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Roaring 20, 2011

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Roaring20
Inside Business and Cherry, Bekaert & Holland LLP are excited to announce this year's winners of the Roaring 20 awards program, honoring 20 of Hampton Roads' most dynamic businesses. The Roaring 20 award not only highlights the region's fastest-growing companies, but also shares stories of determination, perseverance and fortitude. The winners prove that success is attainable, even in challenging economic times. For a company to be eligible for the Roaring 20 award, it must be headquartered in the Hampton Roads area and established prior to fiscal year 2008, realized gross revenues of at least $2 million in 2010 and experienced three years of growth. After nominations were submitted to Inside Business, CB&H conducted a short interview with the finalists and verified financial data.

All of the information was then provided to an advisory panel. Thank you to the following individuals for their willingness to participate in the Roaring 20 awards:
* Robert Boyd, president - Hampton Roads region, BB&T.
* Linda Ferguson, Ed.D., professor of marketing, Virginia Wesleyan College.
* C. Grigsby Scifres, partner, Williams Mullen.
* Barb Smith, partner, Cherry, Bekaert & Holland LLP.
* Warren Harris, director of economic development, Virginia Beach.
Thank you to all of the nominees for making the second year of this awards program a success. We are happy to recognize this year's Roaring 20 and hope to continue the awards tradition in 2012 and beyond.
Kurt W. Taves, CPA
Managing Partner, Hampton Roads Practice and Tax Services
Cherry, Bekaert & Holland LLP

Scroll down to meet the honorees.

  • A-Active Termite & Pest Control

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Kevin, Kordek, president and CEO

    Kevin, Kordek, president and CEO

    Founded 1995

    Business type Pest control

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.123bugfree.com

    Revenue $3.15 million in 2008, $3.25 million in 2009, $3.53 million in 2010

    Employees 31 in 2008, 33 in 2009, 35 in 2010

    As an entomologist and exterminator, Kevin Kordek does more than just evict roaches, rats and other vermin. His team at A-Active Termite & Pest Control gives customers peace of mind.

  • Apogee Solutions

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Dasha e. Little, president and CEO

    Dasha e. Little, president and CEO

    Founded 2002

    Business type Allied health management, military training and exercise management, and technology integration for the U.S. government and private-sector organizations.

    Based Chesapeake

    Website www.apogee.us.com

    Revenue $1.4 million in 2008, $3.8 million in 2009, $4.6 million in 2010

    Employees 27 in 2008, 36 in 2009, 54 in 2010

    From grooming soldiers for battle to nurturing those whose homecomings are challenged by injury, Apogee Solutions offers a continuum of training and support for the nation's military.

  • BOSH Global Services

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Bob Fitzgerald

    Bob Fitzgerald

    Founded 2003

    Business type Support services for unmanned aerial vehicles

    Based Newport News

    Website www.boshgs.com

    Revenue $11.62 million in 2008, $18.38 million in 2009, $19.62 million in 2010

    Employees 104 in 2008, 124 in 2009, 133 in 2010

    When Bob Fitzgerald retired as an Air Force communications officer in 2001, the service only had two unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, buzzing around the wild blue yonder. Today, it has upwards of 40, and Fitzgerald says the Air Force plans for a total of 65 in the next year or so.

  • DOMA Technologies

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Leti Feliciano, co-founder

    Leti Feliciano, co-founder

    Founded 2000

    Business type Document-management services

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.domaonline.com

    Revenue $7 million in 2008, $10.9 million in 2009, $19.5 million in 2010

    Employees 140 in 2008, 150 in 2009, 182 in 2010

    Thanks to some new contracts with the Department of Veterans Affairs, DOMA Technologies is beefing up troops at its corporate office in Virginia Beach.

    The document management firm will hire 25 to 50 new employees in the next three months, said Wayne DeAtley, chief operating officer.

  • East Coast Repair and Fabrication

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Jorge Rivera, president

    Jorge Rivera, president

    Founded 1999

    Business type Ship repair

    Based Norfolk

    Website www.ecrandf.com

    Revenue $22.68 million in 2008, $32.57 million in 2009, $67.6 million in 2010

    Employees 256 in 2008, 321 in 2009, 477 in 2010

    As president of East Coast Repair and Fabrication - not to mention the proud new owner of his own shipyard - Jorge Rivera attributes his success to dedicated employees, loyal customers, excellent mentors and a relentless stubborn streak.

  • Hobbs & Associates

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Brad Hobbs, president

    Brad Hobbs, president

    Founded 1956

    Business type HVAC products and engineering

    Based Norfolk

    Website www.hobbsassociates.com

    Revenue Up 25.06 percent in 2008, up 3.56 percent in 2009, up 8.87 percent in 2010

    Employees 54 in 2008, 61 in 2009, 74 in 2010

    Not many companies can say they air-condition the Pentagon. But Hobbs & Associates has been doing it since 2001.

    In fact, the Norfolk company had just installed an HVAC system in one of the Pentagon's wedge sections when the 9/11 attacks destroyed that part of the building.

  • Homeland Contracting Corp.

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Jennifer Crain, CEO

    Jennifer Crain, CEO

    Founded 2002

    Business type General construction

    Based Chesapeake

    Website www.homelandcontracting.com

    Revenue $6.4 million in 2008, $7.7 million in 2009, $24.8 million in 2010

    Employees 20 in 2008, 23 in 2009, 33 in 2010

  • Insignia Technology Services

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Fred O'Brien, CEO

    Fred O'Brien, CEO

    Founded 2006

    Business type Information technology

    Based Newport News

    Website www.insigniatechnology.com

    Revenue $7.3 million in 2008, $8.86 million in 2009, $10.95 millon in 2010

    Employees 64 in 2008, 90 in 2009, 72 in 2010

    When Fred O'Brien retired from the U.S. Army five years ago, he knew the military could still benefit from his expertise.

    The result is Insignia, a $10 million company that provides various forms of information technology that includes training software and records of military veterans.

  • Liberty Tax Service

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    John Hewitt, CEO

    John Hewitt, CEO

    Founded 1997

    Business type Income tax preparation

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.libertytax.com

    Revenue $201.84 million in 2008, $242.48 million in 2009, $291.69 million in 2-010

    Employees 347 in 2008, 366 in 2009, 375 in 2010

    What does Liberty Tax Service have that the industry's Goliath doesn't?

    For starters, nearly all of Liberty's 3,800 offices are franchises, compared with only 40 percent of H&R Block's largely corporate-owned locations.

  • Linxx Global Solutions

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Frank Cucci, CEO

    Frank Cucci, CEO

    Founded 2000

    Business type Educational, training, professional and program management services to government and commercial customers.

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.linxxglobal.com

    Revenue $7.98 million in 2008, $10.01 million in 2009, $17.73 million in 2010

    Employees 83 in 2008, 98 in 2009, 137 in 2010

    As Navy SEALs, Frank Cucci and Marty Strong learned the value of teamwork and cross-training. They integrate those ideals at LINXX Global Solutions, where 60 percent of corporate-office employees are former SEALs or special-ops veterans.

  • Lumber Liquidators

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Jeff Griffiths, CEO

    Jeff Griffiths, CEO

    Founded 1994

    Business type Specialty retailer of hardwood flooring

    Based Toano

    Website www.lumberliquidators.com

    Revenue $482 million in 2008, $544.57 million in 2009, $620 million in 2010

    Employees 788 in 2008, 934 in 2009, 1,191 in 2010

    With hardwood floors all the rage these days, a Toano-based national retailer is mopping up business by selling relatively affordable, high-quality flooring.

    Lumber Liquidators gets its products directly from mills, so retail prices are significantly lower, said CEO Jeff Griffiths.

  • Monarch Bank and Cos.

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Brad Schwartz, CEO

    Brad Schwartz, CEO

    Founded 1999

    Business type Banking and financial services

    Based Chesapeake

    Website www.monarchbank.com

    Revenue $50.6 million in 2008, $68.1 million in 2009, $92.7 million in 2010

    Employees 272 in 2008, 399 in 2009, 532 in 2010

    Someone forgot to tell Monarch Bank that it's not a good time to be a bank.

    Over the past two years a near-record number of banks have failed, big name banks have posted record losses, and the FDIC has tagged more than 10 percent of banks nationwide as "troubled."

  • Portfolio Recovery Associates Inc.

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Steve Fredrickson, chairman, president and CEO

    Steve Fredrickson, chairman, president and CEO

    Founded 1996

    Business type Financial services

    Based Norfolk

    Website www.portfoliorecovery.com

    Employees 2,032 in 2008, 2,213 in 2009, 2,500 in 2010

    In March 1996, Portfolio Recovery Associates opened its doors in the Pembroke area of Virginia Beach with four employees. The company went public in 2002 and now has operations in 10 states including Virginia, Pennsylvania, Tennessee, Illinois, Texas, Nevada, Kansas, Alabama, New Jersey and California.

  • Prevailance

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    John Owens, CEO

    John Owens, CEO

    Founded 2005

    Business type Strategic planning, project management, command and control, analysis and assessments, training and exercise and experimental support for government agencies.

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.prevailance.com

    Employees 27 in 2008, 32 in 2009, 36 in 2010

    When a group of retired Navy pilots founded Prevailance in 2005, they envisioned it as a consulting firm for U.S. naval aviation programs.

  • ProLog

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Hanse Hill, president

    Hanse Hill, president

    Founded 2000

    Business type Logistics and engineering services

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.pro-loginc.com

    Revenue $8.77 million in 2008, $13 million in 2009, $14.2 million in 2010

    Employees 69 in 2008, 137 in 2009, 127 in 2010

    Put simply, ProLog babysits the government's stuff.

    And there's a lot of it to watch over, says Hanse Hill, president of the Virginia Beach company that provides logistics and engineering services to the military and other federal clients.

  • Rehabilitation Associates

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Tracy Miller, left, and Sherry Johnson, owners

    Tracy Miller, left, and Sherry Johnson, owners

    Founded 1986

    Business type Pediatric occupational, physical and speech therapy

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.rehabilitationassociates.com

    Revenue $5.6 million in 2008, $6.4 million in 2009, $7.2 million in 2010

    Employees 141 in 2008; 149 in 2009; 166 in 2010

    From infants to toddlers to teens, Rehabilitation Associates helps restore the strength and spirit of its young patients.

  • Spectrum

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Jeffrey Wassmer, CEO

    Jeffrey Wassmer, CEO

    Founded 1999

    Business type Government contractor, intelligence systems

    Based Newport News

    Website www.sptrm.com

    Employees 214 in 2008, 277 in 2009, 310 in 2010,

    Spectrum made the huge leap recently from small business to large business in the Department of Defense contracting classification, said Jeffery Wassmer, CEO and founder, with a look of both apprehension and satisfaction.

    "There is no medium," he said.

  • SteelMaster Buildings

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    SteelMaster's three vice presidents-Anthony Bueno, left, Rob Poellnitz and Karen Willis

    SteelMaster's three vice presidents-Anthony Bueno, left, Rob Poellnitz and Karen Willis

    Founded 1982

    Business type Manufacturer of arched steel buildings

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.steelmasterusa.com

    Revenue 5 percent increase in 2008, 6 percent increase in 2009, 30 percent increase in 2010

    Employees Numbers not released to public

    Whether it's a luxury home in the Hamptons or a bulk-food warehouse in earthquake-ravaged Haiti, SteelMaster Buildings has sheltered its customers since 1982, and it continues to grow in the U.S. and abroad.

  • The GBS Group

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Bob Golden, CEO

    Bob Golden, CEO

    Founded 2006

    Business type Engineering consulting

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.thegbsgroup.us

    Revenue $4.9 million in 2008, $10.2 million in 2009, $16.3 million in 2010

    Employees 45 in 2008, 76 in 2009, 98 in 2010

    These days, when engineers need to tweak complicated systems aboard a tanker, in a skyscraper or on an offshore oil platform, they can do so with just three words:

    "Pass the remote."

  • Valkyrie Enterprises

    Posted: November 8, 2011

    Gary Lisota, CEO and president

    Gary Lisota, CEO and president

    Founded 2007

    Business type Engineering and technical services

    Based Virginia Beach

    Website www.valkyrieenterprises.com

    Revenue $5.3 million in 2008, $9.1 million in 2009, $14.6 million in 2010

    Employees 64 in 2008, 92 in 2009, 140 in 2010