SDM presents this annual report both as well deserved recognition for the top companies and as an important indicator of the industry and for the industry we serve. Just as the Fortune 500 helps to define America’s publicly held industrials for financial markets and inform all competitors, the SDM 100 represents key intelligence for investors who follow our market and for companies who compete in it. It’s an invaluable database, as well as a snapshot in time of these important companies.
What you don’t see in this report is real-time video of what goes on behind the scenes at each of these companies. Their management and employees are busy working on this year, hardly taking time to look back at last year. Some 71% produced revenue results for 2003 that topped 2002’s. What you don’t see in this report is which companies are running ahead so far in 2004, and which ones are falling behind. And you don’t see which companies could make the ranking next year for the first time. (Stay tuned for SDM ’s June issue.)