26.  The Celtic Group

Click here to download the Top 100 private companies list. (PDF)

Click here to download the entire cover package. (PDF)

How the list comes together

In the spring, Business Report sent out letters and e-mails to all companies from recent lists, those identified as possible qualifiers and those suggested by readers. We also placed notices on our Web sites asking companies to post their information or send it by fax or mail.

We followed up with faxes, phone calls and research to confirm the data. In some cases, we looked at related industry performance and other business compilations to estimate revenue.

Some companies declined to reveal their numbers, so we relied on public information and sources to make reasonable estimates.

Companies were ranked according to their reported or estimated revenue for the most recently completed fiscal year, which in most cases was the calendar year 2008.