Past No. 1 firms:

2007: MEMC Electronic Materials Inc.

2006: Peabody Energy Corp.

2005: Maverick Tube Corp.

2004: Engineered Support Systems Inc.

2003: Express Scripts Inc.

2002: Argosy Gaming Co.

2001: D&K Healthcare Resources Inc.

2000: Express Scripts Inc.

1999: D&K Healthcare Resources Inc.

1998: Maverick Tube Corp.

1997: Furniture Brands Inc.

1995-1996: Titan International Inc.

1992-1994: A.G. Edwards Inc.




Methodology

To qualify: A firm must be based in the St. Louis Metropolitan Statistical Area, which includes Metro East, and its stock must be traded publicly on a major exchange. Each company receives a composite score based on four measures: profit growth, return on equity, revenue growth and total sales. Profit growth and return on equity reflect a company's talent for making money.

The percentage change in revenue shows how a company is growing. We use a size factor — total revenue — to give bigger businesses a more equitable footing. After all, it's easier for small companies to show sharp percent-change increases in profit and revenue. The rankings are added together and divided by four to obtain scores. The company with the lowest score ranks first. Return on equity is the tie-breaker for companies with the same score.

Specific criteria: A company must have been publicly owned since Dec. 31, 2007, must have had fiscal 2007 revenue of at least $1 million as well as 2006 revenue of at least $500,000, must have shown a profit in 2006 and must not have shown negative common-shareholder equity for two years. Results come from the most recent fiscal year unless indicated. The closing stock price of May 1, 2008, compared with May 1, 2007, was used for the stock market calculations.