Oakland County businesses named in 2013 Michigan 'Top 50 to Watch' list

Twelve Oakland County companies including a Southfield medical device firm that shared Medical Main Street's inaugural Innovator of the Year award were honored for being among the top 50 businesses to watch. Sentio LLC, the co-winner of the 2012 Medical Main Street award, was honored during the "Michigan Celebrates Small Business" awards dinner as one of a dozen Oakland County second stage businesses named to the Michigan Top 50 to Watch. The awards were handed out on May 2 in Lansing. In 2012, six Oakland County companies made the list. "We've had our strongest two-year period of job growth in the past 20 years and University of Michigan economists George Fulton and Don Grimes predicted the county will add 42,000 jobs by 2015," Oakland County Executive L. Brooks Patterson said. "Companies such as Sentio and the others recognized for their strong performance are the backbone of our business community. I applaud the success and recognition of these hard working entrepreneurs." To be eligible for the award, candidates must be privately held, commercial enterprises with the intent and capacity for further growth. Companies must employ between six and 99 full-time employees and have between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue or working capital from investors or grants. The Oakland County companies honored are: Check Corp (Troy), Daycare Works; Daycare Works (Rochester Hills); Kyyba, Inc. (Farmington Hills); LinTech Global Inc. (Farmington Hills); Marvel Technologies (Novi); MatchRX (Royal Oak); Mills Pharmacy & Apothecary (Birmingham); NITS Solutions Inc. (Farmington Hills); Panther Global Technologies (Wixom); Plymouth Technologies (Rochester Hills); PROLIM Corp. (Farmington Hills) and Sentio. Michigan 50 Companies to Watch is presented by Michigan Celebrates Small Business in association with its founders: Michigan Small Business & Technology Development Center, Michigan Economic Development Corp., Small Business Association of Michigan, the U.S. Small Business Administration - Michigan, the Greater Lansing Monthly, and the Edward Lowe Foundation. According to Michigan.companiestowatch.org, the 2013 honorees generated $333 million in total revenue in 2012, a 29 percent increase in total annual revenue compared to 2011. The total annual revenue is projected to increase to $486 million. The companies employed 1,448 full-time employees (1,284 in Michigan) and project 360 new jobs will be created in 2013 (295 in Michigan). Winners were selected by Michigan-based judges from the banking, economic development, entrepreneurship development industrial and venture capital communities. Published: Mon, May 13, 2013