Inc. 500 List Honors Two Arkansas Companies

Two Arkansas companies made Inc. magazine’s 500 list, an annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation.

Bell-Corley Construction, based in Little Rock, and EagleOne Logistics, of Fort Smith, made this year’s list. Inc. measures the growth of independent companies during the past three years. Companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2002. The minimum revenue required to make the list is $600,000.

Bell-Corley placed 44th overall and second in the construction industry. The company experienced a three-year growth rate of 1,266.8 percent and now has revenue of $24.8 million. Much of the company’s success is due to Wal-Mart Stores Inc., so it now has a satellite office in Rogers.

About 40 percent of Bell-Corley’s revenue is from Wal-Mart vendors opening or expanding their offices. Another key for the company is Starbucks Coffee Co., which has also opened several locations around Northwest Arkansas. Bell-Corley was founded in 2001 and employees 40.

EagleOne made the list at No. 371. The company experienced 381.9 percent growth over the three-year period. The company had revenue of $21.4 million. EagleOne was founded in 1995 and now employees 114. The company provides distribution and warehousing services, but focuses on courier services. Inc. said EagleOne’s progress is motivated by co-founder Greg Hasley’s desire for fast growth. Hasley bought out his partners in 2000 and has since opened nine new offices for a total of 16.

The 2006 list is dominated by 66 companies from California. New York and Virginia tied for second in the states with 34. The cities with the most Inc. 500 companies were Washington, D.C. (43), New York City (42) and Los Angeles (25).

Since Inc. debuted the annual list in 1982, just 27 companies from Arkansas have made the lists.