Elliott Davis, LLC and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce Seek South Carolina's Most Successful Companies

GREENVILLE, SC – February 14, 2008 – Elliott Davis, LLC, the largest accounting and business advisory firm headquartered in S.C., announced that it will begin accepting nominations for the South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2008 program on Feb. 15, 2008. The deadline for entries is May 16, 2008. The Top 25 highest-ranking companies will be honored at South Carolina’s Chamber of Commerce Annual Summit event on Nov. 13, 2008 at the Wild Dunes Resort near Charleston, S.C.

Now in its seventh year, the exclusive ranking, co-sponsored by Elliott Davis and the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce, recognizes the achievements of top-performing private and publicly-owned companies that have contributed to South Carolina’s economy. The ranking system tabulates results based on a combination of increases in gross revenue (or assets) and increases in full-time employment in South Carolina in the most recently completed fiscal year as compared to the previous year end.

“It’s always exciting to see the quality of the high-growth companies from all across the Palmetto state that compete for top ranking in the South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies program. We at Elliott Davis are privileged to honor these companies which have contributed to South Carolina’s economic growth,” stated Todd Mitchell, firm chairman.

Nominations

All nominees must complete a nomination form, available at www.scfgc.com which includes two years of revenue/asset and employment information along with basic company information. These nominations may be submitted by companies directly or by third parties.

All nominees must be: Headquartered in South Carolina; Have been in operation for at least two full fiscal years; Have reported revenues of at least $3 million ($50 million in assets for financial institutions) in the state of South Carolina in the most recently completed fiscal year.

All entries should be sent to: SC Fastest-Growing Companies 2008 Elliott Davis, LLC P.O. Box 6286 Greenville, SC 29606 Phone: 864/242-3370 or 800/503-4721 Fax: 864/232-7161 Email: [email protected]

Submittals will be compiled, evaluated for completeness and ranked by a review panel from Elliott Davis. Elliott Davis will tabulate the South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies list based solely on responses received. Rankings will be determined by using a weighted equation of increase in gross revenues (or assets) and increase in full-time employees. Revenues and employment figures must be for South Carolina only and cannot reflect increases due to mergers or acquisitions.

The Top 25 highest-ranking companies will be recognized through a state-wide print and broadcast publicity campaign including:

• Featured in South Carolina Business 2009 magazine debuting at the South Carolina Chamber’s Annual Summit in the fall of 2008.
• The top three winners will be featured on ETV Radio’s South Carolina Business Review.
• The first place winning company will be featured in a full page color ad in a leading news publication.
• Invitation to attend the award presentation ceremony at the S.C. Chamber of Commerce’s prestigious annual summit event.
• Increased company awareness with the South Carolina business community.
• Enhanced employee morale and retention Better results from company recruiting efforts 2007 Competition Synopsis.

The South Carolina’s Fastest-Growing Companies 2007 winners covered a wide array of industries, including financial services, construction, manufacturing, professional services, and technology. With the exception of technology, which experienced a bit of a dip nationally, the big winners last year, both nationally and statewide, experienced growth in unprecedented numbers, with the biggest growth coming out of the financial services sector.

Last year’s 25 top performers also cover a broad spectrum in terms of size, industry sector and geographic locations. From the Upstate, which included Duncan, Easley, Greenville and Spartanburg, to the Midlands which included Columbia and North Augusta, to the Coastal/Lowcountry region which included Charleston, Conway, Hilton Head, Ladson, Mount Pleasant, Myrtle Beach and Summerville, the 2007 winners showed a favorable spread across all regions.

Overall, there were 12 cities represented among last year’s entrants, with the highest number of entries clustered in the Coastal/Lowcountry areas.

Among the top 25 2007 winners, 16 companies reported revenues greater than $10 million annually with the largest having assets over $465 million. Last year’s winners were primarily private businesses who attributed their astonishing success to lean, strong labor, increased productivity, unparalleled customer service, and prudent long-term financial planning. The 2007 winners increased their gross revenues from 90% to an astounding 397%.

The 2007 winner was Tricor Construction Inc., a Spartanburg, S.C. construction company. First place went to Force Protection Industries, Inc., a Ladson, S.C. manufacturer of military vehicles. Second place went to Customer Effective Inc. of Greenville, S.C., a software consulting firm.

ABOUT ELLIOTT DAVIS, LLC

Since 1925, Elliott Davis has been the accounting and business advisory firm that improves the financial management of emerging and middle market clients by offering a comprehensive array of accounting and business advisory services. Today, Elliott Davis is one of the largest accounting and business advisory firms in the Southeast, and among the top five companies awarded as “2007 Best Places to Work in South Carolina.”

Elliott Davis’ affiliates include Elliott Davis Capital Partners, LLC, a regional investment banking firm; Elliott Davis Technology Solutions, LLC, a leading full-service network integration and security provider; Elliott Davis Wealth Management Services, LLC, which helps individuals achieve personal financial goals by providing planning, investment, insurance and brokerage services; and Retirement Plan Advantage, LLC, providing a broad range of qualified retirement plan services. The firm is a member of The Leading Edge Alliance, an international professional association of independently-owned accounting and consulting firms based in the U.S., and is strategically aligned with LEA Europe and LEA Asia Pacific, a worldwide network of 280 offices in 50 countries around the globe.

For more information about Elliott Davis and its services, visit www.elliottdavis.com.