The Fastest-Growing Promotional Products Companies Revealed on the 2012 Inc. 5000

Inc. Magazine published the Inc. 5000 list of fastest-growing companies last week, and once again, several promotional products suppliers and distributors appeared in the rankings. In total, 37 industry businesses made the list this year, an increase over last year's 26 companies. IQ Office Products, a distributor located in Scottsdale, Ariz., took the top spot of any industry company, coming in at number 679. The highest-ranked supplier was Society Awards of Long Island City, N.Y.

The Inc. 5000 list ranks U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit companies based on their percentage of revenue growth over a three-year period (2008-2011 for the most recent list). Companies that went public or were acquired before December 31, 2011 are ineligible for consideration. As a result, volume of business is less important than speed of growth, and younger companies are at a distinct advantage. The number one company on the list, Unified Payments, earned $59.5 million in 2011 but had a three-year growth of 23,646 percent. Grocery chain Publix, which had the highest revenue at $27 billion, had growth of only 13 percent, placing the company at 4778. Facebook was number 294, with $3.7 billion and 1,264 percent growth.

Of the 37 total industry members, 24 were distributor companies, and a third of those were Proforma owners. The Cleveland-based company boasted eight spots on the list, making it the company with the largest number of franchises on the list. Proforma Marketing Agency was the company's highest ranking franchise at number 2646.

"We are very pleased to have eight Proforma owners on the Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing companies," said Greg Muzzillo, founder of Proforma. "Proforma experienced a 10 percent sales increase over last year and we are on track for continued growth in 2012. We are proud of these Owners who are key contributors to the success of our organization."