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Commercial real estate

2003 Fantastic 50

by Virginia Business Staff
May 2003

Related Stories:
- Fantastic 50 List of Winners
- Highest Revenue Growth:
Tesoro Corp.

- Manufacturing: Parker Compound Bows
- Retail-Wholesale:
Lumber Liquidators

- Service: Space Adventures
- Technology: NLX Corp.

There's something extra special about this year's Fantastic 50 winners. They got through 2001 — the year the economy went soft and was then hit hard by fallout from the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center and the Pentagon. These companies stuck it out, and even prospered.

This is the contest's eighth year. It is organized by the Virginia Chamber of Commerce. To be eligible, contestants must be privately owned and headquartered in Virginia. They needed revenues of least $200,000 in 1998, the year used to establish the company's growth over a four-year period. Plus, by 2001 companies had to have a net positive income, and have revenues in their most recent fiscal year of less than $100 million.

The accounting firm of Goodman & Company handled the review of company financial records to determine the winners. Contest sponsors include the Virginia Chamber, Goodman & Company, SunTrust Bank, Virginia's Center for Innovative Technology and Virginia Business magazine. The winners are to be honored at an awards banquet April 30 at the Richmond Marriott.

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