Inc. magazine ranks 22 fast-growing local firms in Sept. issue
Sacramento Business Journal - August 29, 2008

By Tanya Roscorla Staff writer

Twenty-two local businesses were named to Inc. magazine’s list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the United States, and while all appreciate the publicity, some said the honor doesn’t necessarily translate into more business.

The rankings, released in September’s issue, are based on the percentage of a company’s revenue growth from 2004 to 2007. El Dorado, Placer, Sacramento and Yolo county businesses made up 22 of the 638 California businesses listed.

Folsom-based Miles Consulting Corp. appeared on the list for the first time last year and ranked No. 224 this year. The company also ranked No. 25 in the magazine’s Top 100 IT Services Companies.

Founder and president Miles Feinberg said the company has grown in part because the leadership team has hired industry veterans.

Miles Consulting has been providing technology-centered business solutions for customers nationwide since 2002. The company does not need to advertise much or make cold calls because people seek the business out for its expertise and reputation, Feinberg said.

The company’s revenue increased from $242,938 in 2004 to $3 million in 2007. Feinberg estimates the company will conduct about 20 percent more business this year, based on an increased call volume.

The list provides publicity but does not necessarily translate to increased business, Feinberg said.

“Honestly, I don’t think there’s a whole lot of marketing value.”

Most of the people who call him because of the Inc. list want to learn from the company’s success or invest in the company, he said.

Making the Inc. 5000 does not directly bring in more customers for Visionary Integration Professionals LLC, either, marketing director Tina Moore said. The Folsom-based company does use its No. 582 ranking as a marketing tool in news releases. Inc. Magazine also ranked the business No. 83 in the Top 100 IT Services Companies.

“It’s always a good thing to be considered one of the leading companies in the U.S.,” Moore said.

Because the list is measured based on growth percentage, companies that grow from $100,000 to $1 million have the same percentage as a company that grows from $1 million to $10 million, VIP founder and chief executive officer Jonna Ward said.

“It gets harder and harder to make the list the bigger you get,” she said.

Her company’s revenue increased 556.3 percent, from $17.2 million in 2004 to $113.1 million in 2007. She attributes the growth to providing quality service for her clients and aggressively acquiring other businesses. VIP has bought five companies since 2005.

She started the business out of her home and did all the work in 1996. Now, she employs about 900 people in offices throughout the country and in Bangalore, India, so that her employees are close to clients.

All but two of the 110 employees at Sacramento-based Eight Crossings work from home, president Patrick Maher said. He set up the virtual company in 2001 to combine the advantages of working with employees over the Internet and performing the low-tech function of transcription work.

Inc. magazine ranked Eight Crossings No. 331, and No. 41 in the Top 100 Business Services Companies. The rankings give the company credibility with employees and small medical and legal practices outside of the Sacramento market that do not know about the company, Maher said.

Eight Crossings offer speech recognition software for doctors, lawyers and other professionals who need a talk-to-text transcription service, Maher said. The clients call a number and dictate their report instead of working with in-house transcriptionists or writing the reports themselves.

“It’s much more efficient for them to just dictate their comments and have someone work it out for them,” Maher said.

Other Sacramento-area companies that made the Inc. 5000 list include Western Blue and Folsom-based Silverado Systems.

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About VIP

Established in 1996, Visionary Integration Professionals (VIP) is a global technology and outsourcing firm that has provided solutions to over 900 clients in multiple industries as well as federal, state and local government. VIP helps companies challenge boundaries and uncover new possibilities to increase productivity, maximize revenue, improve performance, mitigate risk, and reduce costs. With nearly 1,000 staff companywide, VIP offers expertise in areas of Business Intelligence and Data Warehousing, SAP Integration and Consulting, Technology Integration and Operations, Talent and Learning Management, Quality Management, and Management Consulting. VIP’s corporate headquarters is located in Folsom, California with offices in Sacramento, Minneapolis, Dallas, Denver, New York City, Alexandria, Houston, and Bangalore, India. More information can be found at www.vipconsulting.com.