The
following is an excerpt from the article.
"This
month, BusinessTN
introduced the Hot100,
an expanded revamp of the original Fast50.
Eligible companies are still required to be
Tennessee-based, employ at least five people and
have revenues in excess of $750,000. However,
this new list does more than just double the
number of companies profiled. It also expands
the criteria in an effort to include those more
established companies whose growth is remarkable
but who do not—cannot—keep pace with young
startup companies rocketing to early success.
Additional criteria includes employee growth,
growth over a period of years and growth as
compared to industry average. The Hot100 also
inescapably involves increased editorial
judgment. BusinessTN’s staff chose 33% of
the companies on this list based on knowledge of
the company’s success and references from
knowledgeable sources about area companies
performing well. That change made it all the
more difficult for applicants to make the list:
the number of applications submitted reached an
all-time high just as the percentage of
submitting companies selected for the list hit
an all-time low."
In sum, the inaugural Hot100 spotlights
companies from industries as wide ranging as
missile defense to barbecue. They are the
companies enriching our local and regional
economies, providing jobs and fueling the
Volunteer State’s entrepreneurial culture. The
stories behind these businesses speak volumes
about the value of free enterprise. They aren’t
a bad read, either.
