The Philadelphia Business Journal unveiled the ranking for its third-annual LGBT Business List this week, with a number of new faces making the cut this year.
The list ranks LGBT-owned businesses in the region based on their number of employees. Integrity Staffing Solutions, Inc., a temporary and direct-to-hire company based in Newark, Del., that employs nearly 5,500 people, again took the top spot.
Of the 26 included businesses, however, 16 had never been featured on the list.
“We tried to be even more inclusive this year,” said PBJ editor-in-chief Craig Ey. “We put out the word to as many people as possible to get more businesses involved and were really proactive in getting new businesses to participate this year.”
Mazzoni Center, with 125 employees, a newcomer to the list, tied for second with Optimal Sport Health Club, which also held the second spot last year. TLA Entertainment Group, with 60 employees, was pushed from last year’s third spot to fourth, and the top-five was rounded out by Total Family Solutions, LLC, with 53 employees, also making its first appearance on the list.
A reception for winners was launched last year, and returned to Cuba Libre Thursday. Ey said he expects the initiative to keep growing each year.
“The goal is, as this evolves over time, for this to become the place where businesses are looking at this as the list to be on,” Ey said. “That’s the way our other lists have evolved, where there is competition to get on it each year. That’s where we’re going with this.”
PBJ publishes similar lists focused on minority-owned or Hispanic-owned businesses.
“Philadelphia has a very large gay community so we thought this was important for us to cover,” Ey said, noting that the publication is also expanding its news coverage of LGBT-related topics, including this week’s story on the state of LGBT entrepreneurship in the city, and others looking at LGBT-friendly policies and programs in the area.
Other first-timers to this year’s list include Center for Literacy, Inc. (6) — which also holds the distinction of being the oldest company on the list, having been founded in 1968 — Addison Wolfe Real Estate (7), Philly AIDS Thrift (8), Do It Better Wellness (9), Unite Fitness (10), Verde Salon (11), PGN (12), Message Agency (14), The Business Route (14), YIKES, Inc. (17), Loop Yarn (21) and Aversa PR Events, Sentry Art Advisory Services and Spruce Street Video, which tied for 24th place.
Returning companies include Alura Business Solutions (13), Philly Cupcake, LLC (14), ChatterBlast Media (17), UCI Architects, Inc. (17), Giampolo Law Group (20), Lyman & Ash (21) and Minster & Facciolo, LLC (21).