In the fall of 2010, Charleston, SC and Washington, DC business consultant Baron Christopher Hanson recognized the scarcity of South Carolina companies listed on Inc. Magazine’s annual list of America’s 5000 fastest-growing, privately held companies.
Conducting initial studies and earning news statewide, RedBaron Consulting, LLC urged more South Carolina entrepreneurs, start-ups, and CEOs to compete nationally for business rankings “beyond our own back yard.”
Nine years later, RedBaron Consulting’s pro-bono efforts are still bearing fresh fruit for South Carolina’s economy, workplace innovations, jobs, tax base, and overall GDP.
Applying to Inc. magazine’s List is open to any for-profit company, business, start-up, or partnership. Financial planning and real estate sales “teams” may also apply.
It’s important to note that Inc.’s annual list recognizes businesses of any kind for their year-over-year growth trajectory, not revenue or employee size. The criteria is “cascaded annual revenues,” and all applicants are welcome.
The Inc. 5000 list, once completely unknown, has now become a popular “annual check mark” for South Carolina entrepreneurs and executives seeking new capital, the very best employees, national media coverage, or proof of industry leadership –– all of which impact revenue growth.
Andrew Roskill said his Charleston digital publishing company, BiblioLabs, which made its Inc. debut in 2013, had the requisite growth to make the top 10% of the list, often referred to as the “Inc. 500… we didn’t even know this Inc. magazine growth ranking each year existed,” Roskill said.
Some Inc. 5000 “regulars” like former Mount Pleasant start-up Cantey Technology – a $5.5 million IT Management company – continue to grow enough each year to keep making the Inc. 5000 list again, and again. Outgrowing workspace on Coleman Boulevard near Shem Creek, Cantey Technology has since relocated to a new, custom built workplace in North Charleston.
Here are the 24 Lowcountry companies that made the 2018 Inc. 5000 list:
#249 – Gotcha Media Holdings (Advertising & Marketing), Charleston – 1,955% ($6.3 million)
#267 – Frampton Construction (Construction), Charleston – 1,821% ($67.1 million)
#332 – Move Buddies (Logistics & Transportation), Summerville – 1,489% growth ($3.2 million)
#603 – Source Ortho (Health), Mount Pleasant – 830% annual growth ($7.5 million)
#672 – Alder Energy Systems (Energy), Charleston – 743% annual growth ($5.4 million)
#838 – Palmetto Solar (Energy), Charleston – 598% annual growth ($9.3 million)
#899 – Hunter Quinn Homes (Construction), Mount Pleasant – 551% annual growth ($22.7 million)
#1084 – Anson Belt & Buckle (Consumer Products & Services), Myrtle Beach – 456% annual growth ($2.7 million)
#1135 – Atlas Executive Consulting (Business Services), North Charleston – 435% annual growth ($12.7 million)
#1460 – Equiscript (Health), North Charleston – 320% annual growth ($6.1 million)
#1633 – Q4Launch (Advertising & Marketing), Mount Pleasant – 283% annual growth ($3.2 million)
#1771 – MedTrust Medical Transport (Health), Hanahan – 256% annual growth ($5.4 million)
#1776 – Contract Exteriors (Construction), Murrells Inlet – 255% annual growth ($26.8 million)
#1896 – Visiture (Advertising & Marketing), Charleston – 236% annual growth ($2.6 million)
#1932 – Advantage Media Group (Media), Charleston – 232% annual growth ($11.8 million)
#2419 – Ceterus (Software), Charleston – 178% annual growth ($4.2 million)
#2718 – JEAR Logistics (Transportation), Mount Pleasant – 153% annual growth ($83.7 million)
#3243 – TargetMarket (Advertising & Marketing), Summerville – 121% annual growth ($2.3 million)
#3494 – Knowledge Capital Group (Business Products & Services), Charleston – 108% annual growth ($2.7 million)
#3566 – Davis Supply of Charleston (Construction), North Charleston – 105% annual growth ($8.2 million)
#3939 – Call Experts (Telecommunications), Charleston – 90% annual growth ($8.4 million)
#4131 – Cantey Technology (IT Management), North Charleston – 84% annual growth ($5.5 million)
#4184 – BlueKey (Advertising & Marketing), Charleston – 82% annual growth ($2.0 million)
#4345 – Fathom 4 (Government Services), Charleston – 77% annual growth ($4.2 million)
In total, 54 Palmetto State companies made the 2018 Inc. 5000 list
