‘Mercury 100’ honors fastest-growing

Few local business-related events generate as much enthusiasm – and fun – as the Mercury 100, honoring the fastest-growing private companies in Northern Colorado!

Locally based private companies are ranked based on two-year revenue growth, in this case from 2011 to 2013. We publish five lists, or Flights, recognizing 20 companies within each. The 2013 revenue for Flight I must be more than $20 million, Flight II with revenues between $7.1 and $20 million, Flight III with revenues between $3.2 and $7 million, Flight IV with revenues between $1.4 and $3.1 million, and Flight V with revenues between $150,000 and $1.4 million.

For me, Mercury is probably my favorite event because it fosters connection with fast-growing, high-energy companies that are led by some amazing entrepreneurs. Who could not be energized by speaking with executives who have led their company to 315 percent growth? That was the case with Aggie Plumbing & Service Inc., which jumped from $360,000 in revenue in 2011 to $1.6 million last year.

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Or how about Madwire Media, which grew from $4.2 million in revenue two years ago to $13.4 million last year? That represents growth of 214 percent.

Together, Aggie and Madwire represent two very different companies, each experiencing amazing growth. However, with the Mercury 100 we see companies from marketing, technology, construction, transportation, printing, professional services, health care, real estate and retail.

Therein lies another reason that Mercury 100 has become my favorite event: the variety of industries represented, and the intermingling that occurs as these entrepreneurs gather in one room.

Some years, the Mercury lists might be dominated by one sector or another. During the heyday of economic growth, Northern Colorado’s list saw many construction-related companies, for example. (Come to think of it, this year’s lists also include many such companies, signaling that the construction sector is bouncing back.)

But Mercury, for the most part, is all about diversity in terms of the industries represented.

This is the 15th year that BizWest (formerly the Northern Colorado Business Report) has presented awards based on this list. It actually started as a list of 75 companies in 1997, and has grown and evolved with the economy. This year sets a precedent for a new and innovative way to look at the data that allows for a comparison of companies with like size and earnings, rather than with companies much larger or smaller.

The 2014 Mercury 100 rankings are based on revenue figures for 2010 and 2011 submitted to the BizWest research department. A random verification of revenues was conducted by the accounting and consulting firm of Anton Collins Mitchell. All businesses based in Larimer and Weld counties that submitted revenue figures were eligible for consideration.

My thanks goes out to our event sponsors: Anton Collins Mitchell Accountants and Consultants; First National Bank; Windsong Estate Events Center; Palmer Flowers; Mercedes Benz of Loveland; Poudre Valley REA; Employer Solutions Group; The Monfort College of Business; The Better Business Bureau serving Northern Colorado and Wyoming; and DaVinci Sign Systems Inc.

Thanks to our chief researcher, Mariah Tauer, for her work on the Mercury 100 lists.

Congratulations to all companies, large and small, for the terrific comeback that you have made in recent years. All the best in 2014!

Jeff Nuttall can be reached at 970-232-3131 or jnuttall@bizwestmedia.com.