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PROFIT 100: Canada's fastest-growing companiesPROFIT 100: Canada's fastest-growing companies

Building a fast-growing company is tough enough when times are good. But when your sector gets stormy, how do you keep building your business on unstable foundation? Show tenacity, persevere, keep the faith in your people and maintain an unwavering belief in yourself were among the most common responses we received from the weather-resistant leaders of this year’s PROFIT 100. Considering who that advice is coming from, it’s worth taking.

The firms that make up PROFIT’s 21st annual ranking of Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies are role models of the first order. After all, they have grown their annual revenue by an average of 2,262% over the past five years (2003-08), and no company on the list grew by less than 899%. Factor in the strength of the Canadian dollar and the dearth of good labour during the past five years, and the growth rates of the PROFIT 100 become more eye-popping. (For good measure, we’ve also ranked the Next 100: Canada’s Fastest-Growing Companies, Nos. 101-200.)

Whether you want to start a business or blast through this recession, our stories about Canada’s rising business stars and their effective management practices will give you the tools and inspiration to grow your own enterprise.

How to use our tables

The PROFIT 100 table ranks the 100 fastest-growing companies in Canada by percentage revenue growth from 2003 to 2008; while the Next 100 table features companies ranked from Nos. 101 to 200.

Clicking on a company's name will take you to a profile with all our information about that firm. Each profile also features an Inside Track with further details on the company's business.

The tables can be sorted in ascending or descending order by clicking on the name of the column that interests you.

The PROFIT 100 tables and profiles can be emailed, printed out in a printer-friendly format, or downloaded as a spreadsheet.

We invite you to share our list on Facebook, Digg, Del.icio.us, Stumble Upon, Newsvine and other sites.

FAQ.

Editor Ian Portsmouth discusses the PROFIT 100 (video)

Enter the 2010 PROFIT 100
The PROFIT 100 offers a fantastic opportunity to generate new business, new alliances and valuable media exposure. Don't miss this chance to join the growth stars and celebrate your hard-earned success.

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Overview: Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies
The businesses on this year's PROFIT 100 ranking have mastered the art of weathering a storm. Follow their lead, and you too can beat the odds in good times and in bad.

No. 1 Profile: Allegro Inside
Software from Canada's Fastest-Growing Company powers handheld devices used by everyone from cops to copier technicians. And its best days may be yet to come.

The complete list: Tables | Spreadsheet download (.xls)


Meet Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies, Nos. 101-200

The complete list: Tables | Spreadsheet download (.xls)


Financing: There's no such thing as bad debt
When Chris Walker's new business model scared off Canadian lenders, he went stateside — and found the private investor of his dreams.

Communication: Playing with the big boys
For Harry Chemko, winning corporate customers was easy — satisfying them was not. Better communication saved the day.

Growth: To boldly grow...carefully, that is
Andrew Richardson's painstaking analysis of which sector to diversify into led to smashing success. Now, he's out to replicate the feat.

Keep on rockin' in the e-world
Selling a strange new concept is tough. Selling an online service to aging rock stars is even tougher. Here's how Kevin Leflar did both.

Success story: Watch. Learn. Do.
The founder of the PROFIT 100 picked up many pointers from Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies. Here are the key lessons he applied to create a growth company of his own.


Business growth: Cheat Sheet
Simple ways to pass the business growth test — courtesy of the PROFIT 100.

Growth strategies: Thank goodness for the recession
This might be the perfect time to surge ahead of your competition. Here's how the fastest firms are moving forward and upward.

PROFIT 100: Growth solutions
Tips from PROFIT 100 companies on everything from Cash flow to collections.


From the Editor: Canada's heroes for hard times
The most energizing trait of PROFIT 100 leaders is their insistence on looking at the bright side.