Athens, Ga. – One hundred of the fastest-growing companies owned or operated by University of Georgia alumni were honored Jan. 21 in Atlanta when the UGA Alumni Association announced the rankings of the 2012 Bulldog 100: Fastest Growing Bulldog Businesses.
This year’s top business is jobTopia, helmed by 1993 UGA graduate Anthony Moore. Based in Alpharetta, jobTopia specializes in job placement in the finance, accounting and information technology industries.
“The Bulldog 100 is a new award for jobTopia; this is our first year,” Moore said. “We’re telling our employees and congratulating them for their hard work and sharing the news with our customers.”
The Atlanta accounting firm Gifford, Hillegass and Ingwersen LLP has partnered with the UGA Alumni Association since the inception of the program three years ago to verify the information submitted by each nominated company. GH&I then ranks the companies based on their compounded annual growth rate.
Nominations were collected between January and September 2011. To be considered for the program, an organization must have been in business for at least five years, had revenues of $100,000 or more for the calendar year 2008 and be owned or operated by a former UGA student who owns at least 50 percent of the company or is the CEO, president or managing partner. The program recognizes the fastest-growing businesses, regardless of size, by focusing on a three-year growth rate average.
More than 700 nominations were submitted for this year’s program. The class of 2012 includes companies of all sizes and services, ranging from athletics equipment producers to web design and Internet marketing firms. Several different areas of the country are represented, including companies from Connecticut, Nebraska and New Mexico.
UGA alumni and friends gathered with the honorees at the Marriott Marquis in downtown Atlanta for the celebration. The evening included a reception, dinner and awards ceremony. Keynote speaker Deborah Norville, anchor of “Inside Edition” and a 1979 UGA graduate, led attendees to the highlight of the evening—the release of the final rankings and countdown of the 2012 Bulldog 100.
“The UGA Alumni Association is thrilled to honor our graduates who demonstrate an entrepreneurial spirit and commitment to excellence that bring honor to their alma mater,” said Deborah Dietzler, executive director of the UGA Alumni Association. “We are proud of the accomplishments of these alumni, whose achievements during the great recession are noteworthy indeed.”
Nominations for the 2013 Bulldog program will open Jan. 30. For the full listing and rankings of the 2012 honorees, photos of the celebration banquet and sponsorship information, see www.alumni.uga.edu/b100.
The following is a list of the top 10 winners of the Bulldog 100 by company name, location, web address, honoree and graduation year:
1. jobTopia, Alpharetta, www.jobTopiaLLC.com, Anthony Moore (1993)
2. Evoshield, Bogart, www.evoshield.com, Bob Pinckney (1982)
3. CTS Protective Services Inc., Fort Oglethorpe, www.ctshomesecurity.com, Ryan Cook and Ty Cook (2008 and 2009)
4. White Oak Pastures, Bluffton, www.whiteoakpastures.com, Will Harris (1976)
5. Quickoffice Inc., Plano, Texas, www.Quickoffice.com, Alan Masarek (1982)
6. Snapfinger, Alpharetta, www.snapfinger.com, Jim Garrett (1980)
7. Velocity Technology Partners, Athens, www.vtechpartners.com, Joseph Moon (1997)
8. Buckhead Preparatory Preschool LLC, Atlanta, www.buckheadprep.com, Tammy Wingate (1991)
9. LTC Tree, Sandy Springs, http://ltc.com/, Darrick Wilkins (1998)
10. Mom Corps, Atlanta, www.momcorps.com, Allison O’Kelly (1994)
For a complete list of the Bulldog 100, see http://www.alumni.uga.edu/alumni/index.php/bulldog100/2012_fin_ranked.
