Now that we’ve had adequate proof that “too big to fail” is a misnomer for almost any industry, it’s time to focus on the companies that are just the right size to succeed. While the independent processors weren’t immune from the struggles that affected every aspect of the U.S. economy, many of them managed to at least maintain sales, if not grow them.
Looking for that new market, that new product, that new opportunity is what makes this sector of the industry so exciting. The good operators know that stagnation can be fatal to a smaller business, and taking the initiative in a down year will put their companies in a much better position when the economy turns around.
Of those companies that gave their sales figures for the 2009 and 2010 reports, here are the five companies with the biggest sales increase.
Company 2009 sales (in millions) 2010 sales (in millions) percent increase