West Monroe Partners Named to Crain's Fast Fifty

Chicago, IL – June 2, 2009 – West Monroe Partners, a full-service business and technology consultancy, today announced that it has been named to Crain’s Fast Fifty, a list of the 50 fastest-growing companies in Chicago published annually by Crain’s Chicago Business. With a five-year growth rate of 1,160 percent, West Monroe Partners ranked 12th on the list of 50 companies.

Founded in 2002, West Monroe Partners has grown to a $34 million consultancy by catering to middle-market companies that often are underserved by the firms that work with Fortune 500 companies. West Monroe also serves  many Fortune 500 clients. In seven years, it has established seven offices in the United States and Canada; built a team of more than 190 people, including 130 in Chicago; and served more than 300 clients.

“Very few organizations have escaped the effects of the difficult economic climate, and West Monroe Partners certainly is no different,” said Dean Fischer, the company’s president and CEO and one of its founders. “What has helped keep our business relatively stable through this turbulent period is a focus on our fundamentals and our strengths—one of which is an ability to help clients boost efficiency and remain competitive while lowering their costs.”

This is West Monroe Partners’ second consecutive year on the Crain’s Fast Fifty list, and the second time this year Crain’s has recognized the consultancy. West Monroe Partners was named one of the publication’s 20 “Best Places to Work” in Chicago in March. West Monroe Partners also was named to the Inc. 5000 in 2008 and has been recognized twice in the last few years by Consulting Magazine; in 2005 as one of the publication’s “Small Jewels” and in 2007 as one of its “Best Firms to Work For.” It has been included in lists of the top companies for which to work in Chicago by the National Association of Business Resources and in Seattle by Seattle Business Monthly.

To identify its Fast Fifty list, Crain’s evaluated companies with headquarters in the six-county area (Cook, DuPage, Kane, Lake, McHenry and Will) with 2008 revenue of at least $20 million, revenue growth in the last year, and no more than one year of declining revenue in the 2003-2008 period. The publication required financial statements or tax returns from 2003 and 2008 for all of the private companies and enlisted independent professional services firm Deloitte & Touche LLP to assist with verifying the financial information. Crain’s calculated growth using the full revenue figures, and revenue figures were used to break ties. Companies with the highest five-year percentages of growth became the Fast Fifty.

Crain’s published its Fast Fifty list on June 1, 2009.