For three years in a row, Starnes Media has made Inc. magazine’s list of 5000 fastest-growing private companies in America. The list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses.

“I’m incredibly proud of our team for this accomplishment. Making the Inc. 5000 for the first time in 2016 was quite a thrill. Being able to make the list each of the next two years was no less exciting,” Starnes Media founder Dan Starnes said.

A $10 INVESTMENT TO INC. 5000 LIST

Starnes Media is the parent company of Starnes Publishing, a local publisher of community newspapers and magazines, and Starnes Digital, a digital marketing agency.

Starnes Publishing, founded in 2008, was originally born out of a $10 investment in a local newspaper. The latest extension, Starnes Digital, was created in 2016 to provide more value to the company’s existing customer base and opportunities to serve new customers who may not already advertise in the publications.

“This honor is truly a testament to the hard work and dedication of our talented team, the loyalty of our hundreds of clients and the hundreds of thousands of dedicated readers of our publications and websites,” Starnes said.

‘IT’S UNPARALLELED RECOGNITION’

Out of the nearly seven million private companies moving the economy forward every day, only a tiny fraction are able to demonstrate such consistent growth as Starnes Media.

“If your company is on the Inc. 5000, it’s unparalleled recognition of your years of hard work and sacrifice,” Inc. editor in chief James Ledbetter said. “The lines of business may come and go, or come and stay. What doesn’t change is the way entrepreneurs create and accelerate the forces that shape our lives.”

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD?

Starnes Media sits on the distinguished list with a three-year revenue growth of 115 percent, but the company can’t sit back now. They have to prove their effectiveness each year.

“Starnes Publishing and our seven, hyper-local publications have paved the way for us to grow as a company,” Starnes said. “The challenge for us now is, how do we stay on the list in the coming years? And the task of doing just that started several years ago when we opened our digital marketing agency, Starnes Digital.”

The path to increasing expansion is clear for Starnes, though.

“We are committed to connecting citizens to their communities and businesses to their customers. This newest venture for our company has allowed us to implement a complete marketing strategy for ourselves and our clients which provides a systematic and executable plan for continued growth,” he said.