Inc. (magazine)
Inc. is an American business magazine founded in 1979 and based in New York City.[3][4] The magazine publishes six issues per year, along with surrounding online and social media content. The magazine also produces several live and virtual events yearly.[5]
Editor
Scott Omelianuk
Business
6 times per year[1]
653,189[2]
April 1979
New York City, New York, U.S.
English
Published by Mansueto Ventures, Inc. is best known for its annual rankings of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States, called the "Inc. 500" and "Inc. 5000".[6]
History[edit]
Early years[edit]
Inc. was founded in Boston by Bernie Goldhirsh, and its first issue appeared in April 1979.The magazine was headquartered in Boston's waterfront on the India Wharf and relocated to NYC in the early 2000's.[7] Goldhirsh was an MIT-trained mechanical engineer who founded Sail magazine,[6] which he sold for $10 million in 1980.[6] Paul W. Kellam, who had joined Goldhirsh's company as editor of Marine Business, was one of Inc.'s first editors.[8] Goldhirsh kept a low profile, and George Gendron, who served as editor-in-chief from 1980 to 2002, was considered the "public face" of the magazine.
In October 1981, Inc. became the first magazine to feature Steve Jobs on its cover, alongside the proclamation, "This man has changed business forever."[9]
In 1982, the magazine began publishing its Inc. 100 ranking, which showcases the fastest-growing privately held companies in the United States, which later became Inc. 500.[10]
In 2000, Goldhirsh sold the magazine to German publishing house Gruner + Jahr[11] for a reported price of over $200 million.[8] In 2005, Joe Mansueto, founder of investment research firm Morningstar Ventures, bought Inc. and another business title, Fast Company, for about $35 million, forming publishing company Mansueto Ventures.[12]
In 2007, the magazine’s Inc. 500 list was expanded to the Inc. 5000 to include more fast-growing companies.[13][14]
2010-2020[edit]
In December 2013, Eric Schurenberg was appointed president and editor-in-chief of Inc.,[10] replacing the long-tenured Jane Berentson. In March 2018, Schurenberg was appointed CEO of Mansueto Ventures, and Ledbetter was promoted to editor-in-chief of Inc.[11]
Its current editor-in-chief is Scott Omelianuk, former editor-in-chief of This Old House magazine. He succeeded James Ledbetter in early 2020.[12][13]
In 2015, the Inc. 5000 Europe ranking was published.[15][16][17]
Inc. Uncensored podcast won the 2016 and 2017 min's Best of the Web Awards for Best Podcast, along with a 2018 Folio: Eddie & Ozzie Award honorable mention.[16]
Inc. received multiple Folio awards in 2017 and 2018, including honors for full-print issues, best redesign, use of video, and use of social media.[16] Its 2016 feature, "The Stealthy Sales Kings of Amazon", won a Best in Business award from the Society for Advancing Business Writing and Editing.[17]
Inc.500[edit]
In April 1979, the inaugural issue of Inc. featured the 'Inc. 100,' a list of the fastest-growing, publicly held small companies. By 1982, this list had expanded to the 'Inc. 500,' ranking companies based on their overall revenue growth over a three-year period. The top 500 companies are featured in the September issue of Inc. magazine each year, highlighting their significant growth and achievements in the private sector of the United States.[31][32][33]
Inc.5000[edit]
Inc. 5000 was first presented in 2007, expanding the Inc. 500. It lists the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S. This list ranks these companies based on their revenue growth rate, defining revenue as gross revenue minus returns and allowances, excluding the cost of goods sold. It categorizes the fastest-growing companies by industry, metro area, revenue, and number of employees, with special highlights for women and minority-run businesses.[34]
To be eligible, privately owned companies must demonstrate three years of revenue growth. Once included in the Inc. 5000, these companies are invited to a three-day Inc. conference. While all 5,000 companies are profiled on Inc.com, only the top 500 gain the spotlight in the September issue of Inc. magazine.[34]