Six Ottawa-area companies have been named in PROFIT Magazine's list of the top 100 companies in terms of revenue growth, with optical hardware and software maker BTI Photonics reaching the top five.

Ottawa-based BTI Photonics ranked fifth on the list of top performers with revenue growth between 2001 and 2006 of 5,607 per cent to $12.5 million, despite operating at a loss. Exports for the company represented 95 per cent of sales, and employment grew to 69 staff from 29 employees.

"We are honored to be named one of Canada's fastest growing and successful companies," said BTI's chief executive Lance Laking in a statement. "This award recognizes BTI's dedication to delivering outstanding innovation in the optical networking arena."

Cornwall-based plastics recycling company Knor Plast Inc. grabbed 10th place with revenue growth of 3,964 per cent over the past five years to $6.6 million. Knor Plast, which was founded in 2000, was also on the OBJ's Top 10 Fastest Growing Companies list this year after posting a 145-per-cent increase in revenues and remaining cash-flow positive over the past three years.

Rounding out the list was 24th-placed IT management services provider N-Able Technologies Inc. with five-year revenue growth of 2,411 per cent to $14.3 million. In 56th place came temporary staffing agency MaxSys Consulting & Staffing with growth of 1,066 per cent to $21.9 million. Broadcast- and Internet-fax services company Protus IP Solutions placed 63rd place with a sales increase of 958 per cent over the past five years, to $28.8 million(Protus made the OBJ's top 10 list in 2006). Lastly, software engineering services company Cistech Ltd. took 85th place with growth of 726 per cent to $1.7 million.

The fastest-growing company on the list was Edmonton's Rentcash Inc., which provides short-term consumer loans. The company saw revenue growth between 2001 and 2006 of 33,700 per cent to $154.2 million.

The report said average revenue growth over the five years for the top 100 list was 2,095 per cent, with combined annual sales of $11.5 billion.

A large majority of the companies were profitable in their most recent fiscal year, with 78 per cent of firms on the list in the black. These companies had an average net income of 10.4 per cent of revenue, the report noted.

Ontario companies came out in force and made up a large chunk of the top-performing list, with 42 of the top 100 companies based in the province. British Columbia had 21 companies on the list, Alberta posted 18 firms, Quebec had 12, and Manitoba saw two of its companies among the fastest-growing list. Atlantic Canada saw a total of five companies on the list.