(Leah Hogsten | The Salt Lake Tribune) GoalZero's COO Bart Miller (right) talks with solar enthusiasts about his solar powered kits at the International Sportsmen's Expo trade show at the South Towne Exposition Center Thursday March 17, 2011. GoalZero has donated 1,000 solar power kits to help victims of the earthquake in Japan.

Utah companies honored for growth, job creation

Performance » “Top 25 Under Five Awards” are presented annually by the Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum.

By Vince Horiuchi

| The Salt Lake Tribune

First Published Jul 13 2012 08:18 am • Last Updated Oct 30 2012 11:32 pm

What do college textbooks, athletic tape and emergency food storage have in common? They all come from some of the fastest-growing companies in Utah.

The Utah Valley Entrepreneurial Forum, a group of entrepreneurs, investors and startup companies, this week announced the winners of its annual "Top 25 Under Five Awards," which are given to Utah companies that have been around less five years and that have had outstanding performance in terms of revenue growth and job creation.

The awards were presented during a luncheon at the Novell building in Provo.

"The type of companies [honored] have changed very significantly over the years, but this crop is no less dynamic," said John Pilmer, a member of the forum’s board of directors. "They’re either technology-related or they seemed to leverage technology to get where they are. So many are offering online services that weren’t even possible a decade and a half ago."

Pilmer said the top 25 businesses created 600 jobs and generated more than $135 million in revenue.

The top award went to Ogden-based CampusBookRentals.com, which rents college textbooks to students via mail order and an online site. The company, which says it can save students from 50 percent to 85 percent versus buying new or used books, recently shipped its 1 millionth book.

The rest of the top 25 were:

2. Goal Zero (Bluffdale) » Designs and manufactures portable solar-power systems for appliances and electronics.

3. SEO.com (Bluffdale) » Search marketing firm that analyzes web traffic and brand awareness.

4. KT Tape (Orem) » Produces athletic tape to treat sports injuries.

5. The Ready Project (Lindon) » Seller of food storage and emergency preparedness packages.

6. OraBrush (Provo) » Designed an FDA-approved tongue cleaner to cure bad breath.

7. BizVision (Midvale) » Helps businesses use video for their online and communications.

8. DomainMarket.com (Orem) » Sells premium domain names to entrepreneurs and businesses.

9. Persnickety Clothing Company (American Fork) » Designs and sells children’s clothing.

10. Simplicity Laser (Lehi) » Laser hair removal service.

11. Leadgenix (Provo) » Internet marketing and search engine optimization firm.

12. Arellia (American Fork) » IT security and services.

13. Oozle Media (Sandy) » Internet marketing firm.

14. Driving Sales (Salt Lake City) » Data company for auto dealers.

15. Scalar Analytics (Sandy) » Provides statistical analysis and valuation of companies.

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