For Immediate Release
August 13, 2024
NEW YORK, August 13, 2024 – Inc. revealed today that Crux KC ranks No. 1694 on the 2024 Inc. 5000, its annual list of the fastest-growing private companies in America. This is the third year Crux has graced the list, starting in 2022 at No. 2678 and following in 2023 at No. 1500.
“It’s an honor to be recognized as fastest-growing private company on the Inc. 5000 for the third year in a row,” said Crux Founder & CEO Melea McRae. “Our explosive growth is a testament to our unique fractional CMO model, our exceptional team and our loyal client partners. We’re privileged to be listed alongside so many successful, entrepreneurial businesses building the future nationwide.”
The Inc. 5000 class of 2024 represents companies that have driven rapid revenue growth while navigating inflationary pressure, the rising costs of capital, and seemingly intractable hiring challenges. Among this year’s top 500 companies, the average median three-year revenue growth rate is 1,637%. In all, this year’s Inc. 5000 companies have added 874,458 jobs to the economy over the past three years. For complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, location, and other criteria, go to www.inc.com/inc5000.
“One of the greatest joys of my job is going through the Inc. 5000 list,” says Mike Hofman, who recently joined Inc. as editor-in-chief. “To see all of the intriguing and surprising ways that companies are transforming sectors, from health care and AI to apparel and pet food, is fascinating for me as a journalist and storyteller. Congratulations to this year’s honorees, as well, for growing their businesses fast despite the economic disruption we all faced over the past three years, from supply chain woes to inflation to changes in the workforce.”
Founded in 2016, Crux is a radical rethink of what marketing can and should be. The “un-agency” provides fractional CMOs surrounded by a deep bench of subject matter experts in each marketing discipline to help clients achieve their goals through branding, messaging, content, communications, digital marketing and paid media – all to elevate brands, amplify missions and empower people.
This year alone, the marketing “un-agency” signed on more than a dozen new clients and added key creative and digital leadership to accommodate its new wave of business. Crux increased its total revenue by 25% last year and is on track to meet that same pace of growth in 2024. To accommodate that growth, Crux expanded its Crown Center headquarters by 6,000-square-feet—nearly doubling its square footage to 13,500.
Crux is a team of 45 with specialists across all marketing disciplines serving an active roster of more than 70 client partners. Crux ranked No. 3 on the Kansas City Business Journal’s (KCBJ) Fractional Executive Service Companies List and has been named an Inc Best Workplace and a three-time Inc. 5000 company, as well as a three-time Ingram’s Corporate Report 100 nominee, a two-time KCBJ Champion of Business, a two-time KCBJ Fast 50 company, and a three-time Greater KC Chamber of Commerce Top 10 Small Business. Crux was named to KCBJ’s Best Places to Work in 2021 and a Healthy KC Gold Certified company.For complete results of the Inc. 5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, location and other criteria, visit inc.com/inc5000.
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About Crux KC
Founded in 2016, Crux KC is Kansas City’s “un-agency,” combining the leadership of a fractional CMO with a marketing-department-as-a-service model to provide simple, smart and affordable full-funnel marketing solutions for clients. Because when you’re a business leader looking for growth, you’d rather just get to the point. Crux is your in-house marketing team—outsourced. Everything you need, nothing you don’t. Learn more at cruxkc.com.
About Inc.
Inc. Business Media is the leading multimedia brand for entrepreneurs. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of our community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating our future. Inc.’s award-winning work achieves a monthly brand footprint of more than 40 million across a variety of channels, including events, print, digital, video, podcasts, newsletters, and social media. Its proprietary Inc. 5000 list, produced every year since its launch as the Inc. 100 in 1982, analyzes company data to rank the fastest-growing privately held businesses in the United States. The recognition that comes with inclusion on this and other prestigious Inc. lists, such as Female Founders and Power Partners, gives the founders of top businesses the opportunity to engage with an exclusive community of their peers, and credibility that helps them drive sales and recruit talent. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
Inc. 5000 Methodology
Companies on the 2024 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2020 to 2023. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2020. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2023. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2020 is $100,000; the minimum for 2023 is $2 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons. Growth rates used to determine company rankings were calculated to four decimal places.