7 St. Louis-area companies land on Inc. fastest-growing Midwest businesses list

Seven St. Louis-area companies secured a spot on the “Inc. 5000 Regionals: Midwest,” a list of the fastest-growing private companies in the Midwest.

This year’s ranking featured 172 companies based on revenue growth from 2020 to 2022. To qualify, they had to be operational and generating revenue by March 31, 2020, and meet minimum revenue requirements of $100,000 in 2020 and $1 million in 2022.

St. Louis-area companies had 155% median growth and added 102 jobs, according to Inc.

Below are all the St. Louis-area Inc. 5000 Regions: Midwest winners (rank/name/location/growth percentage/industry):

• No. 11: 2Novas | St. Louis | 974% | advertising and marketing?

St. Louis-based 2Novas ranked No. 11 on the list, the top among local companies. The company, which was founded in 2018 and provides data-driven marketing for banks, reported a 974% growth in revenue from 2020 to 2022.

• No. 28: Wayne Contracting | Maryland Heights | 367% | Construction?

Maryland Heights-based Wayne Contracting came in at No. 28 on the list, having reported a 367% growth in revenue from 2020 to 2022. The company, which provides specialty contracting and project management services, has worked with restaurant chains, including Arby’s and Imo’s Pizza, and retailers, including Family Dollar, Verizon and Walmart, according to its website.

• No. 30 Vizex Branding | Maryland Heights | 365% | business products and services

Maryland Heights-based Vizex Branding, which placed 30th on this year’s list with a two-year growth rate of 365%, helps strategize, design, print and install visual experiences for commercial and retail spaces.

• No. 76 AK Operations | St. Louis | 155% | business products and services

St. Louis-based AK Operations is a fractional sales and marketing company whose mission, the company said, is to make sales more collaborative, data-driven and scalable. The company ranked 76th on this year’s list with a two-year growth rate of 155% and is led by husband-and-wife duo Andy and Amy Kohl.

• No. 113 Worth Clark Realty | Chesterfield | 100% | real estate

Chesterfield-based Work Clark Realty doubled its revenue over the last two years, placing it at No. 113 on this year’s Inc. 5000 Regionals: Midwest list. The company ranked seventh on the Business Journal’s list of the city’s largest residential real estate agencies in 2023, having sold more than 2,700 residential properties in 2022, amounting to a local sales volume of over $737 million.

• No. 129 Drive Social Media | St. Louis | 82% | advertising and marketing

St. Louis-based Drive Social Media came in at No. 129 on the list, having reported an 82% growth in revenue from 2020 to 2022. The digital marketing firm, which was founded in 2012, last year ranked 24th on the Business Journal’s list of fastest-growing companies with total revenue of $32.45 million and 85 local employees in 2022.

• No. 147 Conner Roofing LLC | Fenton | 64% | construction

Fenton-based Conner Roofing LLC placed at No. 147 on the list with a two-year revenue increase of 64%. The family-owned business has been serving the St. Louis area since 1993 offering services including roofing repairs and installations, siding and exterior housework and storm damage repairs.