Contact: Alan Fogg, afogg@fceda.org,
703-790-0600 (office) or 571-213-5065 (mobile)

18 Fairfax County firms make Inc. list of fastest growing U.S. companies

County ranks second—just one behind Manhattan’s 19 firms—in tie with suburban Boston area

Fairfax County, Virginia USA, September 6,  2007—Eighteen Fairfax County companies – most in information technology fields – are on Inc. magazine’s 2007 list of the 500 fastest-growing companies in the nation. Fairfax County companies accounted for more than half of Virginia’s 35 firms making the list, and 44 percent of the Greater Washington, DC area’s total of 41. The list is in the September issue of Inc.

Fairfax County ranks second on the Inc. list along with Middlesex County, Mass. (suburban Boston). Both jurisdictions are right behind top-ranked New York County (Manhattan), with 19 firms. Fairfax’s total is equal to or greater than all but nine state totals.

“These rankings are a good indicator of the level of innovation in an area. And, it is interesting to note that only New York and the Boston rank with Fairfax County as a fertile center for many of the nation’s most entrepreneurial up-and-coming businesses,” said Gerald L. Gordon, Ph.D., president and CEO of the Fairfax County Economic Development Authority.   

Fairfax County companies on Inc.’s list of the 500 fastest-growing companies, their rank and Web sites:

Time magazine this year called Fairfax County “one of the great economic success stories of our time.” Business growth helps Fairfax County fund programs, such as the nation’s top-rated school system and public safety, library, park and human services, which contribute to the quality of life of its residents. Fairfax County offers businesses a state-of-the-art telecommunications infrastructure, access to domestic and international markets through Washington Dulles International Airport, and a well-educated workforce.

Fairfax County will host the 2007 National Conference on the Creative Economy (www.creativeeconomies.org) on October 24 and 25.

The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority (www.FairfaxCountyEDA.org) promotes Fairfax County as a business and technology center. The FCEDA’s Capital Attraction Program links technology entrepreneurs with potential investors. Another program supports the growth of minority and woman-owned businesses. The FCEDA maintains worldwide marketing offices in Silicon Valley, Bangalore, Frankfurt, London, Seoul and Tel Aviv.

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