The Philadelphia Business Journal has published a list of the fastest-growing publicly traded companies in the Philadelphia metro based on 2011 to 2012 revenue increase percentages.
The tenth fastest growing was Epam Systems, Inc. of Newtown, PA. A software development servicer, Epam experienced a 29.7% revenue growth last year, an increase of nearly $5 million in profits under the leadership of CEO Arkadiy Dobkin. Epam utilizes delivery centers in Central and Eastern Europe for its complex software engineering and technology services designed primarily for clients in the tech industry.
The ninth fastest growing was Prudential Bancorp Inc. Prudential Bancorp, chaired by Tom Vento, is a community bank with traditional banking and lending services. In 2011, it saw a 42.2% increase in profits, raising its net income from $112,000 to $2.6 million.
In the eighth spot was DFC Global Corp. of Berwyn, PA. DFC offers banking and financial services to individuals who don’t have access to traditional banking sources. Led by CEO Jeff Weiss, DFC’s revenue grew 34.67% from 2011 to 2012, reaching $1.1 billion. Much of that growth comes from ventures into internet and secured pawn lending.
The seventh fastest growing company in the Philadelphia metro was Auxilium Pharmaceuticals of Malvern, PA. Between 2011 and 2012, Auxilium, which develops pharmaceutical products that focus on urology and sexual health, grew its revenue by 49.6%. CEO Adrian Adams oversaw a $93.6 million payment from Pfizer that greatly boosted company profits.
In sixth spot was Bancorp Inc. of Wilmington, DE. In 2011, Bancorp, which offers commercial and retail banking services, increased its revenue from $84.7 million to $112.6 million (a 33% increase). Bancorp’s CEO, Betsy Cohen, previously chaired the highly-profitable JeffBanks Inc. for 25 years.
In fifth was PhotoMedex Inc. of Montgomeryville. PhotoMedex, a company that provides skin-health products and services, grew revenue 67.07% in 2011 when CEO, Dr. Dolev Rafaeli, oversaw the absorption of Radiancy Inc. into the PhotoMedex brand.
In fourth was Five Below Inc. Five Below went public as recently as July 2011, and watched its share price increase 41% in just 6 months. The company, a chain of more than 250 stores, sells a variety of merchandise aimed at teens and pre-teens priced between $1 and $5. Its CEO, Tom Vellios, previously created Encore Books and Zany Brainy.
The third fastest-growing publicly listed company in the region was Republic First Bancorp. Republic First Bancorp has 12 locations in the greater Philadelphia area and $926 million in assets. The bank’s revenue increased 79% when CEO Harry Madonna and his team reduced problematic loans and reworked the brand to be more accommodating to retail marketplaces.
In second spot was InterDigital Inc. of Wilmington, DE. InterDigital’s revenue took off by 119.79% in 2011, growing from $301.7 million to $663.4 million. The company, which develops technology used in wireless communications systems, saw this boom in revenue when CEO William J. Merritt made a deal with California-based Intel Corp that earned InterDigital $375 million.
Finally, the fastest-growing publicly listed company in the Philadelphia metro over the past few years has been Malvern Bancorp of Paoli. The 125 year old Pennsylvania institution increased its revenue by $684 million (or 120.97%) during 2011. CEO Ron Anderson initiated a conversion from a two-tier mutual holding company to a stock holding company structure that ultimately produced $36.4 million for the bank.
Prospective MBA applicants in the Philadelphia metro will note that six of the ten companies listed are financial services companies. Finance is one of the oldest and most popular disciplines of MBA study and finance careers offer many of the the most lucrative salaries for MBA graduates. Explore our listing of the business schools in the Philadelphia metro that offer specializations, concentrations or major in finance.
