COLUMBIA, S.C.  -- This year marks the 22nd year of the Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM, the ranking of the state’s largest privately held companies.  The Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM is compiled by Grant Thornton LLP, the fifth largest accounting firm in the United States, under the direction of Mark Ballew, Partner, and in cooperation with the South Carolina Chamber of Commerce.  The prestigious ranking will be featured in the South Carolina Business magazine that is being released across the state this week.   

“The Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM showcases the top private companies across our state,” said Mark Ballew, Assurance Partner in Grant Thornton’s Columbia office.  “Many of these companies are the leading employers in their communities and are providing a substantial economic impact in the area where they’re based and where their employees live and do business. We congratulate these award-winning companies for their significant contribution to our state's economy.”

Total revenues for the 2006 Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM are $19.8 billion, compared to $15 billion last year.  Milliken & Company of Spartanburg remains the top company in the ranking as the state’s largest privately held business. 

Following are other South Carolina companies that made the list, the city in which they are based and their rank:
· The InterTech Group Inc. and Affiliates of North Charleston (2)
· Springs Global US Inc. of Fort Mill (3)
· JM Smith Corp. of Spartanburg (4)
· Piggly Wiggly Holdings, LLC of Charleston (5)
· Southeastern Freight Lines, Inc. of Lexington (6)
· Mount Vernon Mills Inc. of Mauldin (7)
· Dearybury Oil & Gas Inc. of Spartanburg (8)
· Blanchard Machinery Co. of Columbia (9)
· Edens & Avant of Columbia (10)
 
Thirty-two of the companies are manufacturers, representing $10 billion in revenues or about 51% of the total revenue.  Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM manufacturers’ employees include approximately 53,500 workers or 53% of the jobs represented in the survey.  Twenty-five of the companies are wholesale distribution companies with $5.3 billion in revenues and approximately 9,600 employees. 

This year, there are sixteen companies in the ranking either for the first time or after an absence.  They are:
· Springs Global US Inc. of Fort Mill (3)
· American LaFrance LLC of Ladson (18)
· Malphrus Construction Co. Inc. of Hilton Head Island (25)
· C. C. Dickson Co. of Rock Hill (27)
· Dispoz-O Plastics Inc. of Fountain Inn (47)
· Chicora Development SC Corp. of Myrtle Beach (48)
· West Oil Company Inc. of Hartsville (50)
· The LPA Group Inc. of Columbia (60)
· T&S Brass & Bronze Works Inc. of Travelers Rest (64)
· Engineered Textile Group Inc. of Greenville (70)
· Southland Log Homes Inc. of Irmo (77)
· Merritt Veterinary Supplies Inc. of Columbia (80)
· Colinx LLC of Greenville (81)
· Morrison Textile Machinery Co. of Fort Lawn (84)
· Easley Custom Plastics Inc. of Easley (96)
· ACS Technologies Inc. of Florence (98)

The companies with rank increases of 10 or more for 2006 were Joseph Walker & Co. Inc. up 26 places; Martin Engineering, Inc. up 15; Dearybury Oil & Gas Inc. up 11 places; and The Mungo Companies, Thompson Construction Group, Inc. and Trehel Corporation all jumped 10 places.

Participation in the Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM is voluntary, and companies are ranked based upon their net revenues for their most recently completed fiscal year. To qualify, companies must be privately held, headquartered in South Carolina, and cannot be controlled by another company.  Financial institutions, insurance companies, real estate and other brokerages, health care organizations and companies primarily engaged in retail are not eligible for the Grant Thornton South Carolina 100SM.

About Grant Thornton
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