Aug. 13 /PRNewswire/ -- Inc. magazine today ranked Metal Mafia NO. 20 in Consumer Products and 258 overall on its 28th annual Inc. 500, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy - America's independent-minded entrepreneurs. Companies such as Microsoft, Zappos, Intuit, GoDaddy, Under Armour, Jamba Juice, American Apparel, Oracle, and hundreds of other powerhouses gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500.
"If you want to know which companies are going to change the world, look at the Inc. 500," said Inc. editor Jane Berentson. "These are the most dynamic, fast-growth companies in the nation, the ones finding innovative solutions to problems, creating smart systems, and inventing products we soon discover we can't live without. The Inc. 500 list isInc. magazine's tribute to American business ingenuity and ambition." One has only to look as far as Metal Mafia, NO. 20 in the Consumer Products and Services category, to see just that.
Metal Mafia not only produces the body piercing industry's most innovative jewelry, it also bucks the corporate system in the way it does business. Metal Mafia's product line is home to more than 4500 products, including the industry's most coveted microdermal anchor designed by Sean Dowdell of Club Tattoo - but it is also home to employees who run the gambit from high school dropouts to the hearing-impaired, to heavily tattooed and modified people. Welcoming those who some consider to be "marginalized people" has certainly not hurt the company, which has experienced three-year sales growth of 866.7%.
As one of the only woman-owned companies in the body jewelry world, Metal Mafia sets itself apart from competitors by putting people, both clients and employees, first. The strategy has clearly worked as the company now serves more than 3000 independent retailers and large retail chains across the country and internationally and continues to add 40 new customers each month.
Company president, Vanessa Merit Nornberg, stated, "Metal Mafia came to exist because we believed that we could do business ethically and still be successful. We manage to be significantly less expensive than our competitors, in spite of the fact that we have always paid the entire health care premium for every employee, without waiting for a national mandate to do so. We take care of our employees mafia-style - as though they are family - and thus, our clients know they are in good hands every time they call. Operating in a fair and forthright manner has won our customers' unwavering loyalty at every turn. Making the 2009 Inc 500 list means we are right about our methods - putting people first does not mean putting profits last."
Metal Mafia expects to continue the growth it has seen every year since its inception and projects it will grow sales to $4.5 million by the end of 2009.
The 2009 Inc. 500, unveiled in the September issue of Inc. magazine (available on newsstands August 17 to November 15) and on Inc.com, reported aggregate revenue of $18.4 billion - up significantly from last year's $13.7 billion - and a median three-year growth rate of 880.5 percent. The companies on this year's list are also responsible for creating more than 55,000 jobs since their founding, making the Inc. 500 perhaps the best example of the impact private, fast-growing companies can have on the overall U.S. economy. Complete results of the Inc. 500, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found on Inc.com.
About Inc. Magazine
Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. (www.inc.com) is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that delivers real solutions for today's innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,961, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. Visit us online at Inc.com.
About Metal Mafia
Metal Mafia was created in 2004 and is currently a leading supplier of body piercing jewelry in United States. With only 15 employees, Metal mafia enjoys an average growth rate of +40% per year, and is on target to increase sales from $3.9 million in 2008 to $4.5 million in 2009. Metal Mafia also supplies private label jewelry to many of the teen specialty market's top chain retailers. Our products can be found in more than 5000 doors worldwide.
