Inc.: AmeriQuest, Central States among fastest-growing private firms

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Inc. magazine announced its annual ranking of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the country. AmeriQuest Transportation Services came in at No. 632 on the list, with three-year sales growth of 525 percent. Central States Trucking, located in Bensenville, Ill., also made the list, which is the most comprehensive look at a significant segment of the economy — America’s independent-minded entrepreneurs. Taken as a whole, these companies represent the backbone of the U.S. economy.

“Our second annual Inc. 5000 continues the most ambitious project in business journalism,” says Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “The Inc. 5000 gives an unrivalled portrait of young, underreported companies across all industries doing fascinating things with cutting-edge business models, as well as older companies that are still showing impressive growth.”

This year marks the fourth time AmeriQuest has earned a spot on the Inc. list. In both 2003 and 2005, the company earned a spot on the Inc. 500 list. In 2007, AmeriQuest ranked number 1,668 on the Inc. 5000 list. This year’s ranking further defined AmeriQuest as it ranked No. 8 in the top 50 logistics companies; No. 17 in the top 100 businesses in Philadelphia-Camden-Wilmington, Pa.-N.J.-Del.-Md.; No. 19 in the top 100 Inc. 5000 companies by gross dollars of growth; and No. 35 in the top 100 Inc. 5000 companies by revenue.

“My passion has been to find a way to provide a platform where small- and medium-size businesses can compete with the big players in their industry, with access to the best people and technology available,” says Doug Clark, president and chief executive officer of the Cherry Hill, N.J.-based company. “AmeriQuest is that platform for the transportation industry, utilizing a patented business model I created where collaboration is the key to driving efficiencies and cost savings out of the supply chain.”

This is the second consecutive year Central States Trucking has been named to the exclusive list. “This award recognizes the continued tremendous growth our company is experiencing as we provide customers world-class service with a personal touch,” says Doug Grane, president of Central States Trucking. “We are honored to receive this ranking once again by one of the nation’s premier entrepreneurial publications.”

Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and a list of the fastest-growing companies that can be sorted by industry and region, can be found at www.inc5000.com.