Aggie 100 honors fastest-growing Aggie-owned or operated businesses

The fastest-growing Aggie-owned or Aggie-led businesses were recognized Friday night at the 13th Annual Aggie 100 at a dinner hosted by the Texas A&M Mays Business School’s McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship. Members of the exclusive club were honored by about 700 attendees at a dinner at the Hall of Champions at Texas A&M University’s Kyle Field.

The company with the highest growth was Lonquist Field Services (Canada), which reported a growth of 223.287 percent. It is owned by Richard R. Lonquist ’87, Roy W. Duff ’85 and Robert S. Crews ’90.

The complete Aggie 100 list may be found at www.aggie100.com.

To be considered for the Aggie 100, companies (corporations, partnerships, sole proprietorships) must operate in a manner consistent with the Aggie Code of Honor and in keeping with the values and image of Texas A&M University, and must meet specific criteria.

“This year’s Aggie 100 companies represent three countries and six states, but 89 of the companies are Texas-based, and for that we’re very proud,” said Richard H. Lester, executive director of Mays Business School’s McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship. “When we consider the jobs that have been created throughout Texas, the U.S., and the world, we are humbled that graduates of Texas A&M remain vigilant to keep the Aggie Code of Honor in all they do. The excellence from this year’s class is tremendous.”

At the dinner, Mays Dean Eli Jones said the program aligns with the school’s priorities. “One of the things we did over the last year was embed the entrepreneurial mindset in all of our curriculum,” he said. Then he introduced the team that analyzes the data for each nomination, PKF Texas – many of whom graduated from Mays.

Tyson Voelkel, president of the Texas A&M Foundation, welcomed the attendees and recognized the contributions of Artie McFerrin, a generous donor to Texas A&M and Mays who had a “profound and enduring impact” on Voelkel’s life and on the university. Voelkel said McFerrin invested in entrepreneurship to support the next generation of Aggies who love learning new things. “This – what this room represents in terms of leadership, risk-taking, smart business, innovation, and courage – is the Texas A&M legacy he wanted to see,” Voelkel said.

Voelkel also presented the Summit Award, given to the Aggie company with the highest three-year average revenue (2014-2016), to Diamondback Energy of Midland, Texas. The company’s average revenue was more than $489 million. The chief executive officer and director is Travis Stice ’84.

Aggie 100 quick facts

• 28 construction companies made the list…the largest industry represented
• Eight software, six health-related, and four oil and gas companies also earned spots on the list
• Houston dominated the Aggie 100 list again this year with 27 Houston-area companies
• The Dallas/Fort Worth-area had 20 companies
• Austin-area had 16 companies
• Bryan/College Station area had 10 businesses
• Companies were represented from five states (in addition to Texas) and three countries (Canada, United Kingdom and Guatemala)
• No. 1 company this year came from Canada: Lonquist Field Service in Calgary
• The Aggie Code of Honor: Aggies do not lie, cheat or steal or tolerate those who do

About The McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship

The Texas A&M McFerrin Center for Entrepreneurship provides encouragement, education, networking and assistance to entrepreneurially-minded students, faculty and Texas businesses. Founded in 1999, The McFerrin Center is part of Mays Business School’s Department of Management. The McFerrin Center enhances student education through campus speakers, competitions, work experiences and financial support. Texas A&M faculty and students benefit from the center’s educational programs, extensive business community network and entrepreneurial support services.

The McFerrin Center also reaches out to the state’s business community, offering educational programs, business assistance and access to University resources. The McFerrin Center is supported by corporate and individual members and sponsors who believe in the value of entrepreneurial education and the value of Texas businesses working with Texas A&M University.