Inner City 100

inner city 100

From an organic candy shop in Oakland, Calif. to a towing company based in Texas, there is a wide swath of businesses thriving in America’s urban centers and creating jobs where they are needed most. Here are this year's 100 fastest-growing inner city companies, as ranked by the <a href="http://www.icic.org/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Initiative for a Competitive Inner City</a> (ICIC).

Clason Point Partners provides IT, logistics, administrative, and acquisition support services to both government and commercial clients. Under the dynamic leadership of Albert Cruz and Raul Collado, this government-services provider has been able to grow immensely over the past five years—skyrocketing from annual revenues of $100,000 to over $4.5 million in only five years. Cruz and Collado use each project as an opportunity to showcase their "dogmatic commitment to quality and customer service" with a results-oriented focus on efficiency. Additionally, they aim to provide CPP employees with a fair compensation package and create an environment of respect for one another and pride in the work that they do. Looking ahead, Cruz and Collado are working towards maintaining the firm's growth while effectively managing the resulting changes.

Clason Point Partners

SUPRA is operated across two separate industries: the office products industry and the laboratory and research supply. It also works in the pharmaceutical industry by way of its acquisition of EMSCO. SUPRA was founded by four African-American males who had previous experience working in and aiding the vast growth of another office products company. SUPRA/EMSCO, is headquartered in Philadelphia, with a national customer base. Customers include small businesses, non-profits, schools, prestigious major universities, and Fortune 1000 customers over a cross section of industries. The four principals first credit God's blessings for their growth and success. The company has contributed substantially over the years to a diversity of community causes. It is dedicated to national expansion and eventual international growth.

SUPRA Office Solutions/EMSCO Scientific Enterprises

Seeing a market opportunity for an organic candy bar, Denis Ring committed to making products that were delicious, organic, affordable, and fun. Denis wanted to democratize the organic confectionary market by making it easy for anyone to buy organic candy and feel good about it. Fast forward seven years, and Ocho Candy is one of the fastest-growing confection companies in North America. Two years ago, OCHO invested in a unique, high-tech European production line that increased capacity significantly. The company now sells organic products at major national grocery stores like Whole Foods, Kroger, Stop and Shop, Costco, and Star Market. Located in inner-city Oakland, Ocho Candy hires locally to support the community and is committed to staying in the neighborhood.

Ocho Candy

Established in 2010, Team SI is a data-driven marketing firm whose designers, strategists, and data specialists create unique customer experiences for clients using digital and social media platforms. Team SI developed its own proprietary system called Doppio that pairs the most sophisticated aggregated and automated data analytics platform available with insights and instincts of their certified professional staff to optimize campaign effectiveness. It is a Google partner since 2012 and was named to Silicon Review's 50 Innovative Companies to Watch list in 2016. Team SI is perhaps best known for coining the term "TraDigital," the art of blending traditional and digital marketing, which they build into each data-driven marketing plan. Team SI represents local, regional, and national clients in a variety of categories, including agriculture and equipment, healthcare, and higher education.

Team SI

Of all the lessons Carlos Lopez learned during his 20 years in the U.S. Marines, one in particular has stayed with him: always take care of each other. Now the CEO of Caduceus Healthcare, Lopez strives to implement this idea for both employees and customers. A medical staffing firm, Caduceus acts as a conduit between workers and potential employers, generally medical facilities operated by the government. Lopez appreciates the chance work through the stereotypes or concerns that prospective employees may have about working in a military hospital or other federal institution. Headquartered in downtown Atlanta, Caduceus is able to draw on a dedicated workforce and regularly recruits interns from Georgia State University. As the company continues to grow and diversify, venturing further into the commercial sector, Lopez and his team will seek to maintain their culture of loyalty and dedication to one another.

Caduceus Healthcare

The Leading Niche uses data and cutting-edge consulting to deliver '"actionable intelligence" to commercial and government customers in domestic and international markets. These services include big data, cybersecurity, regulatory, compliance, and investigative consulting. The Leading Niche is able to surpass other players in its space by being more nimble than large competitors and more efficient and experienced than small competitors. CEO Tamara Nall and her team are deeply focused on the human aspects of their work. Ethics is a top priority, and Nall recalls turning down multi-million dollar contracts due to ethical concerns. In the future, she hopes to develop her company's expertise into a software product to more easily deliver some of The Leading Niche's key services. The company is headquartered in Harlem and over a third of the employees live in underserved communities.

The Leading Niche

Lamps.com is a lighting and design company with two distinct divisions: online storefront and design services. The online storefront part is aimed at serving the individual in search of design inspiration, as well as the trade professionals seeking a reliable and resourceful partner. The design services sector partners with architects, interior designers, and multi-unit developers to create meaningful experiences through lighting and design. Company founder Chris DiMarco left Wall Street and joined his longtime friend, current CEO Anthony Balsamo, and a team of investors to maximize on a gap he saw in the online presence of lighting sales.

Lamps.com

Our people, excellence in execution, customer satisfaction, and integrity are the core values that govern how CBS conducts business and establishes relationships with employees, strategic partners, and valued customers. CBS is a national award-winning management and information technology firm that was founded in 2007 and is headquartered in Washington, D.C. CEO and Founder Robert Palmer seeks to engage professionals, including military veterans, interested in applying their skills in one of CBS' five core capability areas: financial management, program and project management, acquisition lifecycle management, logistics and operations management, and information technology (IT). As the company continues to grow, the CBS leadership team is focusing on supporting customers' IT requirements such as cybersecurity, collaborative environments, and web capabilities.

Creative Business Solutions

Six years ago, Lauren Checki set out to create a law firm that would provide clients with all of the resources and advantages of a large firm, while maintaining the high-degree of personal attention typically only found in boutique firms. Started in a one-room office with only $14,000 in the bank, Checki and her partner Galen Hair quickly established a reputation for offering forward-thinking and unique solutions to legal problems while maintaining superior customer service. Today, Scott, Vicknair, Hair &amp; Checki has matured into a mid-size law firm serving clients across the United States and internationally. As its growth continues, Lauren and Galen remain committed to putting clients first, as well as volunteerism and pro bono work within the New Orleans community.

Scott, Vicknair, Hair & Checki

Dustin Gadberry founded Gadberry Construction while still in college, in the midst of a local building boom. Through growing pains and leaner economic times, the company's growth has continued to skyrocket. Gadberry Construction's customer base now includes both public and private sector clients in Dallas, Houston, and Austin. A key to its success is finding the right leadership team, that has in turn recruited a roster of some of the area's brightest talent.

Gadberry Construction Company

The Top 10

Here are this year's 100 fastest-growing inner city companies, as ranked by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City.

Inner City 100

Inner City 100 Ranking (2017)