Growth awards recognize companies representative of overall market growth

John McDonagh

The mix of industries represented by this group is a great indication that the recovery is not restricted to a particular sector, but is rather spread across a variety of industries. The diversity of the group ranges from food service to dentistry, realtors to technology and energy to auto making. They range from start-ups which are a few months old to companies well into their third and fourth decade.

Eight of the finalists are companies who employ STEM (science, technology, engineering & math) jobs. Four of the companies have been finalists in the Business Growth Awards previously. In total, these companies represent nearly 200 jobs in the region, having added nearly a fourth of those positions in the last year. Additionally, more than half of them report plans to add positions this year.

Growing the economy and creating quality jobs are what will provide the economic vitality called for in the Clark County Economic Development Plan, finalized in the fall of 2011.
While 2013 was a very good year for these companies, most of them report a growth trend they have maintained for years. This tells us that they were growing through the most challenging of economic times – no small feat in and of itself.

We invite all companies in the community showing growth to join in the Business Growth Awards each year, though we recognize some companies are not able to due to time constraints or corporate mandates.

This year’s class of companies we’re confident are indicative of the tenacity and dedication it takes to grow a company in the best of times, let alone on the heels of the economic turbulence with which we’ve all been dealing.

These 14 companies are not the only signs of growth here. Commercial developments are beginning to come out of the ground across the region, residential home sales continue to improve over the previous year with the latest information indicating “New Closed” and “New Pending Sales” are up 10 percent or better.
In his monthly report on the local real estate market, Mike Lamb of Windermere Real Estate/Stellar Group reports that, “this market is continuing to improve at a pace that is healthy and sustainable.”

A huge difference about our growth edition this year is that there are indicators all around the region that the economy and our communities are growing. A few short years ago we were wondering when those who were patiently waiting on the sidelines would jump in and kick-start the economy. Well, they are coming back, they are kicking in the necessary capital and the region is beginning to show signs of growth.

James Cash Penney, founder of retailer JC Penney, once said, “Growth is never by mere chance. It is the result of forces working together.”

It is great to be on this side of the recession, in this region, to be working together and growing the economy.

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