Posted: August 27, 2010

By Bill Cresenzo

bill.cresenzo@insidebiz.com

Four Hampton Roads companies have made the Inc. 500 list of the county's fastest-growing, privately held companies.

Each year, Inc. Magazine compiles a list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private U.S. companies. This year the top 500 had aggregate revenues of $11.3 billion, down from $18.4 billion in 2009. However, median three-year growth stood at 1,231 percent, up from 880.5 percent last year. The four Hampton Roads companies that made the list had combined revenues of $38.9 million. They are:

• Andromeda Systems - The Virginia Beach company ranked 272nd on the list, with a three-year growth rate of 1,129 percent. Its revenues in 2009 were $5.8 million. The company was founded in 2005 by John Kobelski and John W. Henson in 2005. It performs maintenance engineering for a variety of sectors, showing business and the government how to save money by efficiently maintaining their systems and equipment. The company now has 65 employees.

  "We are in the business to save customers money and that has led us to where we are today," Kobelski said.

• Insignia Technology Services - The Newport News company ranked 29th on the list. It had a three-year growth of 6,420 percent and had revenues of $16.1 million.

  The company is primarily a defense contractor, offering IT services such as software engineering and development. When President David La-Clair started the business in 2006, he had one employee. Now he has 95.

  "We provide a good service, and we are in the right market," La-Clair said. "Being in the government sector, things haven't slowed down as much as other industries. And a lot of our business is from repeat customers."

• Marathon Consulting - The information technology company is based in Virginia Beach. It ranked 466th on the list with a growth rate of 643 percent since it launched in 2006. It had revenues of $2.5 million and provides technology services to businesses, nonprofits and local governments.

  "One of our founding principles was to hire the best individuals we could find, give them the tools and methods that would ensure the delivery of high quality, high value services, and build around that group," President Al Moore said.

• Global Supply Solutions - The Virginia Beach company ranked 338 on the list and had a growth rate of 879 percent. Its revenues were $14.5 million. The company sells tactical outdoor equipment to the military, law enforcement and civilians. It also provides logistical services. nib