What To Grow In Portland Oregon Summer Garden

You might know Oregon's biggest city for its microbreweries and coffee outposts--or perhaps for sketch comedy sensationPortlandia. For those on Inc.'s fastest-growing companies list who call Stumptown home, the city holds something else entirely: opportunity.

While Portland touts the likes of Intel and advertising heavyweight Wieden+Kennedy, its the smaller companies that are really making a splash this year, as confirmed by the 2014 Inc. 5000. That list tracks company performance, including the three-year revenue growth rate, from fiscal year 2010 to 2013.

Meet the fastest-growing private businesses that are reaping the benefits of this Northwestern city:

10. Copious

Helmed by CEO Patrick Ezell, Copious builds user-centered digital interactive tools, including mobile apps and multiscreen optimized websites. One of just a handful of advertising companies based in Portland, Copious has grown its annual revenue by an impressive 283 percent, to $4 million in 2013, up from just $1 million in 2010. A two-time Inc. 5000 honoree, the company nabs No. 1,517 on the list.

9. Idealist Consulting

Idealist Consulting offers advanced services such as Salesforce consulting, mobile development, and technical training to nonprofits and private businesses, as well as the government. With a mere seven employees as of 2013, the company generated $2.5 million last year, for a 340 percent increase from 2010. Under the leadership of CEO and founder Robert Jordan--who has lived and worked in places as diverse as Ukraine and Costa Rica--this forward-thinking company has earned its claim to No. 1,274 on the Inc. 5000.

8. Billiards.com

Having already opened one store in Pico Rivera, California, and with plans to open more in Southern California and Texas, Billiards.com has experienced speedy growth over the past three years. Indeed, from 2010 to 2013, the company's sales grew 464 percent, with annual revenue reaching $8 million in 2013 alone. Ranked No. 15 on the list of Oregon-based companies, Billiards.com operates four websites, which provide items such as pool tables, cues, darts, and more. The company had only 14 employees as of last year and is headed by CEO Louis Doctor.

7. Jama Software

One of several Portland companies specializing in software, Jama produces the Jama Product Delivery platform, a project-management Web application. Promising to remove frustration from any company's product delivery process, Jama has grown its annual revenue by more than 490 percent from fiscal year 2010 to 2013. Co-founder and CEO Eric Winquist decided to form Jama when he witnessed firsthand the common difficulties companies face in delivering products to the marketplace: most notably, communication failures.So far so good. Jama earned an impressive $13 million in 2013 alone, making it the seventh-fastest-growing Stumptown-based company on the list.

6. Janrain

The software company that allows businesses to learn more about their users by offering a single social media login has certainly made the most of Oregon's largest city: From fiscal year 2010 to 2013, Janrain grew its annual revenue by 628 percent, to $10 million from just $1.4 million. This year also marks its third appearance on Inc.'s list, clocking in at No. 723. Janrain is helmed by founder and CEO Larry Drebes, who launched the company in 2005.

5. Elemental Technologies

Serving high-profile corporations such as Comcast, Disney, and HBO, Elemental Technologies develops technology for video encoding, compression, and streaming. A three-time Inc. 5000 honoree, it snags No. 538 on the list, with an impressive three-year growth rate of nearly 900 percent. Headed by CEO and co-founder Sam Blackman--who could easily serve as a poster boy for Portland, as he's an environmental advocate and Frisbee player--Elemental generated more than $32 million in revenue last year.

4. Puppet Labs

This year, Puppet Labs glides onto the Inc. 5000 for the second time, snagging No. 527 on the list. Founded in 2005, the IT automation software provider generated $16.4 million in 2013 alone, making for a 904 percent increase from 2010. That year, it brought in $1.6 million. Luke Kanies founded Puppet Labs with the goal of improving the quality of operations tools. In addition to overseeing his company, he also serves as a board member for the Software Association of Oregon.

3. Revant

Making its debut appearance on the Inc. 5000 this year, Revant supplies a range of replacement lenses for sunglasses. The third-fastest-growing Portland-based company, Revant's revenue increased more than 1,000 percent from fiscal year 2010 to 2013. That also makes it the eighth-fastest-growing company in Oregon. Headed by founder and CEO Jason Bolt, Revant focuses on customer service, selection, and affordability, which has evidently been effective: The company snags No. 429 on the list.

2. The Clymb

A membership-based retailer of outdoor gear, apparel, and travel packages, The Clymb is quintessentially Portland, and has managed to grow its annual revenue by more than 3,532 percent from fiscal year 2010 to 2013. CEO Kelly Dachtler founded The Clymb back in 2009, and today the company snags No. 103 on the Inc. 5000, as well as second-fastest-growing private business in Portland. Other accolades include landing the No. 2 spot on the Oregon list, as well as sixth-fastest-growing retail company.

1. Vacasa

Connecting travelers to more than 900 vacation rental homes as of 2013--from beach cottages to ski chalets--Vacasa solidly earns its spot as the fastest-growing private company in Portland, as well as No. 9 on the Inc. 5000. The five-year-old company grew its annual revenue by more than 16,000percent from 2010 to 2013--making it the fastest-growing travel company on the Inc. 5000 in 2014. Under the leadership of CEO Eric Breon, Vacasa reeled in $26.3 million in sales last year alone.

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