From the Reporters
Carole Matthews

Inc. 500 Countdown: American Apparel

 

Location: Los Angeles
Three-Year Growth: 524.6%
2004 Revenue: $127.9 million
Employees: 3,500
Founded: 1998
What it does: Manufactures T-shirts and every other kind of cotton clothing--it has close to 10,000 SKUs--which it sells wholesale, online, and through 100-plus American Apparel stores. Why it's growing: The company appeals to trendy consumers at the retail stores and to designers and promotional users in the wholesale market. Plus, founder and senior partner Dov Charney is a man of appetites: He wants 1,000 stores. For more, see "Dov Charney, Like It or Not" in the September 2005 issue.