Sunday, October 03, 1999
GREATER CINCINNATI 100
Ris Paper Co. No. 1 for 3rd year in row
BY JOHN ECKBERG
The Cincinnati Enquirer
The top 10 of the Greater Cincinnati 100 remains a collection of companies involved in a handful of broad business categories — from distribution of fine printing paper and retailing to engineering services and home building.
The top company on the list is Ris Paper Co. Inc., a firm that distributes paper, packaging and communications products and employs 700 — up from 600 last year. The company saw revenues grow to $600 million from $500 million, compared with the 1997-98 reporting year. The company, based in Florence, has occupied the top spot for three years.
The firm has distribution warehouses in more than 20 cities in the Northeast, Midwest and Texas. Ris, which grew from a single paper company owned by Howard Ris starting in 1938, moved into the Cincinnati area in 1984. Ris moved its corporate offices to Northern Kentucky five years ago.
Mark W. Griffin, president and chief executive officer of the company, said the firm is likely to continue to grow through acquisition. “Our industry is rolling up,” Mr. Griffin said. “There will be fewer players down the road. It seems that every industry is consolidating.”
Ris was followed on the list by Columbia Sussex Corp. and Affiliates, which is based in Fort Mitchell. Columbia Sussex Corp., a hotel developer and operator, had four hotels under construction in 1998, opened two of them and began construction on two more. The company also acquired a hotel in Minneapolis and one in Saddle Brook, N.J. and owns and manages four destination resorts: two in Orlando, Fla., and two in the Cayman Islands.
Revenues for that company increased from $350 million in 1997 to $397.4 million last year.
Three of the top 10 companies, based on revenues, are automobile services and sales companies.
Another trio of the largest privately held companies that participate in the Arthur Andersen survey are based in Northern Kentucky.
Rounding out the top 10:
• Belcan Corp. Inc., a Blue Ash firm that provides full-service engineering and construction, employs 4,000 and has revenues of $362 million.
• The Drees Co., a home-building and apartment and commercial construction company that employs 400 and is based in Fort Mitchell, with revenues of $346.2 million. Officials there see few gray clouds for the economy. “New home starts for the next year may be down 5 percent, but that's negligible because the previous year was a record high,” said Jack Miller, vice president of marketing for Drees.
• Hickman, Williams & Co., a firm based downtown that provides sales and service to the metals industries.
• Contech Construction Products Inc., a Middletown company that manufactures and distributes steel and plastic pipe, with $340 million in revenues.
›Kenwood Dealer Group, a retail automobile sales and service company based in Deerfield Township that employs 520 and has revenues of $321 million.
• Jeff Wyler Automotive Family, a Clermont County company that provides retail automotive sales and service and employs 550. • United Dairy Farmers Inc., which employs 2,800 and is based in Norwood.
• Performance Automotive Network, a Fairfield company that employs 375 and has revenues of $275 million.
Top private firms show the will to grow
List of Greater Cincinnati 100
Execs bullish on outlook for area's economy
Notable locals investing in R&D and technology
Signs of softening economy showing
Skilled, loyal employees are precious commodities
Traffic woes creep into gripes
How the list is put together
Ris Paper Co. No. 1 for 3rd year in row
List has room for 11 newcomers
10 companies come close to mark, but lag in revenue pace
Privately owned businesses face Y2K challenges
New device keeps mileage for IRS
Employers can guard against suits
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