Riding the Growth Rocket

We’ve paired this annual Corporate Report 100 edition, ranking and recognizing fast-growth companies based in this region, with the theme of wealth management, banking and financial services for decades, and for very good reason: Companies go through cycles, and nearly all firms included in this month’s edition of Ingram’s are going through a significant growth phase. Some are perennial players in this annual ranking now 41st iteration.

On page 49 of this edition is my favorite and arguably the most important annual ranking list we publish each year—the Corporate Report 100 All-Time Winners Honor Role. Despite being gone and Oracle being ineligible by virtue of its Austin, Texas headquarters, its prize acquisition, Cerner Corp., remains the all-time leader with 22 CR100 appearances. I grew up and went to grade school with Neal Patterson’s wife, Jeannie, and we were friends with them for many years. Nearly every June before Neal’s untimely passing, I’d receive a phone call from him, and he’d simply start with: “Well?” Knowing exactly who was on the other end of the line, one year I absolutely belly-laughed and told him to brace for impact. I told him Cerner ranked 101 that year and didn’t make the cut. “You have to lose someone, Joe!” This led to both of us belly laughing. One of my favorite memories of him.

Neal Patterson knew the importance of being on but not necessarily ranking high on the CR100 ranking. Cerner never achieved the #1 ranking for fast growth, but to this day tops the list for all-time appearances. He understood consistency. Lockton has a shot at claiming this title but it’s rare for multi-billion dollar companies to meet the growth percentages, given the size of their basis. Still, Lockton made this year’s CR100 at No. 93 with 50 percent growth in four years. While Security Benefit is not among the repetition leaders of the CR100, this nearly $12 billion organization grew more than 64 percent from 2022 through 2025.

Eight KC-based companies included in this year’s CR100 deserve a special shout-out. Each of these organizations adds a year to their frequency of appearances:

Lockton Companies
# of Appearances: 21
Highest Rank: 36
Year: 1986

Henderson Companies
# of Appearances: 18
Highest Rank: 12
Year: 1994

Propio Language Services  
# of Appearances: 14
Highest Rank: 3      
Years: 2025/2026

Garney
# of Appearances: 11
Highest Rank: 29
Year: 2004

City Lifestyle
# of Appearances: 10
Highest Rank: 5
Year: 2016

Apollo Insurance Group 
# of Appearances: 10 
Highest Rank: 7
Year: 2017

Hoefer Welker Architects
# of Appearances: 10
Highest Rank: 32
Year: 2002

Cable Dahmer Auto Group 
# of Appearances: 9
Highest Rank: 4
Year: 2025

Corporate Report-Kansas City was the name of this magazine in 1986—the year the Corporate Report 100 ranking was established. Lockton Insurance was on that inaugural ranking and ironically, the company I owned and operated at that time—Corporate Care— mowed the lawn and took care of the landscaping and snow removal for Lockton, then located in a two-story office building in Prairie Village at 74th and State Line. Jack Lockton and I met all those years ago and he appreciated my hustle. That year, Lockton had revenues of $6.7 million. Last year, Lockton hit $4.08 billion. 

At the age of 27, I was unaware of this new fast-growth competition back in July of 1986. You can see the front cover on the opposite page. The cutline reads: “Todd Potts and Bert Benjamin of Hafkemeyer BMW lead the pack of auto dealers in the Corporate Report 100.”

The magazine debuted in 1974 as Outlook. At it happens, my dad, John Sweeney, while running an appraisal and residential real-estate company also served as the monthly real-estate columnist for founding publisher Ludwell Gaines. 

As I recall, the revenue we recorded at Corporate Care back in 1986 exceeded $4 million—two-thirds of Lockton’s revenue. We had a sizeable landscaping installation at Executive Park in 1986 and our attorney, Jim Wirken, battled on our behalf to obtain payments being withheld from a crook named Jim Wiss of that organization. 

In checking the archves Corporate Care would have ranked 6th place in the first CR 100 in 1986. Our four year growth at 800% which would have placed Corporate Care a solid #2 ranking in this year’s ranking.

The following year in October of 1987 the one-day stock market crash Black Monday shocked the business community and assaulted the portfolio of nearly every executive in the nation. Corporate Care’s net profits went from nearly 20 percent to nothing, and I decided to sell some accounts and to sell the equipment. We had an absolute auction in 1988 after selling Harry Lloyd $250,000 in equipment for Loch Lloyd, which opened in 1990—a hilarious negotiation to share another time.

This is the 30th year of our ownership and administering this ranking. It’s been a privilege and an honor to serve the business community. Our team is honored to serve as the steward of the CR 100, and we appreciate the thousands of companies that have participated over the years. Congratulations to this year’s honorees for claiming a place in the history of this unique annual tradition. A special thanks to Dennis Boone of our team who has for the past 18 years managed this important annual ranking.

We hope your firm strives to make the CR100 every year and give Lockton and those noted above a run for their money.

PUBLISHED JULY 2026