(FORTUNE Magazine) – In the Pokemon universe, characters gain strength by "evolving" into superpowered versions of their primary-colored selves. Pokemon licenser 4Kids seems to have learned this trick well, emerging once again as the quickest of the quick. Joining it are 38 other veterans and 61 newcomers. To make the list, compiled by Zacks Investment Research, companies had to be based in the U.S., have been publicly traded for at least three years, and have revenue and market cap of at least $50 million. At a minimum, firms had to show 30% annual growth over three years in revenue and EPS, and positive earnings in the latest quarter and for the last four combined. The final order derives from the sum of the rankings of growth in revenue, EPS, and total stock market return over three years.

2001 RANK EARNINGS-PER- (2000 RANK) SHARE GROWTH REVENUE GROWTH three-yr. three-yr. annual rate annual rate

FORTUNE's list is determined RANK NET INCOME RANK REVENUE by how companies rank in EPS past four past four growth, revenue growth, and quarters quarters total return. (millions) (millions)

1 4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT 242% $34.7 128% $79.6 (1) NEW YORK 5 3 2 SIEBEL SYSTEMS 155% $263.5 106% $2,064.4 (3) SAN MATEO, CALIF. 11 8 3 CALPINE 74% $400.1 101% $3,261.8 (25) SAN JOSE 43 9 4 ANDRX 224% $56.8 54% $561.8 FORT LAUDERDALE 6 43 5 MEASUREMENT SPECIALTIES 204% $9.0 53% $103.1 FAIRFIELD, N.J. 9 48 6 TRANSWITCH 263% $37.4 77% $166.4 SHELTON, CONN. 4 24 7 TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR 93% $73.4 60% $322.4 (65) HILLSBORO, ORE. 24 35 8 IMMUNEX 973% $162.0 76% $900.6 SEATTLE 1 25 9 MERCURY INTERACTIVE 86% $71.1 59% $337.3 (13) SUNNYVALE, CALIF. 32 36 10 NETWORK APPLIANCE 92% $98.9 89% $980.4 (4) SUNNYVALE, CALIF. 27 14 11 ADVANCED DIGITAL INFO. 132% $90.4 51% $297.1 (84) REDMOND, WASH. 16 53 12 CHICO'S FAS 97% $28.4 50% $259.5 (26) FORT MYERS, FLA. 23 56 13 HOT TOPIC 78% $23.2 56% $257.2 (45) CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIF. 38 40 13 ZOMAX 93% $22.7 86% $244.0 (6) PLYMOUTH, MINN. 25 16 15 SONIC AUTOMOTIVE 79% $70.3 115% $6,128.3 CHARLOTTE, N.C. 37 7 16 ELANTEC SEMICONDUCTOR 88% $28.6 45% $136.8 MILPITAS, CALIF. 30 66 17 VERITY 122% $38.8 52% $134.2 SUNNYVALE, CALIF. 18 50 18 INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SVCS. 670% $36.1 125% $1,812.4 HOUSTON 2 4 18 STERICYCLE 64% $15.8 100% $331.9 (10) LAKE FOREST, ILL. 55 10 20 QLOGIC 50% $68.8 66% $357.5 (22) ALISO VIEJO, CALIF. 76 30 21 METRO ONE TELECOMM. 46% $13.6 80% $177.5 (41) BEAVERTON, ORE. 84 21 22 ANADARKO PETROLEUM 82% $1,761.3 130% $10,033.7 HOUSTON 35 2 23 SUPREMA SPECIALTIES 69% $8.1 55% $366.5 PATERSON, N.J. 48 42 23 AFFILIATED MANAGERS GROUP 137% $54.8 70% $444.4 BOSTON 14 28 25 FOREST LABORATORIES 88% $215.1 45% $1,174.5 (23) NEW YORK 29 65 26 MONTEREY PASTA 147% $6.3 31% $51.5 SALINAS, CALIF. 12 100 27 JAKKS PACIFIC 67% $28.1 85% $261.5 (12) MALIBU, CALIF. 50 19 27 POWER-ONE 43% $61.8 86% $603.8 CAMARILLO, CALIF. 91 17 29 QUANTA SERVICES 55% $115.5 183% $1,978.6 HOUSTON 67 1 30 UNITED RENTALS 209% $162.4 78% $2,959.0 GREENWICH, CONN. 8 23 30 ENRON 87% $1,066.0 68% $137,773.0 (29) HOUSTON 31 29 32 PIXAR 86% $60.3 117% $127.4 EMERYVILLE, CALIF. 33 6 33 ADVANCEPCS* 35% $22.7 121% $7,024.3 (23) IRVING, TEXAS 96 5 34 SANMINA 75% $290.4 61% $5,573.3 (53) SAN JOSE 42 34 35 FRESH BRANDS 84% $7.9 99% $510.1 SHEBOYGAN, WIS. 34 11 35 ZOLL MEDICAL 215% $8.7 31% $110.1 BURLINGTON, MASS. 7 97 37 POLYCOM 46% $44.1 88% $360.2 MILPITAS, CALIF. 85 15 38 SALTON 115% $72.9 51% $799.1 (6) MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL. 20 52 39 INNODATA 63% $8.6 40% $60.0 HACKENSACK, N.J. 57 77 39 PROFESSIONAL DETAILING 36% $32.3 83% $518.7 UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J. 95 20 41 FRONTIER AIRLINES 50% $54.9 50% $472.9 DENVER 75 57 42 UNIVERSAL AMER. FINANCIAL 44% $24.2 97% $290.0 (58) RYE BROOK, N.Y. 88 12 43 IDEC PHARMACEUTICALS 48% $73.3 43% $184.2 SAN DIEGO 81 69 44 SMURFIT-STONE CONTAINER 267% $200.0 48% $9,114.0 CHICAGO 3 59 44 BELL MICROPRODUCTS 63% $14.2 59% $1,973.4 SAN JOSE 58 37 44 PROVIDIAN FINANCIAL 53% $707.9 73% $6,198.6 SAN FRANCISCO 70 26 47 ADVENT SOFTWARE 64% $27.9 40% $144.0 (70) SAN FRANCISCO 56 75 47 MICREL 58% $74.4 44% $320.0 (73) SAN JOSE 62 67 49 DYNEGY 76% $570.5 31% $38,263.6 HOUSTON 39 97 49 GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE 55% $41.1 85% $3,655.1 HOUSTON 66 18 51 EXTENDED STAY AMERICA 123% $75.3 50% $538.5 (18) FORT LAUDERDALE 17 54 51 NU HORIZONS ELECTRONICS 81% $35.4 42% $670.6 MELVILLE, N.Y. 36 70 53 STILLWATER MINING 168% $83.9 44% $273.0 COLUMBUS, MONT. 10 68 53 PRIORITY HEALTHCARE 57% $30.1 41% $616.5 LAKE MARY, FLA. 63 73 55 ACT MANUFACTURING 108% $27.5 53% $1,586.8 HUDSON, MASS. 22 47 56 SCANSOURCE 49% $17.0 61% $607.7 (64) GREENVILLE, S.C. 79 33 57 STONE ENERGY 89% $112.0 52% $355.3 LAFAYETTE, LA. 28 49 58 QUEST DIAGNOSTICS 50% $119.9 38% $3,446.3 TETERBORO, N.J. 77 81 59 PENN NATIONAL GAMING 76% $13.0 35% $347.6 WYOMISSING, PA. 41 89 60 SEMTECH 51% $60.2 37% $256.7 NEWBURY PARK, CALIF. 74 85 61 CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL 61% $42.7 46% $587.4 SECAUCUS, N.J. 60 62 62 STEVEN MADDEN 65% $16.5 56% $219.4 NEW YORK 53 38 63 IMPATH 31% $14.2 56% $149.8 (92) NEW YORK 99 41 63 ATMI 134% $33.2 33% $316.1 DANBURY, CONN. 15 92 65 AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS 73% $93.8 38% $1,093.5 (34) WARRENDALE, PA. 45 82 65 VECTOR GROUP 68% $176.3 32% $628.8 MIAMI 49 95 65 MAYNARD OIL 109% $17.3 37% $59.5 DALLAS 21 86 68 AMERICREDIT 43% $188.3 56% $722.9 (82) FORT WORTH 93 39 68 AUDIOVOX 52% $24.5 49% $1,692.9 HAUPPAUGE, N.Y. 73 58 70 INSIGHT ENTERPRISES 62% $58.6 50% $2,131.3 (38) TEMPE, ARIZ. 59 55 70 RENT-A-CENTER 49% $107.1 72% $1,648.8 PLANO, TEXAS 80 27 72 COMVERSE TECHNOLOGY 65% $249.1 36% $1,225.1 (51) WOODBURY, N.Y. 52 87 73 PERICOM SEMICONDUCTOR 49% $22.1 39% $125.3 SAN JOSE 78 79 74 CATELLUS DEVELOPMENT 73% $102.5 53% $660.7 (85) SAN FRANCISCO 44 44 75 POLYMEDICA 34% $22.7 48% $221.5 (30) WOBURN, MASS. 97 60 76 PROVINCE HEALTHCARE 72% $23.2 42% $483.2 BRENTWOOD, TENN. 46 71 77 RAMBUS 118% $79.3 41% $110.6 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF. 19 72 77 APPLIED MATERIALS 65% $2,294.6 32% $10,573.4 SANTA CLARA, CALIF. 54 94 79 SILICON VALLEY BANCSHARES 76% $137.8 47% $528.7 SANTA CLARA, CALIF. 40 61 79 CDW COMPUTER CENTERS 46% $167.5 45% $3,965.7 (94) VERNON HILLS, ILL. 83 64 81 FED.AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE 92% $10.2 34% $213.9 WASHINGTON, D.C. 26 91 82 METRIS 43% $186.8 80% $1,497.2 (41) MINNETONKA, MINN. 90 22 82 UNION ACCEPTANCE 144% $19.5 38% $129.4 INDIANAPOLIS 13 83 84 MCSI 43% $15.7 96% $936.5 (21) DAYTON 92 13 85 VISX 66% $28.3 46% $187.8 (16) SANTA CLARA, CALIF. 51 63 85 ST. JOE 52% $92.6 53% $809.9 JACKSONVILLE 72 45 87 ACTIVISION 45% $20.5 36% $620.2 SANTA MONICA, CALIF. 87 88 88 BERRY PETROLEUM 56% $33.3 52% $184.4 TAFT, CALIF. 65 51 88 SOLECTRON 31% $603.2 62% $19,495.2 (73) MILPITAS, CALIF. 100 32 90 AES 32% $572.0 63% $7,760.0 ARLINGTON, VA. 98 31 91 TOLLGRADE COMMUNICATIONS 56% $28.0 38% $120.0 CHESWICK, PA. 64 84 92 L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HLDGS. 48% $86.0 40% $1,994.9 NEW YORK 82 78 92 ALTERA 46% $484.7 31% $1,391.5 SAN JOSE 86 99 94 CARREKER 52% $13.6 39% $110.3 DALLAS 71 80 95 ABERCROMBIE & FITCH 59% $158.1 34% $1,237.6 (68) NEW ALBANY, OHIO 61 90 96 SCHULER HOMES 44% $44.0 53% $947.6 (39) HONOLULU 89 46 97 APACHE 70% $885.8 32% $2,646.2 HOUSTON 47 96 98 HANOVER COMPRESSOR 37% $66.2 40% $728.9 HOUSTON 94 76 98 BIOGEN 53% $284.3 32% $946.7 (69) CAMBRIDGE, MASS. 69 93 100 KEY PRODUCTION 54% $37.1 40% $120.3 DENVER 68 74

TOTAL RETURN STOCK PRICE P/E three-yr. 1-yr. increase est. annual rate (from 7/31/00) one-year (green=beat S&P 500) Price on forward RANK 7/31/01

[1] [4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT] 89%[G] 35% 14 [(1)] [NEW YORK] 11 $25.60 [2] [SIEBEL SYSTEMS] 80%[G] -52% 58 [(3)] [SAN MATEO, CALIF.] 14 $34.46 [3] [CALPINE] 147%[G] 1% 20 [(25)] [SAN JOSE] 2 $35.99 [4] [ANDRX] 103%[G] -13% 50 [FORT LAUDERDALE] 6 $67.89 [5] [MEASUREMENT SPECIALTIES] 124%[G] -25% 13 [FAIRFIELD, N.J.] 5 $13.45 [6] [TRANSWITCH] 53%[G] -79% N.A. [SHELTON, CONN.] 35 $8.24 [7] [TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR] 92%[G] -41% 85 [(65)] [HILLSBORO, ORE.] 8 $22.65 [8] [IMMUNEX] 48%[G] -70% 54 [SEATTLE] 42 $15.42 [9] [MERCURY INTERACTIVE] 75%[G] -61% 51 [(13)] [SUNNYVALE, CALIF.] 17 $38.66 [10] [NETWORK APPLIANCE] 41[G] -86% 73 [(4)] [SUNNYVALE, CALIF.] 47 $12.48 [11] [ADVANCED DIGITAL INFO.] 69%[G] -19% 31 [(84)] [REDMOND, WASH.] 21 $11.35 [12] [CHICO'S FAS] 79%[G] 90% 25 [(26)] [FORT MYERS, FLA.] 15 $37.27 [13] [HOT TOPIC] 74%[G] 66% 20 [(45)] [CITY OF INDUSTRY, CALIF.] 19 $26.80 [13] [ZOMAX] 32%[G] -68% 11 [(6)] [PLYMOUTH, MINN.] 56 $5.62 [15] [SONIC AUTOMOTIVE] 32%[G] 70% 11 [CHARLOTTE, N.C.] 55 $19.50 [16] [ELANTEC SEMICONDUCTOR] 129%[G] -48% 52 [MILPITAS, CALIF.] 4 $37.75 [17] [VERITY] 55%[G] -52% 20 [SUNNYVALE, CALIF.] 33 $17.56 [18] [INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL -21% 72% 9 SVCS.] [HOUSTON] 100 $8.60 [18] [STERICYCLE] 48%[G] 97% 44 [(10)] [LAKE FOREST, ILL.] 41 $49.24 [20] [QLOGIC] 144%[G] -48% 42 [(22)] [ALISO VIEJO, CALIF.] 3 $38.41 [21] [METRO ONE TELECOMM.] 102%[G] 485% 38 [(41)] [BEAVERTON, ORE.] 7 $38.01 [22] [ANADARKO PETROLEUM] 18%[G] 19% 10 [HOUSTON] 79 $56.80 [23] [SUPREMA SPECIALTIES] 58%[G] 47% 8 [PATERSON, N.J.] 28 $15.20 [23] [AFFILIATED MANAGERS GROUP] 18%[G] 43% 18 [BOSTON] 76 $67.74 [25] [FOREST LABORATORIES] 58%[G] 47% 47 [(23)] [NEW YORK] 27 $78.55 [26] [MONTEREY PASTA] 87%[G] 67% 20 [SALINAS, CALIF.] 12 $6.78 [27] [JAKKS PACIFIC] 32%[G] 21% 12 [(12)] [MALIBU, CALIF.] 57 $20.03 [27] [POWER-ONE] 74%[G] -74% 91 [CAMARILLO, CALIF.] 18 $15.50 [29] [QUANTA SERVICES] 31%[G] -47% 15 [HOUSTON] 60 $24.35 [30] [UNITED RENTALS] -15% 13% 13 [GREENWICH, CONN.] 99 $23.39 [30] [ENRON] 23%[G] -39% 26 [(29)] [HOUSTON] 70 $45.35 [32] [PIXAR] -12% 25% 79 [EMERYVILLE, CALIF.] 98 $41.75 [33] [ADVANCEPCS*] 52%[G] 152% 42 [(23)] [IRVING, TEXAS] 37 $62.10 [34] [SANMINA] 29%[G] -53% 24 [(53)] [SAN JOSE] 63 $21.81 [35] [FRESH BRANDS] -3% 20% N.A. [SHEBOYGAN, WIS.] 95 $14.30 [35] [ZOLL MEDICAL] 52%[G] -10% 43 [BURLINGTON, MASS.] 36 $36.45 [37] [POLYCOM] 45%[G] -46% 41 [MILPITAS, CALIF.] 44 $25.45 [38] [SALTON] 22%[G] -42% 5 [(6)] [MOUNT PROSPECT, ILL.] 73 $18.16 [39] [INNODATA] 86%[G] 25% 7 [HACKENSACK, N.J.] 13 $3.33 [39] [PROFESSIONAL DETAILING] 55%[G] 74% 27 [UPPER SADDLE RIVER, N.J.] 32 $64.50 [41] [FRONTIER AIRLINES] 76%[G] 26% 11 [DENVER] 16 $15.10 [42] [UNIVERSAL AMER. FINANCIAL] 38%[G] 36% N.A. [(58)] [RYE BROOK, N.Y.] 50 $5.00 [43] [IDEC PHARMACEUTICALS] 158%[G] 32% 99 [SAN DIEGO] 1 $53.98 [44] [SMURFIT-STONE CONTAINER] 1% 40% 66 [CHICAGO] 92 $17.41 [44] [BELL MICROPRODUCTS] 31%[G] -46% N.A. [SAN JOSE] 59 $8.50 [44] [PROVIDIAN FINANCIAL] 32%[G] -3% 15 [SAN FRANCISCO] 58 $49.37 [47] [ADVENT SOFTWARE] 66%[G] 0% 60 [(70)] [SAN FRANCISCO] 24 $56.52 [47] [MICREL] 60%[G] -33% 318 [(73)] [SAN JOSE] 26 $33.68 [49] [DYNEGY] 71%[G] 32% 23 [HOUSTON] 20 $46.38 [49] [GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE] 23%[G] 166% 15 [HOUSTON] 72 $31.81 [51] [EXTENDED STAY AMERICA] 10%[G] 2% 17 [(18)] [FORT LAUDERDALE] 86 $14.00 [51] [NU HORIZONS ELECTRONICS] 36%[G] -31% 19 [MELVILLE, N.Y.] 51 $9.73 [53] [STILLWATER MINING] 17%[G] -2% 12 [COLUMBUS, MONT.] 80 $25.80 [53] [PRIORITY HEALTHCARE] 67%[G] -11% 35 [LAKE MARY, FLA.] 22 $23.95 [55] [ACT MANUFACTURING] 5%[G] -79% 6 [HUDSON, MASS.] 91 $7.90 [56] [SCANSOURCE] 35%[G] 28% 16 [(64)] [GREENVILLE, S.C.] 52 $48.58 [57] [STONE ENERGY] 8%[G] -5% 8 [LAFAYETTE, LA.] 88 $45.55 [58] [QUEST DIAGNOSTICS] 90%[G] 37% 37 [TETERBORO, N.J.] 9 $69.10 [59] [PENN NATIONAL GAMING] 50%[G] 34% 12 [WYOMISSING, PA.] 38 $19.54 [60] [SEMTECH] 89%[G] -8% 87 [NEWBURY PARK, CALIF.] 10 $37.05 [61] [CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL] 40%[G] -3% 14 [SECAUCUS, N.J.] 49 $25.05 [62] [STEVEN MADDEN] 16%[G] 139% 12 [NEW YORK] 82 $17.80 [63] [IMPATH] 54%[G] 58% 44 [(92)] [NEW YORK] 34 $47.14 [63] [ATMI] 26%[G] -1% 86 [DANBURY, CONN.] 67 $25.44 [65] [AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS] 40%[G] 271% 22 [(34)] [WARRENDALE, PA.] 48 $36.75 [65] [VECTOR GROUP] 55%[G] 124% N.A. [MIAMI] 31 $33.00 [65] [MAYNARD OIL] 24%[G] 60% N.A. [DALLAS] 68 $25.00 [68] [AMERICREDIT] 43%[G] 196% 17 [(82)] [FORT WORTH] 45 $61.49 [68] [AUDIOVOX] 42%[G] -35% 28 [HAUPPAUGE, N.Y.] 46 $10.07 [70] [INSIGHT ENTERPRISES] 27%[G] -33% 16 [(38)] [TEMPE, ARIZ.] 64 $20.51 [70] [RENT-A-CENTER] 23%[G] 31% 16 [PLANO, TEXAS] 71 $36.08 [72] [COMVERSE TECHNOLOGY] 49%[G] -68% 26 [(51)] [WOODBURY, N.Y.] 40 $28.28 [73] [PERICOM SEMICONDUCTOR] 66%[G] -43% 47 [SAN JOSE] 23 $15.05 [74] [CATELLUS DEVELOPMENT] 0% 6% 11 [(85)] [SAN FRANCISCO] 93 $18.30 [75] [POLYMEDICA] 65%[G] -7% 13 [(30)] [WOBURN, MASS.] 25 $35.25 [76] [PROVINCE HEALTHCARE] 24%[G] 28% 35 [BRENTWOOD, TENN.] 69 $36.50 [77] [RAMBUS] -7% -89% 33 [MOUNTAIN VIEW, CALIF.] 96 $7.84 [77] [APPLIED MATERIALS] 49%[G] -40% 44 [SANTA CLARA, CALIF.] 39 $45.86 [79] [SILICON VALLEY BANCSHARES] 7%[G] -54% 11 [SANTA CLARA, CALIF.] 89 $20.16 [79] [CDW COMPUTER CENTERS] 47%[G] -10% 23 [(94)] [VERNON HILLS, ILL.] 43 $42.97 [81] [FED.AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE] 19%[G] 134% 27 [WASHINGTON, D.C.] 75 $34.97 [82] [METRIS] 17%[G] 18% 13 [(41)] [MINNETONKA, MINN.] 81 $34.70 [82] [UNION ACCEPTANCE] -11% 14% N.A. [INDIANAPOLIS] 97 $7.00 [84] [MCSI] -2% -47% 9 [(21)] [DAYTON] 94 $12.50 [85] [VISX] 9%[G] -37% 21 [(16)] [SANTA CLARA, CALIF.] 87 $15.90 [85] [ST. JOE] 13%[G] -1% 45 [JACKSONVILLE] 84 $29.45 [87] [ACTIVISION] 56%[G] 288% 44 [SANTA MONICA, CALIF.] 30 $33.92 [88] [BERRY PETROLEUM] 7%[G] -12% 18 [TAFT, CALIF.] 90 $16.05 [88] [SOLECTRON] 20%[G] -57% 23 [(73)] [MILPITAS, CALIF.] 74 $17.48 [90] [AES] 18%[G] -28% 20 [ARLINGTON, VA.] 78 $38.30 [91] [TOLLGRADE COMMUNICATIONS] 30%[G] -78% 20 [CHESWICK, PA.] 62 $23.27 [92] [L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HLDGS.] 33%[G] 27% 26 [NEW YORK] 54 $74.60 [92] [ALTERA] 58%[G] -39% 84 [SAN JOSE] 29 $30.06 [94] [CARREKER] 27%[G] 83% 22 [DALLAS] 65 $18.95 [95] [ABERCROMBIE & FITCH] 26%[G] 143% 22 [(68)] [NEW ALBANY, OHIO] 66 $38.82 [96] [SCHULER HOMES] 16%[G] 132% 6 [(39)] [HONOLULU] 83 $14.48 [97] [APACHE] 18%[G] 4% 8 [HOUSTON] 77 $51.95 [98] [HANOVER COMPRESSOR] 35%[G] -2% 24 [HOUSTON] 53 $33.47 [98] [BIOGEN] 30%[G] 7% 28 [(69)] [CAMBRIDGE, MASS.] 61 $56.69 [100] [KEY PRODUCTION] 12%[G] 12% 6 [DENVER] 85 $15.90

N.A. Not available.

[G] [beat S&P 500]

*Name changed from Advance Paradigm.

COMMENTS

[1] [4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT] Thanks to its production and licensing of all things Pokemon, 4Kids tops our list (again). Next big bet: animated gamer Yu-gi-oh!, who's sure to play for parents' wallets.

[2] [SIEBEL SYSTEMS] Siebel pioneered the market for software that coordinates sales, marketing, and customer service. Now it's trying to do the same for managing employees and partners.

[3] [CALPINE] With prices high, it's a good time to be a deregulated producer of megawatts. Calpine sells electricity primarily to utilities and industrial customers.

[4] [ANDRX] This pharma's secret is in sales, not just scientists. Andrx excels in buying generic drugs, then telemarketing them to warehousing groups and small pharmacies.

[5] [MEASUREMENT SPECIALTIES] Despite the name, not just a bunch of metric-system experts. MS makes sensors for everything from helicopter missile-guidance systems to digital bathroom scales.

[6] [TRANSWITCH] A specialist in microchips for the telecom industry, TranSwitch grew by feeding the demand for data at greater capacity and higher speeds.

[7] [TRIQUINT SEMICONDUCTOR] In a tough year for telecom, chipmaker TriQuint's growth was strong across the industry--particularly in cell phones, satellites, and wireless local area networks.

[8] [IMMUNEX] This immune-system specialist makes Leukine, a white-blood-cell stimulant for patients with bone-marrow transplants. Its latest push: treatments for rheumatoid arthritis.

[9] [MERCURY INTERACTIVE] Named for that fleet-footed god of commerce, Mercury sells software and services that boost the performance of applications and Websites.

[10] [NETWORK APPLIANCE] So much data and nowhere to store it. Network Appliance has gobbled up territory from EMC, making big moves in selling its storage systems.

[11] [ADVANCED DIGITAL INFO.] ADIC incorporates its data-storage products with third-party hardware and software to create complete storage packages for the open systems marketplace.

[12] [CHICO'S FAS] By making sophisticated casual women's apparel for baby-boomers, 265-outlet Chico's has led the retail market in same-store sales for the past four years.

[13] [HOT TOPIC] Rock & roll shakes this moneymaker. Teen-focused retailer Hot Topic sells everything from Metallica T-shirts to whatever pants J.Lo is wearing this week.

[13] [ZOMAX] Zomax manufactures, packages, and distributes software CDs for clients like Microsoft, HP, and Gateway. A 1999 acquisition tripled the size of the company.

[15] [SONIC AUTOMOTIVE] The nation's second-largest auto retailer runs 165 franchises representing 31 brands. In slowing times, Sonic cruises along by hawking used autos, parts, and services.

[16] [ELANTEC SEMICONDUCTOR] Got that burning desire? Elantec helps flame it further by making chips that go in CD burners, rewritable DVD drives, and flat-panel displays.

[17] [VERITY] Power to the portals! Verity's products help large companies (including 80% of the FORTUNE 50) search, navigate, classify, and manage their intranets.

[18] [INTEGRATED ELECTRICAL SVCS.] This electrical and communications contractor operates in 150 locations nationwide. IES wires everything from a building's Internet network to its fire alarm.

[18] [STERICYCLE] Giving new meaning to the term "wasteful," Stericycle collects, treats, and disposes of over 600 million pounds of medical waste from 250,000 clients in seven countries.

[20] [QLOGIC] A haiku: QLogic switches / attach to corp'rate systems / fast storage access.

[21] [METRO ONE TELECOMM.] Metro One's directory assistance connects wireless 411 customers from AT&T, Sprint, and Nextel to operators with info on movie listings, reservations, and more.

[22] [ANADARKO PETROLEUM] The largest independent exploration and production company in the world, Anadarko spent big last year on acquisitions (see "Best Little Oil House in Texas").

[23] [SUPREMA SPECIALTIES] A mouse's dream company, Suprema specializes in the manufacture, marketing, shredding, and grating of gourmet and all-natural Italian cheeses.

[23] [AFFILIATED MANAGERS GROUP] Servicing both institutional and retail clients, AMG's 15 autonomous asset-management firms sport some $70 billion under management.

[25] [FOREST LABORATORIES] This prescription drug maker has been blissfully happy with Celexa, a three-year-old antidepressant that last year accounted for 61% of the company's total sales.

[26] [MONTEREY PASTA] Macaroni and cash: This gourmet pasta maker does business in retail and big-box stores, selling refrigerated dishes like tortellini, lobster ravioli, and calzone.

[27] [JAKKS PACIFIC] The toy company known for its stacked, stunted replicas of WWF stars is challenging rival Play-Doh with a new slime called Goooze.

[27] [POWER-ONE] And the company went out to convert the unconverted. It turned AC to DC, and DC to another kind of DC, and its products were used far and wide in telecom.

[29] [QUANTA SERVICES] Almost 20,000 pieces of construction equipment, from bucket trucks to drills, help Quanta provide contract services to telecom, cable, and utility companies.

[30] [UNITED RENTALS] Acquisition-happy United rents out construction and industrial equipment, such as backhoes, window washer platforms, traffic cones, and even movie studio gear.

[30] [ENRON] By far the sales leader on the list, Enron makes markets for buying and selling natural gas and electricity to the tune of 74 trillion BTU equivalents a day.

[32] [PIXAR] This company's growth is no fairy tale. In addition to animating and licensing merchandise for films like Toy Story, it develops and sells animation software.

[33] [ADVANCEPCS*] AdvancePCS manages health insurance pharmacy benefits for 26% of the U.S. population. It's now developing a prescription data hub for pharmacies and M.D.s.

[34] [SANMINA] This contract manufacturing firm recently bought plants from several of its ailing clients, like Alcatel, Lucent, and Nortel. It now ships direct to its customers' customers.

[35] [FRESH BRANDS] Fresh Brands is better known as the supermarket chain Piggly Wiggly. This food retailer also wholesales to grocery and convenience stores.

[35] [ZOLL MEDICAL] Zoll makes pacemakers and emergency defibrillators. It has developed a new FDA-approved technology for resuscitating less responsive patients.

[37] [POLYCOM] Talk to the handset: Polycom makes everything from those funky-shaped speakerphones to videoconferencing monitors.

[38] [SALTON] Though Salton makes bread bakers, griddles, and waffle makers, the sizzle comes in sales of its George Foreman grills. Now cooking: an indoor/outdoor Foreman.

[39] [INNODATA] Innodata specializes in helping large companies convert reams of content to the Rosetta stone of the Web: XML.

[39] [PROFESSIONAL DETAILING] This sales and marketing company promotes and distributes pharmaceutical products for top drug companies. Biggest seller: antibiotic Ceftin.

[41] [FRONTIER AIRLINES] Frontier's birds connect to 23 cities coast to coast. The seven-year-old flier plans to add Reno, Lake Tahoe, and Austin, Texas, by October.

[42] [UNIVERSAL AMER. FINANCIAL] UAF's life and health insurance companies target seniors. It also continues to expand by acquiring lucrative administrative-services companies.

[43] [IDEC PHARMACEUTICALS] This drug company develops therapies for cancer and autoimmune diseases. Sales jumped when the FDA approved Rituxan, a non-Hodgkin's lymphoma treatment.

[44] [SMURFIT-STONE CONTAINER] Heavyweight boxer: In addition to running paper-pulp mills, this paper-packaging company produces cereal boxes, shoeboxes, tissue boxes, and more.

[44] [BELL MICROPRODUCTS] Need space for all those old e-mails? This data storage company sells computer products from disk drives to high-end network storage.

[44] [PROVIDIAN FINANCIAL] The fifth-largest bank-card issuer, Providian supplies 18 million American accounts with pliable plastic. Lately it's been pushing into sub-prime.

[47] [ADVENT SOFTWARE] Advent's systems help the professional financial community keep track of all its money. [47] [MICREL] The mixed-signal semiconductor company makes chips that are used to help run things as varied as your desktop and your garage-door opener.

[49] [DYNEGY] Dynegy generates, markets, and trades energy commodities. By 2004, the company expects to add another commodity: broadband.

T[49] [GROUP 1 AUTOMOTIVE] hough there's nothing like the smell of a new car, this auto dealership's whiplash revenue growth comes from used cars, financing, and parts and repairs.

[51] [EXTENDED STAY AMERICA] For long-duration road warriors, Home Sweet Home is a hotel room at one of Extended Stay America's 400-plus locations.

[51] [NU HORIZONS ELECTRONICS] This distributor of high-tech electronic components sells to commercial customers, designing its components to work seamlessly with customers' products.

[53] [STILLWATER MINING] The U.S.'s only producer of platinum and palladium is seeing green--Stillwater's metals are used in cars to reduce air pollution.

[53] [PRIORITY HEALTHCARE] This specialty pharmacy distributes over 3,500 drug products for conditions like cancer, HIV, and infertility.

[55] [ACT MANUFACTURING] It also offers patient-consulting and education services. Hired muscle for the electronics industry, ACT manufactures high-tech products for its clients, allowing them to focus on development and marketing.

[56] [SCANSOURCE] ScanSource rings up sales by distributing bar-code scanners and business telephone products, saving manufacturers the cost of hiring a direct sales force.

[57] [STONE ENERGY] The oil and gas company's strategy is far from crude--Stone acquires and boosts production at offshore fields that are supposedly depleted.

[58] [QUEST DIAGNOSTICS] The largest medical-testing company in the U.S., Quest is rolling out a program allowing consumers to order lab tests without first visiting the doctor.

[59] [PENN NATIONAL GAMING] Through betting on the stock market? These guys will be happy to invest your money. Penn runs three casinos, three racetracks, and 11 OTBs in the U.S.

[60] [SEMTECH] Semtech manufactures analog and mixed-signal semiconductors, dominating its niche by snagging top engineers with expertise in this specialty field.

[61] [CHILDREN'S PLACE RETAIL] Stroller-bound rugrats and tweens (and their parents) shop at this value-priced retailer. Children's Place is expanding by 30%, opening 120 stores in 2001.

[62] [STEVEN MADDEN] Fashion, not finance, steers shoe devotees who still hoof it to Steve Madden, despite the founder's past run-in with federal securities enforcers.

[63] [IMPATH] Impath physicians spend their days catching cancer. Doctors send in biopsies; Impath analyzes them. Doing so accounts for about 90% of revenues.

[63] [ATMI] The deflating tech market kept demand low this year for ATMI, a maker of semiconductor materials; the company persevered by investing in new materials.

[65] [AMERICAN EAGLE OUTFITTERS] This retailer sells all-American casual apparel to young adults, but its growth strategy is all-North American. In 2000, it acquired a Canadian clothing chain.

[65] [VECTOR GROUP] Vector isn't blowing smoke when it claims it's on the cutting edge of tobacco technology. The cigarette maker is developing reduced-carcinogen smokes.

[65] [MAYNARD OIL] Excited by high oil prices and gushing wells? Always wanted to own an oil company? This 30-year-old oil and natural gas producer is looking for a buyer.

[68] [AMERICREDIT] AmeriCredit backs dealer-financed auto loans for sub-prime car buyers. The financial services company is opening offices all over the U.S.

[68] [AUDIOVOX] The sweet sound of success: Audiovox started in 1965 making car stereos. Now most of its revenues come from wireless telephone sales.

[70] [INSIGHT ENTERPRISES] This direct marketer sells computers and software to small and medium-sized businesses in the U.S., Canada, Britain, and Germany.

[70] [RENT-A-CENTER] Just because you lack credit doesn't mean you should lack the couch of your dreams. Rent-A-Center makes it happen--one payment at a time.

[72] [COMVERSE TECHNOLOGY] Thanks to this telecom software and services company's products, AT&T, Sprint, and other wireless telcos can offer voice mail, text messages, and the wireless Web.

[73] [PERICOM SEMICONDUCTOR] With high-profile customers like Cisco, Compaq, and Dell, this provider of bandwidth-enhancing integrated circuits is a survivor of the wounded tech industry.

[74] [CATELLUS DEVELOPMENT] The California-centric real estate firm develops residential and commercial properties. Catellus has been backing off on new projects in the Valley.

[75] [POLYMEDICA] PolyMedica sells diabetes and respiratory supplies to Medicare customers in addition to manufacturing urology products and suppositories.

[76] [PROVINCE HEALTHCARE] Province buys, manages, and improves under-performing rural hospitals. Growth has come through acquisitions and a rise in admissions.

[77] [RAMBUS] Its revenues are down and it's dogged by legal woes, but Rambus is still selling memory technology for high-profile products like Intel's Pentium 4 and Sony's PlayStation 2.

[77] [APPLIED MATERIALS] The chipmaker's chipmaker, Applied creates most of the equipment used in semiconductor manufacturing. More than half its products are sold in the Asia-Pacific region.

[79] [SILICON VALLEY BANCSHARES] This bank serves startups and tech firms, but SVB also has a fine blend of clients from another famous Northern California industry: premium wineries.

[79] [CDW COMPUTER CENTERS] Direct marketer CDW sells computers and services, shipping 25,000 boxes a day to businesses, schools, and government agencies.

[81] [FED.AGRICULTURAL MORTGAGE] Willie Nelson had Farm-Aid, Congress has Farmer Mac. In 1988 it created this maker of secondary markets for farm mortgages as a way to help rural America.

[82] [METRIS] The direct marketer of credit cards and financial services cashes in by focusing on moderate-income customers.

[82] [UNION ACCEPTANCE] Union buys installment sales contracts from auto dealers, then collects the payments itself. Since 1999 it has shied away from the sub-prime market.

[84] [MCSI] MCSi used its skills at supplying and integrating networking equipment and audio-visual products to build the broadcast center at the Sydney Olympics.

[85] [VISX] Visx saw the light 15 years ago when it invented a way to fix eyesight through laser surgery. The company still maintains the No. 1 spot in its category.

[85] [ST. JOE] This former papermaker is Florida's largest private landowner. With one million acres, St. Joe could rake it in from sun-seeking baby-boomers ready to retire.

[87] [ACTIVISION] One of the top three independent videogame publishers in the U.S., Activision has titles ranging from Buzz Lightyear to Star Trek. Next up: Tony Hawk's Pro Skater 3.

[88] [BERRY PETROLEUM] This producer of crude oil, natural gas, and electricity just reopened plants shuttered after a fight over fees with Southern California Edison and PG&E.

[88] [SOLECTRON] Tech giants such as Ericsson, Cisco, and IBM leave the production to Solectron. Harsh times can be good news: Customers tend to outsource more frequently.

[90] [AES] An independent power producer, AES generates and distributes electricity through 181 plants around the globe, including the Americas, Europe, and Asia.

[91] [TOLLGRADE COMMUNICATIONS] Tollgrade manufactures equipment that tests problems on telecom companies' voice and Internet lines. Customers include SBC, Verizon, and Sprint.

[92] [L-3 COMMUNICATIONS HLDGS.] L-3's strategy is based on defense--the Department of Defense. More than half of its business is in secure communications products for satellites, ships, and planes.

[92] [ALTERA] Altera makes programmable semiconductor chips, which reduce development and testing time for electronic systems.

[94] [CARREKER] This provider of consulting and technology services for financial companies has the top 20 U.S. banks as customers. [95] [ABERCROMBIE & FITCH] Best known for its porn-or-not-porn catalogs, this clothing maker has branched into stores focusing on just kids and teens. Expect 25 more A&Fs this year.

[96] [SCHULER HOMES] The company, which designs, builds, and sells homes in Hawaii and the western U.S., has built itself up through a series of acquisitions since its 1992 IPO.

[97] [APACHE] Though most of its reserves are in North America, this independent oil and gas player operates globally, pumping out of Australia, Egypt, and Canada.

[98] [HANOVER COMPRESSOR] The fastest-growing shrinking company? Hanover compresses natural gas for energy-production companies. This year Hanover acquired rival OEC Compression.

[98] [BIOGEN] Oldest kid on the biotech block, Biogen takes in 80% of revenue through sales of Avonex, the world's leading drug treatment for multiple sclerosis.

[100] [KEY PRODUCTION] The key to its growth? Continued oil and gas exploration west of the Mississippi, combined with a year-end purchase of Columbus Energy.

REPORTER ASSOCIATES Grainger David, Fabiana Esposito, Noshua Watson