LeadPile Ranks #3 Advertising and Marketing Company on the 2009 Inc. 5000

Inc. magazine today ranked LeadPile the Number 3 Company in the United States in the Advertising and Marketing Category with 14 or fewer employees. LeadPile ranks the #1 Advertising and Marketing Company on the West Coast by Revenue according to company employee size, and ranks number 2637 overall on Inc. Magazines third annual Inc. 5000, 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. Consumer electronics maker Vizio, Internet giant GoDaddy, rental car service Zipcar, and beverage maker Honest Tea are among the prominent brands featured on this year’s list.

"Savvy trend spotters and those who invest in private companies know that the Inc. 5000 is the best place to find out about young companies that are achieving success through a wide variety of unprecedented business models, as well as older private companies that are still expanding at an impressive rate," said Inc. 5000 project manager Jim Melloan. "That’s why our list is so eagerly anticipated every year."

LeadPile ("LeadPile" or the "Company") is the premier Lead Exchange, providing a central marketplace for the buying and selling of targeted consumers or "leads." The Company’s system sits between lead buyers and sellers allowing them to conduct business in an efficient, exchange-driven environment providing value to both parties:

MicroClick technology is a turnkey solution for lead sellers – The Company’s MicroClick form allows high traffic affiliates to merely place LeadPile-generated code on their pages in order to immediately produce leads. These leads are directly routed to the exchange for sale, thus the system allows affiliates to generate leads without creating a backend management system or managing lead buyer relationships.

LeadPile model ensures lead quality and accountability – Since LeadPile is able to track the majority of its leads from inception, lead buyers are assured that the customer data is valid and was appropriately solicited. Furthermore, the Company systematically checks the efficacy of leads and allows customers to return any invalid leads that may have passed through the system.

Exchange platform yields market efficient pricing – Lead pricing generated from the exchange benefits both lead buyers and sellers. Lead sellers are assured the best price for their product as buyers competitively bid on their leads. Lead buyers manage their return-on-investment (ROI) as they tune their bidding to meet supply.

LeadPile’s exchange specialists ensure market efficiency – LeadPile keeps a close watch on the supply and demand of each lead vertical trafficked through the exchange. The Company’s exchange specialists can generate additional leads or assist affiliates in additional origination if there is a shortage, much like the specialists on the NYSE. Furthermore, the Company can easily gauge marketplace supply and demand curves in new lead verticals, driving both buyers and sellers to the exchange when new opportunities are identified.

The Company currently supports over 50 different lead types, but given recent market trends, the financial products vertical has been experiencing hyper-growth. The management expects this trend to continue as vendors of financial products are forced to be more selective in choosing customers as they continue to seek out only the most qualified consumers.

The 2009 Inc. 5000, unveiled today on Inc.com, serves as a unique report card on the U.S. economy. Despite the ongoing recession, aggregate revenue among the companies on the list actually increased to $214 billion, up $29 billion from last year, with a median three-year growth rate of 126 percent. The Inc. 5000 are responsible for creating more than 1 million jobs since their founding, making the list perhaps the best example of the impact private, fast-growing companies can have on the economy. Complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found on Inc.com.

This year’s list also offers a preview of which industries are poised for growth in coming years. With an average growth rate of 667 percent, Insurance ranked as the top industry overall. Government Services was the top industry gainer with 252 companies on this year’s list, up from 135 last year. Health is the top industry by both total revenue ($22.7 billion) and total employment (156,223 jobs).

The Hottest Regions for Fast-Growing Companies

Once again, California tops the Inc. 5000 with the most companies of any state with 612. The Golden State is followed by Texas (393), New York (316), Florida (263), and Virginia (261). All 50 states, plus Washington, D.C., and Puerto Rico, are represented on this year’s list.

New York boasts 371 Inc. 5000 companies, making it the top metropolitan area, followed by Washington, D.C. (317), Los Angeles (253), Atlanta (209), and Chicago (203).

Methodology

The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2005 through 2008. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2005, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent — not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies — as of December 31, 2008. Revenue in 2005 must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in 2008 must have been at least $2 million. The top 10 percent of companies on the list comprise the Inc. 500, now in its 28th year.

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 online at Inc.com.