PART II: 50 FASTEST-GROWING CHICAGO BUSINESSES

Continuing from part I of Crain’s Chicago Business’ 50 fastest-growing companies, you saw the top 25.

As noted previously, rankings are based on the most revenue growth over the past five years. Here are the remaining 25 Chicago businesses that made Crain’s cut.

26. National Collegiate Scouting Association Inc.

• Industry: Consumer Products & Services/Retail
• Type of Work: Provides recruitment advice to prospective college athletes
• Local Employees: 183
• 2013 Revenue: $43.3 million
• Five-year Growth: 471%
• How it grew: Teams up with other groups
• Location: Chicago

27. Clarity Solution Group Inc.

• Industry: Tech & Telecom
• Type of Work: Data analytics and consulting
• Local Employees: 100
• 2013 Revenue: $49.4 million
• Five-year Growth: 441%
• How it grew: Uses a “boutique” approach in a rapidly growing big data industry
• Location: Chicago

28. Tangerine Promotions Ltd.

• Industry: Media & Marketing
• Type of Work: Marketing and promotions
• Local Employees: 26
• 2013 Revenue: $40.6 million
• Five-year Growth: 398%
• How it grew: High-quality products
• Location: Northbrook

29. CPT Network Solutions Inc.

• Industry: Tech & Telecom
• Type of Work: Health care IT services and management
• Local Employees: 53
• 2013 Revenue: $15.3 million
• Five-year Growth: 390%
• How it grew: Diversified its customer base
• Location: Bensenville

30. Creative Werks LLC

• Industry: Manufacturing
• Type of Work: Food packaging
• Local Employees: 80
• 2013 Revenue: $82 million
• Five-year Growth: 357%
• How it grew: Seeks out new customers
• Location: Bensenville

31. Lyons Consulting Group Inc.

• Industry: Business Services
• Type of Work: Consulting for e-commerce companies
• Local Employees: 96
• 2013 Revenue: $19.6 million
• Five-year Growth: 340%
• How it grew: Expanded its services
• Location: Chicago

32. Clover Holdings Corp.

• Industry: Manufacturing
• Type of Work: Re-manufacturers used printer cartridges
• Local Employees: 107
• 2013 Revenue: $981.1 million
• Five-year Growth: 340%
• How it grew: Fixed up broken cellphones
• Location: Hoffman Estates

33. Echo Global Logistics Inc.

• Industry: Transportation/Logistics/Distribution
• Type of Work: Freight logistics
• Local Employees: 640
• 2013 Revenue: $884.2 million
• Five-year Growth: 336%
• Reason for Growth: Buys out rivals
• Location: Chicago

34. Parts Town LLC

• Industry: Transportation/Logistics/Distribution
• Type of Work: Sells commercial kitchen accessories and equipment replacement parts
• Local Employees: 122
• 2013 Revenue: $78.6 million
• Five-year Growth: 333%
• Reason for Growth: Grew its online visibility
• Location: Addison

35. Program Productions Inc.

• Industry: Media & Marketing
• Type of Work: Broadcasts TV productions
• Local Employees: 19
• 2013 Revenue: $27.8 million
• Five-year Growth: 312%
• Reason for Growth: Partners with rising networks
• Location: Lombard

36. Arco/Murray National Construction Co.

• Industry: Construction & Real Estate
• Type of Work: Construction
• Local Employees: 61
• 2013 Revenue: $128.3 million
• Five-year Growth: 303%
• Reason for Growth: Spike in ground-up projects
• Location: Oakbrook Terrace

37. OSM Worldwide

• Industry: Transportation/Logistics/Distribution
• Type of Work: Logistics and parcel shipping
• Local Employees: 36
• 2013 Revenue: $41.8 million
• Five-year Growth: 293%
• Reason for Growth: Partnered with the USPS
• Location: Bensenville

38. Paylocity Holding Corp.

• Industry: Business Services
• Type of Work: Provides cloud-based payroll and HR management software
• Local Employees: 459
• 2013 Revenue: $77.3 million
• Five-year Growth: 289%
• Reason for Growth: Targets the middle market
• Location: Arlington Heights

39. Sterling Lumber Co.

• Industry: Manufacturing
• Type of Work: Constructs temporary wood platforms and roads
• Local Employees: 153
• 2013 Revenue: $105.2 million
• Five-year Growth: 287%
• Reason for Growth: Revised its business formula
• Location: Phoenix

40. Level Construction Inc.

• Industry: Construction & Real Estate
• Type of Work: Specializes in commercial construction
• Local Employees: 10
• 2013 Revenue: $19.5 million
• Five-year Growth: 282%
• Reason for Growth: Returning customers and a construction sprawl in Houston, where it now has an office
• Location: Harwood Heights

41. Proven Business Systems LLC

• Industry: Business Services
• Type of Work: Supplies office equipment and offers document management services
• Local Employees: 84
• 2013 Revenue: $21.9 million
• Five-year Growth: 264%
• Reason for Growth: Enhanced its customer service
• Location: Tinley Park

42. Blue Chip Marketing Worldwide

• Industry: Media & Marketing
• Type of Work: Marketing, advertising and public relations
• Local Employees: 134
• 2013 Revenue: $59.4 million
• Five-year Growth: 262%
• Reason for Growth: Conducts many trials
• Location: Northbrook

43. Tandem HR Inc.

• Industry: Business Services
• Type of Work: Provides outsourced human resource management
• Local Employees: 90
• 2013 Revenue: $467.7 million
• Five-year Growth: 254%
• Reason for Growth: Surge in federal regulations boosted demand
• Location: Westchester

44. GoHealth

• Industry: Tech & Telecom
• Type of Work: Software services for health care providers
• Local Employees: 672
• 2013 Revenue: $79.8 million
• Five-year Growth: 236%
• Reason for Growth: Obamacare mandates
• Location: Chicago

45. KapStone Paper & Packaging Inc.

• Industry: Manufacturing
• Type of Work: Produces containerboards and kraft paper
• Local Employees: 98
• 2013 Revenue: $1.7 billion
• Five-year Growth: 233%
• Reason for Growth: Acquisitions
• Location: Northbrook

46. RKON Technologies

• Industry: Tech & Telecom
• Type of Work: IT service provider
• Local Employees: 80
• 2013 Revenue: $40.5 million
• Five-year Growth: 230%
• Reason for Growth: Backed corporate spin-offs
• Location: Chicago

47. Commonground

• Industry: Media & Marketing
• Type of Work: Advertising and marketing
• Local Employees: 140
• 2013 Revenue: $26.4 million
• Five-year Growth: 206%
• Reason for Growth: Goes after new clients
• Location: Chicago

48. Windy City Limousine & Bus LLC

• Industry: Transportation/Logistics/Distribution
• Type of Work: Bus, car and limo service
• Local Employees: 271
• 2013 Revenue: $21.1 million
• Five-year Growth: 183%
• Reason for Growth: Invested within the company
• Location: Franklin Park

49. @World Properties LLC

• Industry: Construction & Real Estate
• Type of Work: Real estate brokerage for commercial and residential properties
• Local Employees: 100
• 2013 Revenue: $123.9 million
• Five-year Growth: 172%
• Reason for Growth: Expanding into Chicago suburbs and Michigan
• Location: Chicago

50. Scrap Metal Services LLC

• Industry: Manufacturing
• Type of Work: Processes, manages and brokers scrap metal
• Local Employees: 82
• 2013 Revenue: $409.5 million
• Five-year Growth: 171%
• Reason for Growth: Diversification
• Location: Burnham

Next article: How did your legislators vote on the Illinois 2015 budget?

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Kevin Hoffman is a Reboot Illinois staff writer who graduated from the University of Iowa with a degree in journalism, political science and international studies. He believes keeping citizens informed and politicians in check is the best way to improve Illinois and bring about common sense reform.  Follow us on Facebook.