100 fastest-growing inner city businesses

From a high-tech commercial fishing outlet in Boston to a socially responsible apparel company in Oakland, there’s great variety in the types 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).

Of all the lessons Carlos Lopez learned during his 20 years in the United States 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 to connect people with new employment opportunities and to help 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 recruit interns from Georgia State University.

Caduceus Healthcare

Lamps.com stems from good market sense and a great URL. Company founder Chris DiMarco left Wall Street to maximize on a gap he saw in the online presence of lighting sales. Driven by the recent purchase of the “<a href="https://www.lamps.com/" target="_blank">Lamps.com</a>” URL and an entrepreneurial spirit, Chris and a team of investors (including Chris' longtime friend, current CEO Anthony Balsamo) created an impressive business in just five short years, achieving the title of fastest growing Philadelphia business in 2015. Chris and Anthony see Lamps.com as a haven for the “NEO” lighting shopper, and they attribute a large amount of their success to the experience they create for the client. This experience is enhanced by their team of experts, who help embody the company's core values. This talent is drawn to both the convenient inner city location (90% of employees live nearby) and the innovative model of Lamps.com.

Lamps.com

Britnie Turner founded Aerial with both a local and a global mission. Hoping to fund orphanages in impoverished areas of Africa through real estate investing, Turner bought her first house at 18 just after graduating from high school. After 3 years of failing and living in her car for several months, Britnie began rehabilitating homes in the inner city Nashville neighborhoods. She saw the immediate economic impact of those redevelopments and has since worked to scale this positive transformation. Aerial Development Group now focuses on urban revitalization throughout the Southeast. The company's triple-bottom line approach—judging their success on their positive impact on people and the planet, while also making a profit—attracts both employees and customers who are drawn to the company's mission of “Elevating People and Places.”

Aerial Development Group

Five years ago, two University of Michigan graduates Alex Riley and Paul Kaser set out on a mission to connect contractors to general and skilled construction labor. Determined to be a part of Detroit's revitalization, Riley and Kaser secured office space downtown and began a rapid growth spurt. In four short years, MeritHall matured into a regional player and was recognized as the fastest growing company in Michigan. Today, the company has expanded into landscaping, facility maintenance, and commercial driving staffing, as well as a brokerage of industry-specific raw materials and management consulting. MeritHall has been both a front-row witness to and a participant in the urban revitalization that is reshaping the Motor City.

MeritHall

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, and Gadberry credits some of this growth to urban location and the connections it has enabled him to make with the community.

Gadberry Construction

Tim Whitley's professional experience led him to a vision for a business (Team SI) that leverages data insights into integrated strategic marketing using both digital and traditional platforms. He calls it “TraDigital.” Having stepped ahead of the curve at the right time, Team SI has skyrocketed since its inception in 2010. Tim attributes this growth to smart decision-making, consistent R&amp;D, a motivated, customer-centric team, and following the “do right” rule. Strong partners like [hotlink]Google[/hotlink] stand by the value of this powerful combination. Philosophically, Team SI works to educate its customers, rather than just selling to them. Tim and his partners are also deeply connected to their community, engaging in many volunteer, thought leadership, and pro bono initiatives. Among many others, he serves on the board of the Arkansas Regional Innovation Hub, which was created to foster creative, entrepreneurial, and economic growth in the state.

Team SI

When asked to describe his company's culture in one word, Palmetto Construction CEO Casey Cusack doesn't hesitate: “Respect.” Cusack strives to make Palmetto Construction a company where people want to work, and he says current employees are his most trusted source for new employee referrals. Launched in 2010, when construction was at a low point, the company has quickly become a Central Ohio powerhouse. As development in the region continues to increase, Cusack is optimistic about Palmetto Construction's future and forecasts “steady, continued growth” into the future.

Palmetto Construction Services

TLN Worldwide Enterprises (dba 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/examination 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 not afraid to automate aspects of the business to make things run more smoothly but are also deeply focused on the human aspects of their work.

TLN Worldwide Enterprises

Keith Brown and John McElrath began State Traditions in 2007 with $7,000 and a camera they were able to barter for design services, aiming to create an apparel brand that was more relatable than aspirational. This has proven to be a winning formula. Today, their state-inspired clothing and accessories are now sold wholesale to retailers in 41 states and direct to consumers through State Traditions’ website. Through their rapid growth, the company has been firmly rooted in Birmingham, which the co-founders call both a supportive environment for entrepreneurs and a draw for recruiting new staff members.

State Traditions

Lorell Marin established LEEP Forward, a pediatric clinic, after working in education and early intervention and realizing there was a gap in care for children with special needs between the ages of three and five. Today, LEEP Forward has become a one-stop facility providing speech, occupational, developmental and mental health services for youth from birth to their teen years. Marin says that what sets her clinic apart is its high level of specialization and the continuous training and education her staff members receive. In addition, parents are always included as members of the team and provided special training as well. LEEP Forward will soon be opening two additional facilities, and Marin is taking a cross-country road trip to visit similar clinics in every state to provide trainings to help share knowledge about relationship-based treatment models.

LEEP Forward

The Top 10

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

100 Fastest-Growing Inner City Businesses

The Top 10