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Nominations Open for South Carolina's Fastest-Growing Companies 2010

GREENVILLE, S.C., May 11, 2010 – Nominations are now being accepted for South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2010, the acclaimed annual program which recognizes the achievements of South Carolina’s top-performing private and publicly-owned companies. The 2010 program includes slight adjustments to ranking criteria to allow organizations hit hard in 2009 by the national economy’s downturn to be eligible and compete.

Now in its ninth year, the exclusive ranking honors the achievements of the fastest-growing companies across the state for their numerous contributions to South Carolina's economy.

New for 2010 is a shift in the closely-guarded ranking system to allow “organizations with a strong track record of success, but which may have experienced unusual difficulty in 2009 due to the national economy’s downturn, to remain competitive in the program,” noted Dan Adams, chairman of The Capital Corporation, presenting sponsor of South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies.

“For 2010, companies will be judged on their growth in gross revenues (or assets) and full-time employment over a two-year period,” said Adams. “Our ranking system will evaluate the organization’s change in revenue or assets, and its increase in full-time employment in South Carolina, between the period of year-end 2007 and year-end 2009, instead of over just a one-year timeframe. This will allow organizations with a history of smart, strategic growth to compete and perhaps win the Fastest-Growing Companies program. And for the many businesses we’ve heard from which assumed that, because of 2009’s nearly-universal downturn, they had no chance to contend, this gives them the opportunity they need to shine.”

To be eligible for honors, all nominees must complete the nomination form, available at www.thecapitalcorp.com, including three years of revenue/asset and employment information along with basic company information. Nominations may be submitted by companies directly or by third parties, and will be evaluated for completeness and ranked by a review panel from The Capital Corporation based solely on responses received.

The Top 25 highest-ranking companies will be honored at South Carolina’s Chamber of Commerce Annual Summit on Nov. 11, 2010 at Wild Dunes Resort near Charleston, S.C.

Presented annually by The Capital Corporation to top performing businesses, South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies is co-sponsored in 2010 by Dixon Hughes, PLLC, the largest accounting firm based in the Southern U.S.; and by SC Biz News, LLC, and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.

The program annually recognizes an exceptional and diverse assembly of businesses from across the state among its Top 25 winners, with 2009 winners representing a broad cross section of industries and business categories, including advertising, construction, financial services/insurance, industrial services, information technology, manufacturing and distribution, professional services, retail, staffing and transportation. Direct Source Imports, LLC of Mount Pleasant was honored as the state’s fastest-growing company in 2009.

To encourage eligible businesses to participate in the 2010 program, a broad-based branding and awareness campaign will be underway shortly in media markets across the state and via Internet channels, viral marketing and grassroots public relations efforts, added South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies program director Cristina Schleifer of The Capital Corporation.

“We want to encourage as many eligible businesses as possible to consider nominating their organization, or even a vendor or affiliate, for consideration in this important honors program,” said Schleifer. “By doing so, they can benefit from expanded awareness of their organization, networking with other top business executives, positive employee morale and regional/national recognition. It’s a great opportunity for Palmetto State businesses.”

The Top 25 companies will be featured in a regional print and broadcast advertising and publicity campaign, Schleifer added

To learn more about South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies, or to nominate your organization, visit www.thecapitalcorp.com or contact Cristina Schleifer at (864) 672-8400.