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128 Fairfax County-based firms – and 85 more in Northern Virginia – make 2021 Inc. 5000 list

Fairfax County is home to 128 firms that made the just-released annual Inc. 5000 list of America’s fastest-growing companies, with five firms placing in the top 500. An additional 85 companies that are located elsewhere in the Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance made the 2021 list, which is widely recognized as a barometer of the vitality of a business community and especially its ecosystem for entrepreneurs, startups and high-growth firms.

These 213 companies account for 69 percent of the 310 Virginia companies on this year’s Inc. 500 and 64 percent of the 331 companies on the list from around the Washington, D.C. area.

Annandale-based PingWind is ranked highest in Fairfax County, at no. 75 on the list. It also is the third fastest-growing company in government services, and the third-fastest growing company in Virginia, with 5,118 percent 3-year growth.

“The whole PingWind team is incredibly proud to be recognized in the Inc. 5000 list of the fastest growing private companies in the country and is looking forward to continued success,” said Aaron Moak, CEO and co-founder of PingWind. “Moving our corporate headquarters to Fairfax County in 2019 has put us in a fantastic ecosystem to support growth including access to tremendous employees and resources, such as the Virginia Procurement Technical Assistance Center at George Mason University. We look forward to expanding our footprint in the county and leveraging our connections here to fuel future growth.”

Four additional Fairfax County companies are in the top 500 of the list: Centurion Consulting Group; Black Bear Technology Solutions; Kreative Technologies; and Old Dominion Strategies.

Centurion Consulting Group, a government services firm based in Herndon, came in at no. 262 with 1,769 percent growth.

“We are incredibly honored to be recognized at no. 262 of the Inc. 5000 fastest-growing companies. It is a testament to all of the hard work and effort put in by each one of our staff and the stellar reputation cultivated by our consultants on a daily basis,” said Theresa Zandi, principal owner of Centurion Consulting Group. “Our mantra, ‘take care of the people that take care of you,’ is highly evident in achieving this level of success and we look forward to continued growth for years to come.”

With 1,413 percent growth, Black Bear Technology Solutions, an IT management firm based in Springfield, placed at no. 331.

“We’re honored to be included on this prestigious list,” said Kevin M. Andres, president and CEO of Black Bear Technology Solutions. “Our product is our people, and Black Bear’s success is directly attributed to the professionalism, expertise, and dedication of our team, and the superb support they provide to our clients and their mission critical requirements.”

Kreative Technologies, a government services firm in Fairfax, ranked at no. 411, with 1,184 percent growth.

“Kreative Technologies is deeply humbled and honored to make it to Inc. 5000’s annual list of the country’s fastest growing companies,” said Adnan Karimi, president of Kreative Strategies. “Our success was only possible due to the continued cooperation, trust, and support of our clients, employees, and industry partners as we weathered a pandemic together. We are truly blessed to employ such a talented group.”

With 1,031 percent growth, Old Dominion Strategies, a Reston-based government services firm, came in at no. 469.

“We are humbled and very pleased to be recognized on the Inc. 5000 and especially representing Fairfax County,” said John P. (Pat) Philbin, Ph.D., president and CEO of Old Dominion Strategies. “As a firm that performs business consulting services for federal and state clients, we work extraordinarily hard at listening to their challenges, and attract and retain terrific team members who help make success possible for them, which is part of our Vivid Vision. We absolutely love solving problems, and being located near many of our clients here in Fairfax County really helps us keep an eye on the various projects we support. Making the Fairfax County’s top 500 is a testament to our team’s tremendous efforts.”

Three of Virginia’s top five companies are located in Northern Virginia, with Olympic Media in Arlington topping the companies from the Commonwealth. With 20,330 percent growth, Olympic Media placed at no. 13 on the 5000 list, and came in first in the Advertising and Marketing category.

“The Fairfax County Economic Development Authority congratulates all the Fairfax County and Northern Virginia firms on the Inc. 5000 list this year,” said Victor Hoskins, president and CEO of the FCEDA. “These companies represent a wide array of industry sectors and are excellent examples of the kind of success that businesses of all kinds and sizes can achieve in our region.”

Here are the Fairfax County-based companies that rank in the top 500 on the Inc. 5000 list (in order of ranking followed by growth percentage)

Fairfax County Inc. 500

Rank Company Growth Industry Location
75 PingWind 5,118% Government Services Annandale
262 Centurion Consulting Group 1,769% Government Services Herndon
331 Black Bear Technology Solutions 1,413% IT Management Springfield
411 Kreative Technologies 1,184% Government Services Fairfax
469 Old Dominion Strategies 1,031% Government Services Reston
   

The following companies based elsewhere in Northern Virginia landed in the top 500:

NOVA EDA Inc. 500 (excluding Fairfax County)
Rank Company Growth Industry County
13 Olympic Media 20,330% Advertising & Marketing Arlington
100 CTW Solutions dba Informed XP 3,910% IT Systems Development Loudoun
197 Objective Area Solutions 2,199% Government Services Arlington
263 Gravy Analytics 1,768% Software Loudoun
306 SECURE PLANET 1,497% Government Services Arlington
314 Core One Solutions 1,455% Government Services Loudoun
352 WheelsOnSite USA 1,343% Retail Loudoun
393 Broadleaf 1,235% Government Services Prince William
408 DonorBureau 1,185% Software Arlington
434 HUNGRY 1,127% Food & Beverage Arlington

 

Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent — not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies — as of December 31, 2020. The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000. The minimum for 2020 is $2 million. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000, which can be found at http://www.inc.com/inc5000.

The Northern Virginia Economic Development Alliance promotes and markets Northern Virginia outside the region and conducts activities and events to build the regional business community. Other members of NOVA EDA are the Alexandria Economic Development Partnership, Arlington County, City of Fairfax, City of Falls Church, Fauquier County, Loudoun County, City of Manassas, City of Manassas Park and the Prince William County Department of Economic Development.