Indiana's top high-potential companies awarded IU's Growth 100 designation

Oct. 23, 2001

NOTE: A complete list of Growth 100 companies follows this release. For more complete information, including contact information for companies being honored, contact the IU Office of Communications and Marketing at 812-855-3911 or the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at 812-855-4248.

BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, part of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, will recognize Indiana's leading, high-potential and fast-growing companies at its eighth annual Growth 100 Dinner and Awards Banquet on Thursday (Oct. 25) at the Indiana Roof Ballroom in Indianapolis.

The Growth 100 award honors Indiana's rapid-growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies with annual sales of at least $1 million. This year, 77 highly qualified privately owned companies were selected from nearly 200 applicants from across the state.

New to the Growth 100 recognition event this year is an afternoon educational program. One highlight of this will be a keynote address by Gary Wendt, chief executive officer and chairman of the board of Conseco. Wendt will speak on the subject, "Managing a Company Under Challenging Conditions." His speech will begin at 5 p.m. CDT.

Growth 100 companies are identified through an analysis process that is based upon High Performance Organization research conducted by the Johnson Center. The screening process includes interviews with the company's chief executive and key management team members and often includes a site visit.

The program is one example of how IU and its Kelley School of Business are helping the state of Indiana to foster economic development and create new employment opportunities for all Hoosiers.

Companies being recognized this year have an average annual sales of $9.9 million and a growth rate averaging 60 percent, said Elizabeth J. Gatewood, director of the Johnson Center. "These entrepreneurial companies have a strong impact on the state, not only economically but also through employment and community development.

"Indiana is a viable business competitor on the national and global level. We continue to be a major player in the industrial and service areas and are actively establishing Indiana as a technology leader. This year nearly one-half of these high performance companies are services business firms," Gatewood said.

"We recognize these companies because they represent the entrepreneurial spirit of Indiana business. This award validates all the hard work they've put into their companies. It says to them, their employees and their customers that they are doing things right."

Successful Indiana companies being recognized this year include technology firms, service companies, retailers and manufacturers. For example, Productive Resources, a Columbus-based mechanical design and engineering services firm, has grown in sales by 430 percent since 1999. Innovis LLC, an Indianapolis information technology company, has seen its sales increase by 216 percent in the two years.

In Montezuma, BigInch Fabricators and Construction Inc. has seen its sales of natural gas pipelines and stations grow by 200 percent. Another interesting and high performing company in this year's list is Apollo Design Technology Inc., of Fort Wayne, which produces and distributes production lighting effects to the entertainment industry.

Companies that receive the Growth 100 award are invited to join the Growth 100 Winners Circle, a membership organization offering services such as educational programs and seminars, and networking with peers.

Individuals who wish to nominate their own or another company for consideration for next year's Growth 100 award should contact the Johnson Center at 812-855-4248. For more information regarding the Growth 100 program and the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, visit its Web site at http://www.kelley.indiana.edu/jcei .
 

(Sue Artmeier, JCEI, 812-855-4248, artmeie@indiana.edu  or George Vlahakis, OCM, 812-855-0846, gvlahaki@indiana.edu)

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