Orange County’s biggest women-owned businesses generated more than $3.75 billion in revenue last year, a 7% annual increase and the sixth consecutive year of growth.
This year’s group of enterprises—all of which are at least 51% female-owned, with a minimum of $5 million in annual revenue—range from the healthcare industry to information technology, construction, travel, auto dealerships, restaurant chains, jewelry design, and carpet manufacturing.
The 111 companies listed combined to employ about 32,330 workers companywide, a 20% increase over the 12-month period that ended in May.
They also posted a 9.2% rise in local employment for a total of 7,782 jobs. That’s nearly double the local growth rate of the entries on the Business Journal’s recent list of private companies based here, which combined for a 5.2% gain to 56,000 jobs here.
More than half of the companies on this week’s list—61—reported an increase in revenue, 15 said they were down, seven were flat, and revenue for the remaining 28 was estimated.
The list has grown in recent years, due in part to improved research methods. This year’s record total is up from 100 companies last year.
Top 3
The three top spots were repeats from last year:
• No. 1, In-N-Out Burgers Inc., had $614.5 million in revenue, a 5.1% increase. Lynsi Snyder, the granddaughter of the company’s late founders, owns the Irvine-based burger chain. In-N-Out accounted for a big chunk of the gains in employment. The chain added about 424 workers in Orange County for a total of 2,224. It employs 23,695 companywide, a 27.4% uptick. The 2016 Harris Poll EquiTrend Ranking named it “best burger” restaurant in America ahead of Five Guys Burgers and Fries, Wendy’s and Sonic America’s Drive-In.
• Sales at No. 2, Mercedes-Benz of Laguna Niguel, were flat at $250 million. The dealership, owned by Lorelei Pingree, upped its employee count 3.7% to 280.
• Irvine-based Technologent, No. 3, posted a 15.5% increase in revenue to $246 million. Lezlie Gallaway owns 51% of the technology infrastructure provider, which kept the number of its OC-based employees at 68 while its companywide count dipped 5.6% to 170.
Notable
• Elmore Toyota moved up two spots to No. 5 with $136.3 million in revenue, a 30.2% uptick. The company, majority owned by the founder’s daughter, Judy Elmore, is reaping the benefits of a recent “significant remodel,” which increased the store footprint by more than 30% and brought it closer to Westminster’s thoroughfare, Beach Boulevard.
“Even though we were fully operational during the construction, some customers probably went to other places,” said Business Manager Janelle Ream, adding that the dealership now also has a boutique and that the service area increased from two to four lanes.
• Royalty Carpet Mills Inc. in Irvine placed No. 8 with $100 million in revenue. President and Chief Executive Andrea Greenleaf inherited the company from her late father, Mike Derderian. Royalty Carpet Mills is one of the largest carpet manufacturers in the U.S. and competes with Dixie Group Inc., Bentley Mills Inc., Cargill Inc., Milliken & Co. and Mohawk Industries Inc., among others. It employs 475 companywide.
• Irvine-based Galardi Group Inc., parent company of the Wienerschnitzel hot dog chain and ice cream franchise Tastee-Freez, dropped two spots to No. 21 despite a 6.5% increase in revenue to $41 million. Galardi Group’s staffing levels remained flat in Orange County at 42, while its companywide totals were up 1.9% to 54.
Majority owner Cindy Galardi Culpepper recently appeared on CBS’ “Undercover Boss” show, disguised as employee Louise working at the company’s Michigan hot dog factory.
• Going Going Gone Demolition Inc. in Orange rose 16 spots to No. 31, mostly due to “landing a $21 million demolition and soil remediation contract with the Port of Los Angeles,” said President Celin Miller, who founded the company in January 2014.
“It was exciting—it was a very close bid.”
The deal helped GGG reach $28 million in revenue last year, an 86.7% increase year-over-year. It also hired 65 workers in Orange County for a total of 175, which brought its companywide staffing levels to 220, a 46.7% uptick.
Notable newcomers to the list include Rand Technology in Irvine, which ranked No. 19 with $42.6 million in revenue, a 16.4% increase. Office Solutions Business Products & Services LLC in Yorba Linda followed at No. 20 with $41.8 million and a similar growth pace—16.8%.
