Southland Firms Top List of Fast Starters

The Los Angeles-Orange County area outpaced the rest of the United States as an incubator of small businesses last year, nurturing more than one out of 10 of the nation’s 100 fastest-growing small enterprises, a survey of Dun & Bradstreet data found.

A 72-employee clothing manufacturer in Chatsworth took top honors in the survey conducted for Entrepreneur magazine. Ariston Technologies, a Huntington Beach maker of computer memory devices, ranked 15th, one of four Orange County companies to make the list.

Texas, with 12 companies on the list, surpassed the 11 from the region that takes in Orange, Los Angeles and Ventura counties. But proportionally, the region beat out the more populous Lone Star State. Signaling the strength of California’s economy, the state dominated the list with one-quarter of the companies.

Using Dun & Bradstreet’s database of 11 million U.S. businesses, the study measured the rate of a company’s sales growth since its inception. No businesses older than 3 years were surveyed, and all met the criteria of a small business in their industry as defined by the U.S. Small Business Administration.

Ariston Technologies, founded in 1995, generated $9.9 million in sales in its fiscal year ended Sept. 30. This year, the company expects sales to top $12 million.

Lazaros Bountour, Ariston’s founder and chief executive, attributed the firm’s fast growth to “a lot of long hours,” flexibility and quick response to a fiercely competitive, constantly changing market. Prices in the computer business have tumbled in the past few years, making it increasingly important to operate efficiently, reduce inventory costs and fill customer orders rapidly, he said.

“The fact that we stay flexible and respond to market changes almost immediately is what has really helped us,” he said.

The state’s other fast starters made their mark in a variety of industries, including organic foods, wine distribution, computers and high technology.

Other Orange County companies on the list were Apex Design Technology Inc., Anaheim, 29th, with $6.9 million in sales last year; IXC Marketing Inc., Anaheim, 47th, $3.3 million in sales; and AMT Component Inc., Irvine, 83rd, $2.1 million in sales.

The Bay Area had seven companies on the list and Sacramento had three.

Times staff writer Patrice Apodaca in Orange County contributed to this report.