HOUSTON
Oct. 18, 2002 – Labrada
Nutrition, a Houston-based leader in sports and fitness
nutrition, was named one of America’s fastest growing
privately held companies by Inc magazine last week. The magazine
recently released its 2002 Inc 500 ranking of the nation’s
top 500 entrepreneurial growth leaders.
(Click
here to read the article at Inc.com)
Labrada
Nutrition experienced 546 percent growth in the past five years, and
achieved No. 432 out of the list of 500 companies.
"It is extremely exciting to be named an Inc 500 company,"
says President and CEO Lee Labrada. "It’s just wonderful
to be recognized in this way for such a motivated and driven team. We’ve
got a lot to be proud of."
Started
in 1982, the Inc 500 ranks the nation’s leading entrepreneurial
firms according to sales growth over the previous five years. Former
Inc 500 companies that have gone on to become household names include
Microsoft, Timberland, Domino’s Pizza and Patagonia.
The 2002
Inc 500 reveals a surprising resiliency within the entrepreneurial sector,
where leading companies are continuing to show dramatic rates of growth
despite the recession.
"This
is the first Inc 500 ranking to reflect the full impact of the recession,"
says Inc editor John Koten. "Yet these entrepreneurs are managing
to confound the naysayers and move ahead despite the obstacles. They’re
showing that smart strategies can succeed even in the toughest of times."
To be eligible
for this year’s Inc 500, companies had to be independent and privately
held through their fiscal year 2001, have at least $200,000 in sales
in the base year of 1997, and their 2001 sales had to have exceeded
2000 sales. Inc verifies all information using tax forms and financial
statements from certified public accountants and by conducting interviews
with company officials.
*****
Inc, the premier magazine for growing companies, may be accessed online
at www.inc.com. The
magazine is owned by Gruner & Jahr USA, one of the top-ranked magazine
publishers in the U.S., reaching one of the largest readerships in America.
In addition to Inc, Gruner & Jahr USA publishes Child, Family Circle,
Fast Company, Fitness, Inc, Parents, and YM. G&J USA is 25.1% owned
by the Jahr Group and 74.9% owned by Bertelsmann AG, the largest privately
held and the fifth largest media company overall in the world with yearly
revenues at $17.86 billion
