The term fast growth may conjure images of tech companies with sleek offices and catered lunches. But there are plenty of growing, thriving businesses out there in the real world, getting their hands dirty. Here are six from the Inc. 500. Click for more

Let's Get Physical

Power to the People

USP&E Global, No. 421

 

Many developing countries lack reliable power infrastructures. That's been a boon for USP&E Global, a $43.8 million company in Celina, Texas, that builds power stations in dozens of developing nations. The station shown here runs on heavy fuel oil and powers London Mining's iron-ore operations in Marampa, Sierra Leone. Thirty-six of the station's 50 employees are locals, including technicians Alimamy Conteh (pictured at left) and Abdul Rahman Sankoh (right). USP&E is developing an internship program for orphans in Sierra Leone. "We provide long-term jobs and, sometimes, careers for these people," says Will Gruver, who founded USP&E in 2002. "We're making a difference, and it's really exciting."



Issie Lapowsky is a reporter at Inc. magazine. She has covered lifestyle and entertainment for the New York Daily News, and her work has been published in BlackBook magazine and The Brooklyn Rail. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.