atlanta, GA 6,743 26,004 380
Sells real estate
21. Manask & Carl Toluca Lake, CA 6,118 8,083 130
Contract food svcs.
22. Group Benefit Services (76) Hunt 6,070 11,045 179
Valley, MD
Group insurance administration
23. Systech San Diego, CA 5,811 10,286 174
Mfrs. & mkts. communication subsysts.
24. RJO Enterprises (39) Lanham, MD 5,510 14,753 263
