The 35 locally based women-owned companies on this year’s Business Journal list reported total revenue of $5.2 billion, up 12% from a year ago. On last year’s list, their sales rose 12% after decreasing 4.5% in the prior year.
Local headcount at the firms decreased 3.1% to 6,050 while companywide headcount increased 3.7% to 54,711 employees.
The growth was widespread with six companies reporting year-over-year decreases while 17 experienced growth. Eleven firms were estimates and one company saw no change.
Accounting for a significant portion of the growth is Rand Technology, which had the largest increase. The Irvine-based global distribution company for electronic components increased revenue by 79% to $250 million for the 12 months ended Dec. 31, 2025, jumping up two places to the No. 3 spot.
Chief Executive Andrea Klein says Rand is on track to exceed $1 billion in sales this year and expects this to double “in the following year.”
Klein was featured in the Business Journal’s OC50 issue, which highlighted in late May the most prominent businesswomen in Orange County.
In-N-Out, New American Funding Expand Footprint
Bucking an industrywide slowdown in customer traffic, In-N-Out Burger Inc. retained its top spot with $2.6 billion in revenue, a 9.6% increase.
The fast food chain plans to open new locations in Oregon, Idaho, Nevada, Tennessee, Utah and Colorado, according to its website. It plans to leave its Irvine headquarters and move to their original location in Baldwin Park by 2029.
Santa Ana-based New American Funding, No. 2 on the list, grew 33% to $925 million. The mortgage lender recently expanded its presence in the Midwest with the launch of a new branch to serve the Omaha metro area and Southwest Iowa in April.
Local Construction Sector on the Rise
The construction and renovation market saw an expansion with most companies experiencing growth through national development and new projects.
Newport Beach-based Hendy, a newcomer to the list, saw a 60% increase in revenue to $15.7 million, largely due to a national demand in landlord-focused and manufacturing projects. Looking into the future, the company will be opening an office in Phoenix in late 2026.
“We are focused on building our presence in the Phoenix market through business development, recruiting, and strengthening relationships with both existing and prospective clients throughout the region,” Co-CEOs and Managing Principals Carolina Weidler and Susan Dwyer told the Business Journal in a joint statement.
Graves Construction, based in Foothill Ranch, counted a 20% growth to $104 million during the year due to large demand within the retail, restaurant, hospitality and senior living renovations sectors.
Santa Ana-based Cal Pac Sheet Metal Inc./OC Metals Inc. saw a decline of 15% to $11 million due to fewer projects and delayed starts. The company expects an increase in revenue in the near future due to a strong demand in multifamily housing that require related metal products.
Chief Executive Mari Kurtz told the Business Journal: “With thousands of mixed-use and multifamily housing units expected over the next several years, we see meaningful opportunity ahead and remain focused on being prepared to support that demand.”
Casco Contractors declined 9.5% to $43 million in revenue and increased employee count by 7.8% to 55 in Irvine. Likewise, Engineering/Remediation Resources Group Inc. experienced a decrease of 2.7% in revenue but a 12% increase in OC employee numbers to $54 million and 28, respectively. Pacific Design Directors Inc. saw a 4.6% growth to $18.8 million in revenue and 13.3% in local employee numbers to 34. G. D. Heil Inc. increased revenue by 7.3% and OC employee count by 13.6%, counting $13 million and 75, respectively.
Dropoffs
Lake Forest-based iBase-t, which provides management software for aerospace and defense manufacturers, says it is no longer a woman-owned business. Ladeira Poonian took over the company after her husband passed and her son, Naveen, serves as CEO.
In March, iBase-t announced that it received a “strategic growth investment” from Menlo Park-based private equity firm TA Associates.
Also dropping off the list is Ware Disposal Inc. in Santa Ana whose longtime CEO and founder Judith “Judy” Ware passed away in May.
Research Director Desmond Celo contributed to this report.
