By GREGORY ZELLER //
With just under 1 percent of the Inc. 5000’s fastest-growing companies, Long Island is still solidifying its new-economy reputation – but for innovation’s sake, those 40 fleet firms don’t disappoint.
As befitting a 21st century corporate growth chart, IT dominates Inc.’s 35th annual list, which ranks percentage revenue growth between 2012 and 2015 among companies meeting specific criteria: founded and producing revenue by March 2012, privately owned as of Dec. 31, 2015
Tal Depot of Freeport.
The list’s tech-heavy focus extends to Long Island, where a host of engineers, consultants and programmers provide everything from data analytics to electronic payroll processing to e-commerce services. Topping the Island entries is Freeport-based Tal Depot Inc., an online-portal grocery-delivery service that promises to save time while promoting healthier food choices.
Launched in 2012, Tal Depot reported $14.9 million in 2015 revenue, or roughly 7,000 percent growth since March 2012. While impressive, that percentage revenue growth – 6,988 percent, to be exact – was only good for 30th overall on the Inc. 5000.
Los Angeles-based Loot Crate – a 2012 startup offering monthly mystery crates filled with gadgets and apparel to 60,000 subscribers from the geeks-and-gamers set – topped the list with $116.2 million in reported 2015 revenues, creating a modest 66,789 percent revenue increase over two-plus years.
Tal Depot was not the only tech-savvy Long Island firm cracking the 2016 Inc. 5000. Other ranked IT-focused Island companies included Hauppauge-based ArroHealth ($42.1 million in 2015 revenues, 990 percent growth, No. 386 overall), a national provider of technology-enabled risk-management and Healthcare Effectiveness Data and Information Set services for provider organizations, and GetVoIP ($2.2 million, 661 percent, No. 591), a Great Neck-based “cloud communications advisor” for Voice Over Internet Protocol customers.
Other fast-growing Island IT firms: Melville multimedia-communications provider IIT Inc. ($29 million, 594 percent, No. 658), Valley Stream global freight-management data solutions provider Trinity Logistics USA ($238 million, 307 percent, No. 1,583) and Uniondale integrated IT-services provider New York Global Consultants ($5.5 million, 235 percent, No. 1,603).
Tech firms, however, aren’t alone in Long Island’s fast lane. For instance, while it has strong e-commerce ties, Bay-Shore based Ruby Has Fulfillment ($3.3 million in 2015 revenue, 1,458 percent growth, No. 272 overall) is focused primarily on warehousing, packing and shipping.
And while it markets itself primarily through social media, West Babylon-based Gamma Labs ($8 million, 926 percent, No. 416) makes its bones as a manufacturer/distributor of all-natural supplements and energy drinks.
National MedTrans Network of Ronkonkoma.
Topping the Island’s non-tech entries on the Inc. 5000 is the National MedTrans Network, a Ronkonkoma-based medical-transportation provider. National MedTrans claimed $73.7 million in 2015 revenues, a two-year-plus growth rate of 1,765 percent good for 226th overall on Inc.’s rundown.
Other non-tech LI firms making the list include Great Neck-based Nassau National Cable ($6.7 million, 291 percent, No. 1,323), a distributor of aluminum and copper wire and cable, and Deer Park based used-electronics reseller Guzu Inc. ($2.1 million, 194 percent, No. 1,922).
The 40 Island enterprises making the list are actually lumped into Inc.’s “New York City” tally, helping make NYC the list’s fastest-growing “metro area” with 400 companies. That bests Washington (360), Los Angeles (284) and notable growth-oriented cities including Boston (148) and San Francisco (141).
While the Long Island entrants cover the creative-innovation spread, the nation’s three fastest-growing industries – Energy, Media and Education, according to Inc. – each carries a specific IT focus. Tech-heavy industries such as Financial Services, Software, Engineering, Telecommunications and IT services are also among Inc.’s fastest-growing.
California is the nation’s fastest-growing state, according to Inc., with 666 companies on the 2016 list. New York (335 companies) finished fourth, behind Texas (395) and Florida (338).
Great recognition for Long Island companies. My company Prestige Employee Administrators a national HR/PEO outsourcing company made the list for the 6th time.