(FORTUNE Small Business) – This is the second annual FSB 100, our compendium of corporate speed. The companies you'll see listed on the next eight pages all figured out a way to dodge the economic doldrums that have affected so many U.S. businesses recently. Our methodology was the same as last year--with help from Zacks Investment Research, we looked at public companies that trade on the major exchanges with $200 million or less in annual revenue, and ruled out any with a stock price below $1. That gave us a universe of about 200 names, which we ranked by earnings growth, revenue growth, and stock performance over the past three years. Those rankings were averaged to create the final order.

[KEY]

ENERGY HEALTH CARE TELECOM FINANCIAL INDUSTRIAL TECH OTHER

[A] EARNINGS-PER-SHARE GROWTH 3-year annual rate RANK

[B] NET INCOME Four quarters, to 12/31/01 (millions)

[C] REVENUE GROWTH 3-year annual rate RANK

[D]REVENUE Four quarters, to 12/31/01 (millions)

[E] TOTAL RETURN 3-year annual rate RANK

[F] STOCK PRICE As of 5/18/02

[G] NUMBER OF EMPLOYEES

2000 RANK COMPANY NAME TICKER CITY, STATE (2001 RANKING) [A] [B] [C] [D] [E] [F] [G] COMMENTS

1 NYFIX NYFX STAMFORD, CONN. [TECH] 207.4% $8.1 89.8% $41.4 56.9% $8.82 240 5 6 23 Software for cold, hard cash. Nyfix develops electronic trading systems that help brokerage firms, banks, and global exchanges manage equities and derivatives.

2 DYNACQ INTERNATIONAL DYII HOUSTON (3) [HEALTH CARE] 132.4 12.1 60 48.8 66.6 17.13 200 11 13 16 Dynacq runs a couple of surgery centers and a home health-care service. It currently faces a shareholder lawsuit over its accounting methods.

3 4KIDS ENTERTAINMENT KDE NEW YORK (2) [OTHER] 88.3 12.2 64.9 41.5 84.7 20.19 119 23 9 8 Since the Pokemon craze slowed, this toy licenser has seen a big decline in revenue, but cheerleading analysts trust CEO Al Kahn to find the next hot kids' product.

4 QUICKSILVER RESOURCES KWK FORT WORTH [ENERGY] 198 19.3 145 143.1 41.2 25.87 253 6 1 37 This Texas energy company specializes in discovering and exploiting unconventional sources of natural gas, like coal-bed methane and shale gas.

5 CATALYST SEMICONDUCTOR CATS SUNNYVALE, CALIF. [TECH] 125.1 8.1 39.2 47.5 138.9 2.82 67 13 38 5 Catalyst makes programmable chips for communications products, specifically modems, mobile phones, set-top boxes, and Internet routers.

6 KEY PRODUCTION[1] KP DENVER (83) [ENERGY] 106.1 -1.9 54.7 108.9 36.8 19.75 95 15 16 43 With a collection of wells located in the western U.S., Key produces oil and natural gas and posted a record-breaking year in 2000; 2001 wasn't as strong.

7 COMPUDYNE CDCY HANOVER, MD. (10) [INDUSTRIAL] 58.5 4.1 58.6 127.4 59.5 13.34 962 41 15 19 In a world that's increasingly unsafe, CompuDyne's products--prison equipment and blast-resistant doors and windows for embassies--are increasingly in demand.

8 ASTA FUNDING ASFI ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS, N.J. [OTHER] 56.5 9.1 41 28.4 233.5 17.05 45 45 31 1 Asta buys nonperforming debt, like credit card accounts on which people aren't making the payments. Higher default rates have helped its business.

9 EVERGREEN RESOURCES EVG DENVER [ENERGY] 72.9 38.5 94.8 120.8 32.4 43.48 227 30 4 50 This Denver company is one of the leading producers of coal-bed methane gas in the U.S. A new joint project with a U.K. energy concern should boost its revenue.

10 PANHANDLE ROYALTY PANRA OKLAHOMA CITY [ENERGY] 128.3 2.8 48.6 12.7 29.6 15.00 14 12 23 52 Panhandle is in the oil business, but it doesn't do any drilling. Instead it holds the mineral and production rights to about 2,200 wells, mostly in Oklahoma.

11 ZOLL MEDICAL ZOLL BURLINGTON, MASS. (11) [HEALTH CARE] 170.8% $7.1 30.4% $124 48.6% $37.03 605 7 62 27 This medical firm makes cardiac-care equipment, like the defibrillators used to resuscitate heart-attack victims (they're becoming standard equipment on airlines).

12 ELANTEC SEMICONDUCTOR[2] ELNT MILPITAS, CALIF. (8) [TECH] 35.5 -0.4 45.1 94.7 169.1 39.42 277 69 25 2 Elantec makes analog chips used for video devices, optical storage, and communications. It's been hurt recently by the softening market for technology.

13 FTI CONSULTING FCN ANNAPOLIS [OTHER] 39 16.4 44.6 166.4 144.8 32.12 633 65 27 4 Class-action lawsuits, accidents, and bankruptcies mean business for this Annapolis consulting firm, which specializes in helping lawyers litigate cases.

14 ADVENT SOFTWARE ADVS SAN FRANCISCO (16) [TECH] 71.1 31.5 34.9 170.2 53.8 46.50 900 31 43 25 More than 6,000 financial services firms rely on Advent's software and services to automate everything from managing portfolios to executing trades.

15 PRIMA ENERGY PENG DENVER [ENERGY] 69.4 23.8 36.8 60.3 46.7 24.48 144 32 41 31 In 1980, CEO Richard H. Lewis started Prima out of his Denver home. He hasn't strayed far: The company drills primarily in the gas-rich Rocky Mountain region.

16 MACROVISION MVSN SANTA CLARA, CALIF. (21) [TECH] 30.2 19.2 63.3 98.8 57.7 19.75 250 81 10 20 About three billion VHS tapes and 900 million DVDs use Macrovision's copy protection technologies--they make the movies difficult to duplicate.

17 SWIFT ENERGY SFY HOUSTON (80) [ENERGY] 52.9 -22.4 42.5 183.8 42.6 15.51 209 48 30 34 An oil and gas exploration and drilling company, Swift has reserves in southern states like Texas and Louisiana, and it's also working on projects in New Zealand.

18 CERADYNE CRDN COSTA MESA, CALIF. [INDUSTRIAL] 701.4 4 25.1 45.3 42.3 8.02 350 2 79 36 The war on terrorism could boost Ceradyne's sales: The company sells bullet-stopping ceramic body armor for soldiers and armor plating for helicopters.

19 GREEN MOUNTAIN COFFEE GMCR WATERBURY, VT. (18) [OTHER] 138.8 6.3 19.8 97 86 24.13 458 10 101 7 This socially conscious coffee roaster and distributor quit the retail market in 1998 and now sells wholesale to supermarkets, convenience stores, and offices.

20 ARTHROCARE ARTC SUNNYVALE, CALIF. [HEALTH CARE] 147.3 10.1 52.2 83.3 13.9 15.21 285 9 20 90 Tore your ACL playing hoops? This company makes surgical devices that simplify the repair process. Its technology has been used in some 1.5 million operations.

21 CLEARONE COMMUN.[3] CLRO SALT LAKE CITY (7) [TELECOM] 57.2 $7.3 30.7 $44.7 59.9 $17.55 208 42 59 18 If you're skittish about airport security or lack the funds to fly, you'll like ClearOne's audio-, video-, and Web-conferencing products for businesses.

22 NATL. HOME HEALTH CARE NHHC SCARSDALE, N.Y. [HEALTH CARE] 74.7 4.7 34.7 79.2 33.3 15.95 2800 28 44 47 NHHC and its subsidiaries provide home health care in New York, New Jersey, and Connecticut. Medicaid accounts for about half of all revenue.

23 TOREADOR RESOURCES TRGL DALLAS [ENERGY] 392.4 -0.6 114.1 15.7 2.4 3.85 20 3 2 117 !Ole! Toreador drills for oil in the southeastern U.S. and then sells the raw product to refiners. It also owns a stake of auction site EnergyNet.com.

24 NOVEN PHARMACEUTICALS NOVN MIAMI [HEALTH CARE] 81.5 12.1 32.3 46 35.9 21.05 252 27 51 45 This company sells skin patches that deliver drugs transdermally. In the U.S., strong growth has come from the hormone-replacement market.

25 SHUFFLE MASTER SHFL LAS VEGAS [OTHER] 67.4 11.6 25.3 48.6 77.2 17.90 208 34 77 13 Shuffle Master stocks casinos with automatic card shufflers and slot machines, and also develops table games like three-card poker.

26 SEMTECH SMTC CAMARILLO, CALIF. [TECH] 62.6 34.9 28.9 191.2 57 31.71 577 37 65 22 Originally used in military applications, Semtech's semiconductors are now designed into computers, mobile phones, PDAs, and videogames.

27 ACTRADE FINANCIAL TECH. ACRT NEW YORK CITY [FINANCIAL] 60.3 28.7 90.5 66.4 16.8 17.15 63 39 5 81 This financial services company helps expedite B-to-B transactions by guaranteeing payment and helping finance big-ticket purchases.

28 BERRY PETROLEUM BRY BAKERSFIELD, CALIF. [ENERGY] 103.9 21.9 72.1 138.5 8.9 16.16 114 17 7 102 Founder C.J. Berry made his fortune mining for Klondike gold in the 1890s. Today his namesake company extracts oil and natural gas in California.

29 EPIQ SYSTEMS EPIQ KANSAS CITY (71) [TECH] 35.8 4.9 40 30.1 54.2 15.68 140 67 35 24 EPIQ sells software to help bankruptcy trustees handle debt restructurings. Recently, for obvious reasons, that's been a growth market.

30 AIR METHODS AIRM ENGLEWOOD, CALIF. [OTHER] 90.2 6.6 25.5 92.1 47 10.19 733 22 76 30 With 59 helicopters and 13 planes, all equipped with onboard medical-care units, Air Methods rushes critically injured people to hospitals.

31 TOLLGRADE COMMUN. TLGD CHESWICK, PA. (34) [TELECOM] 47.9 13.7 36.8 82.2 40.1 18.09 341 51 42 39 Tollgrade makes equipment that lets telecom and cable companies detect problems in their lines remotely, without sending out a technician.

32 CREE CREE DURHAM, N.C. (6) [TECH] 49.7 -9.6 63.2 182.4 21.4 11.48 875 49 11 75 In March, this maker of light-emitting diodes won a $15 million government contract for LEDs capable of detecting biological agents like anthrax.

33 MB FINANCIAL[4] MBFI CHICAGO [FINANCIAL] 60.2 -0.3 42.9 153.7 24.3 30.85 754 40 29 67 MBFI is the holding company for MB Financial Bank. An acquisition spree has made it the third-largest bank in Chicago, with 41 branches.

34 FREQUENCY ELECTRONICS FEI MITCHEL FIELD, N.Y. [TECH] 118.5 5 37.5 46.4 16.4 12.95 380 14 39 84 Originally a defense contractor, Frequency now also makes products that synchronize voice, data, and video transmissions in wireless systems.

35 TALX TALX ST. LOUIS (24) [TECH] 86.8 4 19 44.5 81.3 16.70 1,200 24 106 10 TALX takes some of the grunt work out of human resources by automating recurring services like payroll and benefits and verifying job histories.

36 SURMODICS SRDX EDEN PRAIRIE, MINN. [HEALTH CARE] 32 $6.8 32 $23.9 84.5 $37.49 140 79 53 9 The name is short for "surface modification," specifically on medical devices. SurModics can adapt things like stents and catheters to be blood-compatible or infection-resistant.

37 COMTECH TELECOMMUN. CMTL MELVILLE, N.Y. [TELECOM] 26 5.6 69.4 124.5 36.2 10.50 650 89 8 44 For more than 30 years, ComTech has made products like antennas, satellite equipment, amplifiers, and mobile tracking systems for commercial and government needs.

38 MERCANTILE BANK MBWM WYOMING, MICH. [OTHER] 94.4 4.5 60.8 46.5 3.1 21.70 120 18 12 114 Parent of Mercantile Bank of West Michigan, MBC is a community bank that serves individuals and mid-sized businesses. Net income for 2001 was up 60% over 2000.

39 PIXAR PIXR EMERYVILLE, CALIF. [OTHER] 94.1 36.2 95.6 70.2 -6.4 41.94 648 19 3 125 Yes, that Pixar--maker of Toy Story and Monsters, Inc., the second-highest-grossing animated film ever. But its sporadic revenue, thanks to long lags between releases, can be scary.

40 COGNIZANT CTSH TEANECK, N.J. [TECH] 44.3 22.2 49.2 177.8 23.6 48.99 3,900 56 22 69 Spun out of Dun & Bradstreet in 1994, Cognizant maintains large-scale software systems for clients like RadioShack. It has a big operation in India, where labor is less expensive.

41 U.S. PHYSICAL THERAPY USPH HOUSTON [HEALTH CARE] 54.8 7.1 22.3 81 80 17.01 776 47 91 11 With 168 outpatient clinics, USPH provides post-op care and treatment for orthopedic disorders and sports injuries. Patient visits increased 25% from 2000 to 2001.

42 REMINGTON OIL & GAS ROIL DALLAS [ENERGY] 55.6 8.3 20.6 116.1 74.8 19.97 29 46 97 15 Remington drills mostly along the Gulf Coast, both onshore and off. Potato magnate J.R. Simplot (supplier of McDonald's fries) owns 25% of the company.

43 MANHATTAN ASSOCIATES MANH ATLANTA [TECH] 66.1 16.2 40.2 151.3 14.3 29.14 830 35 34 89 Manhattan makes software to help consumer companies like Mary Kay and Brookstone manage their shipping systems and inventory. (And it's in Georgia, not New York.)

44 HUDSON RIVER BANCORP HRBT HUDSON, N.Y. [FINANCIAL] 56.7 17.1 30.5 133.9 29.4 23.99 581 43 61 55 HRB is the holding company for Hudson River Bank & Trust, first established in 1850. It makes commercial loans, mainly for apartment and office buildings, motels, and strip malls.

45 MOBILE MINI MINI TEMPE, ARIZ. (33) [HEALTH CARE] 35.5 18.7 30.7 114.7 45.9 17.00 1,355 68 60 32 Need a portable office or temporary storage space? (The trunk of your car doesn't count.) Mobile Mini leases about 75,000 portable storage spaces in 19 states.

46 BRADLEY PHARMACEUTICALS BPRX FAIRFIELD, N.J. [HEALTH CARE] 84.7 $3.6 15.1 $25.7 146.1 $12.45 82 25 133 3 BPRX doesn't develop any drugs. Instead it buys unsexy castoffs from Big Pharma and remarkets them. CEO Daniel Glassman and his wife own 80% of the company.

47 IMPATH IMPH NEW YORK CITY (26) [HEALTH CARE] 21.9 11 52.3 189.6 39.6 21.80 1,200 102 19 41 Impath specializes in cancer treatment and helps doctors analyze lab results and treat patients. It also works with the biopharmaceuticals industry to develop new drugs.

48 MONTEREY PASTA PSTA SALINAS, CALIF. (17) [OTHER] 35.4 4.4 31.9 59.2 40.6 9.80 341 70 55 38 Founded as a Bay Area gourmet pasta brand in 1989, Monterey Pasta now sells its wares in more than 6,600 retail and club stores throughout North America and Asia.

49 DIANON SYSTEMS DIAN STRATFORD, CONN. (87) [HEALTH CARE] 32.4 6.2 24.6 124.9 90.9 59.94 1,095 77 81 6 Connecticut-based Dianon analyzes tissue and fluid samples sent in by doctors. Thanks to its acquisition of UroCor in 2001, it now leads the U.S. market in urology diagnostics.

50 SPECTRALINK SLNK BOULDER, COLO. (15) [TELECOM] 56.5 7 22.7 60.8 42.5 9.85 308 44 86 35 Walkie-talkies for the workplace. SpectraLink's wireless phones work anywhere in a given building or factory--ideal for places where regular mobile phones can't go.

51 INTERMAGNETICS IMGC LATHAM, N.Y. [INDUSTRIAL] 105.5 19.5 15 156 64.5 22.12 545 16 135 17 Intermagnetics makes components for MRI machines and industrial cryogenic refrigerators. Two big customers, Phillips and GE, account for almost two-thirds of all revenue.

52 RAMBUS RMBS LOS ALTOS, CALIF. [TECH] 93.8 24.7 52.3 107.3 -27.4 6.60 171 20 18 134 The company's memory chips go into PCs and videogame consoles to speed them up. Rambus has sued competitors (and been sued) over who actually owns the technology.

53 NANOMETRICS NANO MILPITAS, CALIF. [TECH] 39.1 1 29.7 47.6 31.9 18.62 280 64 63 51 Nanometrics makes integrated and stand-alone measurement equipment for semiconductors and flat-panel displays. Customers include Applied Materials, Samsung, and IBM.

54 CHOLESTECH CTEC HAYWARD, CALIF. [HEALTH CARE] 21.7 -1.7 27.8 46.2 78 16.00 240 103 68 12 America's love affair with fast food is good news for Cholestech, which markets diagnostic tests for cholesterol, blood-sugar level, and liver function. Burger and fries, anyone?

55 TEAM TMI ALVIN, TEXAS [INDUSTRIAL] 279.3 3.8 17 81.1 24.3 9.10 832 4 116 66 Despite the slightly confusing name, Team has an industrial function--plumbing repairs on high-pressure and high-temperature lines. It also monitors factories for leaks.

56 AXT AXTI FREMONT, CALIF. [TECH] 73.4 -$5 44.1 $119.5 -11 $9.55 1,324 29 28 130 AXT makes high-performance chips out out of gallium arsenide, among other materials, for use when standard silicon isn't good enough.

57 HEMLOCK FEDERAL FINAN. HMLK OAK FOREST, ILL. [FINANCIAL] 39.5 2 27.2 21 28.4 24.87 66 63 69 56 We'll spare you the death jokes. Hemlock is a consumer bank with six branches in Chicago. Home mortgages make up 80% of its loans.

58 MERCURY COMPUTER SYS. MRCY CHELMSFORD, MASS. [TECH] 33.5 24.5 24.1 168 43.5 27.05 600 74 82 33 For MRCY, image is everything. The company develops speedy signal processors that handle imaging for the defense and medical industries.

59 II-VI IIVI SAXONBURG, Pa. [INDUSTRIAL] 21.5 9.3 31.4 121 47.9 14.22 1,009 105 56 28 II-VI (that's "two-six") sells fiber-optic equipment and gets 25% of its revenue selling missile guidance and imaging devices to the military.

60 CORP. OFFICE PROPERTIES OFC COLUMBIA, MD. (40) [OTHER] 21.5 19.9 48.5 125.6 26.2 13.60 172 106 24 62 This Mid-Atlantic REIT owns and manages suburban office buildings, and counts Allstate, Coca-Cola, and the U.S. government among its tenants.

61 DORCHESTER HUGOTON DHULZ GARLAND, TEXAS [ENERGY] 44.1 18.4 31.4 26.8 19.1 14.10 14 58 57 78 A natural gas partnership, DHULZ plans to combine with two other companies to form a new publicly traded company called Dorchester Minerals.

62 PETROLEUM DEVELOPMENT PETD BRIDGEPORT, W.V. [ENERGY] 32.5 15 33.5 177.1 24.2 6.30 90 76 49 68 This natural gas and oil concern owns 2,200 wells in Appalachia, Michigan, and the Rockies. Production in 2001 was up 14% over 2000.

63 COBIZ COBZ DENVER [FINANCIAL] 24.4 8.9 40.5 70.3 22.7 16.45 265 93 32 72 CoBiz is a $1 billion (assets) holding company with two subsidiaries: Colorado Business Bank--thus the name--and Arizona Business Bank.

64 AAON AAON TULSA (51) [INDUSTRIAL] 44.5 14.2 15.6 157.3 57.2 29.05 931 55 125 21 Its revenue runs hot and cold, in the good way: AAON makes heating and a/c units for big companies like Wal-Mart, Target, and Home Depot.

65 DWYER GROUP DWYR WACO, TEXAS [OTHER] 160.7 2.3 15.1 22.4 26.5 4.18 121 8 134 60 Dwyer is the parent company of six franchises in the service business--among them Mr. Rooter, Glass Doctor, and Aire Serv.

66 MULTI-COLOR LABL CINCINNATI [INDUSTRIAL] 49.3 4.9 15.8 74.4 47.6 14.50 425 50 124 29 Wrap artist Multi-Color makes the labels for consumer goods like dish-soap, detergent, and beverage bottles. Quaker Oats is a customer.

67 BOSTON PRIVATE FINANCIAL BPFH BOSTON (65) [FINANCIAL] 18.8 7.1 36.9 113.5 39.7 25.50 365 124 40 40 Boston Private is a money management firm, offering banking, investment management, and loans to its high-net-worth clientele.

68 FIRST DEFIANCE FINANCIAL FDEF DEFIANCE, OHIO [FINANCIAL] 63.1 13.6 26.9 132.3 10.4 18.20 288 36 71 98 The customer service is probably a lot better than you'd guess from the name. FDEF is a consumer bank founded in Defiance, Ohio.

69 CAPITAL AUTOMOTIVE CARS MCLEAN, VA. [OTHER] 19.1 31.4 44.9 118.3 27.4 23.70 22 121 26 59 The only REIT focusing on the car business, Capital buys real estate and leases it back to auto dealers. It boasts a 100% occupancy rate.

70 EMBREX EMBX DURHAM, N.C. (62) [OTHER] 41.3 8 16.5 44.7 52 23.30 220 62 120 26 Embrex's technology immunizes chicks while still in the egg. It vaccinates about 6.8 billion broiler chickens each year, 85% of the U.S. market.

71 AWARE AWRE BEDFORD, MASS. [TELECOM] 92.5 -$2.5 32 $18.6 -43.1 $4.12 165 21 52 135 Aware makes digital subscriber line (DSL) technology to speed up data transmission rates in existing phone lines.

72 ADVANCED ENERGY AEIS FORT COLLINS, COLO. [INDUSTRIAL] 46.1 -31.4 39.6 193.6 -4.1 31.13 1,386 53 36 122 Think superpowerful, extremely sensitive surge protectors. AEIS's products smooth out electricity so it can power sensitive equipment.

73 QUIXOTE QUIX CHICAGO (29) [OTHER] 954.9 9.2 15.2 92.7 17.1 18.73 590 1 132 79 It's a lifesaver, literally. Founded in 1969, Quixote makes highway safety products like energy-absorbing crash barriers and flexible signposts.

74 ESCALADE ESCA EVANSVILLE, IND. [OTHER] 46 11.1 16.6 148.9 39 21.30 708 54 119 42 If you have a family game room, it's probably stocked with Escalade products: table tennis, darts, billiards, etc. The company also makes office products.

75 FORRESTER RESEARCH FORR CAMBRIDGE, MASS. [OTHER] 34.4 18.1 52.9 159.1 -8.5 18.30 442 71 17 128 Forrester helps clients like Yahoo and IBM understand how the Internet affects customers. As tech investments have slowed, so has its revenue growth.

76 KEITHLEY INSTRUMENTS KEI SOLON, OHIO [INDUSTRIAL] 32.3 8.9 15.5 125.6 74.8 17.56 640 78 127 14 With about 500 different testing and measuring instruments, KEI helps high-tech manufacturers ensure their products are being built right.

77 VERITY VRTY SUNNYVALE, CALIF. (5) [TECH] 43.7 14 34.2 108.9 3.3 8.94 435 60 46 113 Verity's software powers intranet and e-commerce portals for clients including nine of the Fortune 500's top ten. Fiscal 2001 was a record year.

78 FACTSET RESEARCH SYSTEMS FDS GREENWICH, CONN. (44) [FINANCIAL] 33.1 34.3 29.4 192.2 16.6 30.98 658 75 64 82 FDS compiles financial data from more than 100 databases and customizes it for investment bankers, analysts, and portfolio managers.

79 OPINION RESEARCH ORCI SKILLMAN, N.J. (82) [OTHER] 43.7 1.6 39.4 176.9 -6.6 6.01 1,900 61 37 126 Founded as a B-to-B polling firm in 1938, Opinion Research now handles global marketing services for clients looking to soup up their sales strategies.

80 ESPEY MANUFACTURING ESP SARATOGA SPRINGS, N.Y. [INDUSTRIAL] 83.4 0.8 17.1 18.7 15.6 20.14 210 26 113 86 This firm designs electronics for military and industrial uses. Its stuff ends up in spy planes and submarines, and about half its sales come from overseas.

81 COMMUNITY CAPITAL CYL GREENWOOD, S.C. [FINANCIAL] 68.2 4.5 20.9 37.1 10.8 13.10 143 33 96 97 The holding company for Capital Bank, CYL has about 15 branches in western South Carolina and lends mostly to small and mid-sized businesses.

82 NATL. MERCANTILE BANCORP MBLA LOS ANGELES (86) [FINANCIAL] 27.2 1.2 40.4 14.8 6.6 6.45 103 86 33 109 National Mercantile caters to wealthy clients in Los Angeles--meaning it handles the banking for a lot of television and film executives.

83 DAKTRONICS DAKT BROOKINGS, S.D. (27) [INDUSTRIAL] 22.9 6.7 22.3 155.3 33.1 9.70 765 97 90 48 If you're a sports fan, chances are you've seen a Daktronics scoreboard. The company handles all four major sports, the Olympics, and even the PGA.

84 CAPITAL CORP. OF THE WEST CCOW MERCED, CALIF. [FINANCIAL] 44.1 7.9 19.5 64.4 20.5 21.40 267 57 103 76 Capital Corp. of the West is your standard community bank--only faster growing. It has 15 branches in the San Joaquin Valley region of California.

85 INTERPORE INTERNATIONAL BONZ IRVINE, CALIF. [HEALTH CARE] 29.3 4.3 23.6 51.3 22.9 9.85 144 82 83 71 Money in marrow. InterPore makes synthetic bones and implant materials used in spinal, orthopedic, and maxillofacial operations.

86 KENSEY NASH KNSY EXTON, PA. [OTHER] 25.3 $10.6 22.9 $27.2 25.9 $18.42 195 91 85 63 KNSY specializes in medical devices the body can absorb, like its Angio-Seal product, which stops bleeding after cardio procedures. (The doctor simply leaves it in.)

87 RENAISSANCE LEARNING RLRN WISCONSIN RAPIDS, WIS. (41) [TECH] 31.2 30.7 34.7 132.4 2 32.35 1,000 80 44 119 More than 60,000 schools use Renaissance's educational software to help kids in grades K-12 improve everything from the three R's to standardized test scores.

88 QUAKER CITY BANCORP QCBC WHITTIER, CALIF. [FINANCIAL] 33.9 18.2 17.1 112 27.7 37.01 230 72 114 58 Quakers founded the California town of Whittier in the late 1800s. QCBC is a consumer bank with about 15 branches, including several inside Wal-Mart stores.

89 AZZ AZZ FORT WORTH [INDUSTRIAL] 21.1 8.2 23.2 152.9 29.4 19.50 1255 107 84 54 Formerly Aztec Manufacturing, AZZ splits its business into two divisions: making industrial electrical equipment and galvanizing steel. And the name's a lot hipper now, too.

90 CAPITAL CROSSING BANK CAPX BOSTON [FINANCIAL] 23 11.2 27 91.7 16.9 25.87 158 95 70 80 Think IOUs on a grand scale: Capital Crossing does consumer banking, but most of its focus is on mortgages--it buys loans from other lenders and handles the servicing.

91 TECHNE TECH MINNEAPOLIS (78) [HEALTH CARE] 33.9 36.4 15.3 121.9 34.5 27.01 550 73 131 46 Techne makes biotech products used to help research and diagnose specific diseases. Its European division now contributes about a fourth of all sales.

92 XETA TECHNOLOGIES XETA BROKEN ARROW, OKLA. (28) [TELECOM] 15.4 3.5 58.9 74.7 7.3 5.41 298 132 14 106 Though it started doing phone and voice-mail systems primarily for hotel chains (including Marriott), Xeta now designs telecom equipment for the corporate market as well.

93 ICU MEDICAL ICUI SAN CLEMENTE, CALIF. (90) [HEALTH CARE] 22.6 15.4 19.2 69.1 32.8 38.17 476 99 104 49 An IV drip without a needle? ICU makes it happen. The company's products are designed to prevent health-care workers' being contaminated by accidental needle sticks.

94 INTERLOTT TECHNOLOGIES ILI MASON, OHIO [INDUSTRIAL] 20.9 2 30.9 42.7 16.2 6.60 245 110 58 85 A casino in your convenience store! ILI makes the vending machines that dispense scratch-off lottery tickets. It has about 29,000 of them in 29 states, plus more overseas.

95 EUFAULA BANCORP EUFA EUFAULA, ALA. [FINANCIAL] 60.9 2.8 18.8 21.6 3.8 14.00 115 38 107 111 Yet another local consumer bank on the list, so we'll explain this one with a haiku: "Southeastern branches/Checking account wizardry/Customers leave pleased."

96 VAIL BANKS VAIL VAIL, COLO. [FINANCIAL] 29.2 6.1 32 53.4 -2.6 12.00 270 83 53 121 With an upscale location (and ticker to match), Vail runs consumer banks in the ski towns of Colorado. Chairman E.B. Chester and his wife own about 20% of the company.

97 MAPINFO MAPS TROY, N.Y. (19) [TECH] 26 -0.8 22.6 106.3 16.6 11.75 701 90 88 83 MAPS makes mapping software that connects people to places. Wal-Mart's a client (using it to find new store locations), as are the FBI and the New York Police Department.

98 DELTA NATURAL GAS DGAS WINCHESTER, KY. [ENERGY] 19.4 3.7 33.6 67 11.3 22.29 157 119 48 96 Delta produces and distributes natural gas to about 40,000 customers in Kentucky for heating and cooking. In addition, it owns an underground storage facility for gas.

99 DIME COMMUNITY BNCSHRS. DCOM BROOKLYN [FINANCIAL] 22.7 31.2 16.7 196 29.5 25.06 350 98 118 53 Dime owns about 20 local banks in New York City and Long Island. It lends mostly to landlords--about 80% of the loan portfolio comes from multifamily home mortgages.

100 NEOGEN NEOG LANSING, MICH. [HEALTH CARE] 20.6 3.7 24.7 39.3 19.3 15.19 250 114 80 77 Food testing is Neogen's meal ticket: Its diagnostic kits detect everything from food-borne bacteria to pesticide traces. The company has had 35 straight profitable quarters.

[1]Planned merger with Helmerich & Payne's oil and gas division will create a new company, Cimarex, and Key will no longer exist. [2]Acquired by Intersil on May 14, 2002. [3]Formerly Gentner Communications. [4]Numbers do not include the merger with Mid-City Financial, which closed in November 2001.