Inc. Magazine Unveils Its Annual List of America’s Fastest-Growing Private Companies—the Inc. 5000
Immersive experience design and project management firm AOA appears on the Inc. 5000 list for the 3rd time.
NEW YORK, August 28, 2020 – Inc. magazine revealed on August 12th that AOA was selected for the 3rd time to its annual Inc. 5000 list, the most prestigious ranking of the nation’s fastest-growing private companies. Only 1 in 8 Inc. 5000 companies have made the list 3 times. This achievement puts AOA in an elite group of organizations such as Microsoft, Timberland, Vizio, Intuit, Chobani, Oracle, and Zappos.com. This impressive list represents a unique look at the most successful companies within the American economy’s most dynamic segment—its independent small businesses.
AOA has grown to be an industry leader playing integral roles in some of the largest and most successful themed entertainment and hospitality projects worldwide. AOA’s wok can be found across the globe in 11 different countries and spanning the US. AOA’s international client list includes major Fortune 500 clients such as Disney, Universal, Blackstone, and Coca-Cola as well as distinguished museums, aquariums, nonprofits, retail and restaurants, resorts and corporations.
Mike Ostendorf, Co-Founder + CEO said “We are honored to have been selected, for the 3rd time, as part of the Inc. 5000. We’ve always believed that with trust, empowerment, and transparency as the foundation of our company, success is inevitable. Nothing can stand in your way when a team trusts each other and works in a synchronized way towards a common goal.”
Tom Acomb, Co-Founder + CCO also said “Inclusion once again in the Inc. 5000 is a milestone that recognizes our company’s experience and achievements. We have helped create some of the world’s most visible and storied attractions and always look forward to the next challenge as we fearlessly push the limits of creativity.”
Not only have the companies on the 2020 Inc. 5000 been very competitive within their markets, but the list as a whole shows staggering growth compared with prior lists as well. The 2020 Inc. 5000 achieved an incredible three-year average growth of over 500 percent, and a median rate of 165 percent. The Inc. 5000’s aggregate revenue was $209 billion in 2019, accounting for over 1 million jobs over the past three years.
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 at www.inc.com/inc5000. The top 500 companies are also being featured in the September issue of Inc., available on newsstands August 18.
“The companies on this year’s Inc. 5000 come from nearly every realm of business,” says Inc. editor-in-chief Scott Omelianuk. “From health and software to media and hospitality, the 2020 list proves that no matter the sector, incredible growth is based on the foundations of tenacity and opportunism.”
The annual Inc. 5000 event honoring the companies on the list will be held virtually from October 23 to 27, 2020. As always, speakers will include some of the greatest innovators and business leaders of our generation.
About AOA
AOA is an industry leader in immersive experience design, production, and full-service project management. We lead the creation of innovative and transformative destinations worldwide with a limitless range in the space of themed rides and attractions, live shows, impactful museums and interactive exhibits, highly kinetic retail and world-class themed dining. The focus throughout our process is to transform our client’s vision into a one-of-a-kind experience that will astonish guests and exceed expectations. Our clients are industry leaders with worldwide daily presence in the lives of consumers, and we continue to be their go-to company for their most complex and challenging experiential work. AOA proudly boasts a history of prolific projects that are more than attractive images: Our work gets built.
More about Inc. and the Inc. 5000
Methodology
The 2020 Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth when comparing 2016 and 2019. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2016. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2019. (Since then, a number of companies on the list have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2016 is $100,000; the minimum for 2019 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Companies on the Inc. 500 are featured in Inc.’s September issue. They represent the top tier of the Inc. 5000.
About Inc. Media
The world’s most trusted business-media brand, Inc. offers entrepreneurs the knowledge, tools, connections, and community to build great companies. Its award-winning multiplatform content reaches more than 50 million people each month across a variety of channels including websites, newsletters, social media, podcasts, and print. Its prestigious Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since 1982, analyzes company data to recognize the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The global recognition that comes with inclusion in the 5000 gives the founders of the best businesses an opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and the credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. The associated Inc. 5000 Conference is part of a highly acclaimed portfolio of bespoke events produced by Inc. For more information on the Inc. 5000 Conference, visit http://conference.inc.com/.