Boston businesses vie for Inner City 100 title
Seven Boston businesses will be among those considered for inclusion on the 10th annual Inner City 100, a national competition that seeks to find and rank fast-growing companies in the nation's inner cities.
The competition is sponsored by the Initiative for a Competitive Inner City, a Boston-based nonprofit focused on fostering healthy urban economies, and Inc., a magazine that reports on growing companies and entrepreneurs.
The Boston companies that are candidates to make this year's list are the multicultural marketing firm Argus; the food-service company City Fresh Foods; Commonwealth Worldwide Chauffeured Transportation, whose client list for limousine service includes the Boston Symphony Orchestra and the Boston Pops; and the Dancing Deer Baking Co. (above)
Rounding out the list of local candidates are Roxbury Technology, which manufactures and recycles printer cartridges; Suffolk Construction; and Tech Networks of Boston, which sells used personal computers and offers technology consulting and training services.
The Boston companies were honored at a City Hall event today attended by Mayor Thomas M. Menino and sponsored by the Boston Redevelopment Authority.
The Inner City 100 rankings, including the company that ranks first, will be announced May 1st at a ceremony at the Boston Convention & Exhibition Center.
The company that topped last year's list was TerraHealth, a consulting firm based in San Antonio, that helps healthcare delivery systems get the services of contract medical professionals in 32 states.
To qualify for the award, companies are required to have at least 51 percent of their operations in an economically distressed urban area, have a five-year sales history, and fifth-year sales of at least $1 million; a factor in ranking companies is total revenue growth over a five-year period.
The Initiative for a Competitive Inner City was founded by Michael E. Porter, a professor at Harvard Business School.
(By Chris Reidy, Globe staff)
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