Four Virginia companies make Forbes’ list of America’s Best Small Companies

Four Virginia companies have been named to a list of the nation’s 100 best small publicly traded companies compiled by Forbes magazine.

The companies are Toano-based Lumber Liquidators, Norfolk-based Portfolio Recovery Associates, Sterling-based Neustar and Hampton-based Measurement Specialties.

The 100 companies on Forbes’ 35th annual list of America’s Best Small Companies all have sales of under $1 billion.

The companies are ranked based on return on equity, sales growth and earnings growth during the past year and the past five years. The magazine also factored in each company’s stock performance versus its peer group during the past 12 months.

Lumber Liquidators, ranked 17th, is a flooring discount retailer with sales of $902 million. Portfolio Recovery Associates, a company with revenue of $657 million that collects unpaid accounts receivable, was No. 18.

Neustar, a company with revenue of $862 million that has held the contract handling “local number portability” in the U.S. for the past 17 years, is 57th on the Forbes list. Senor manufacturer Measurement Specialties, which had sales of $359 million, ranked No. 76.

Lumber Liquidators was in the news last month when federal agents raided its Toano headquarters and a company location in Henrico County.

News reports said officials are investigating the alleged importation of Mongolian oak from the habitat of the endangered  Amur tiger.
Company officials are cooperating with the investigation.