Inc. Magazine Reveals America's 500 Fastest-Growing Private Companies; Broadlane Ranks No.

SAN FRANCISO -- Inc. magazine today released its 24th annual Inc. 500 ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Broadlane, the procurement services company for healthcare, ranks No. 418 on the list, with three-year sales growth of 333.9 percent. The Inc. 500 can be found

Broadlane, which was founded in 1999, helps healthcare providers reduce costs and improve financial performance through a variety of procurement services. The company's signature service is group purchasing; its numerous other services include labor sourcing and utilization and equipment lifecycle services. Broadlane's innovative technology yields data-driven solutions, which are implemented by an expert staff with deep clinical and operational experience.

The companies that made the Inc. 500 list represent the vanguard of American industry, posting an average three-year sales growth of 769 percent, Inc. 500 companies posted aggregate 2004 revenue of $15.9 billion, and 84 percent of them were profitable. Most importantly, Inc. 500 companies were engines of job growth, having created more than 95,000 jobs since the companies were founded.

The Inc. 500 list generated 25,180 new jobs in the past year alone, a stunning 35 percent year-over-year increase. Compare this with the total number of employees among Fortune 500 companies, which declined in 2001, 2002, and 2003 before experiencing a 1.3 percent uptick of 306,045 jobs in 2004.

"When you look at the amazing job growth among Inc. 500 companies and contrast it with the stagnation in the Fortune 500, it underscores the changing nature of our economy," said Jim Melloan, project manager for the Inc. 500. "With unprecedented global competition, companies have to be able to turn on a dime and discover innovative new ways of doing business. Increasingly, it's the smaller, agile companies like those on the Inc. 500 that are best equipped to meet these challenges."

The Inc. 500 ranks privately held companies according to year-over-year sales growth from 2001 to 2004. With approximately 75 percent of all new job creation in the United States coming from entrepreneurial businesses, the Inc. 500 opens a window onto the companies and industries that are driving the economy forward. Over the years, the Inc. 500 has identified the next generation of world-class companies, with Microsoft, Stonyfield Farms, Timberland, Oracle, The Princeton Review, Morningstar, Jamba Juice, Gateway, E-Trade, Intuit, and Domino's Pizza all appearing on the list before they became industry powerhouses.

To be eligible for this year's Inc. 500, companies had to be U.S.-based, independent and privately held through their fiscal year 2004, and have had at least $500,000 in net sales in the base year of 2001. In addition, their 2004 sales had to exceed 2003 sales. Companies are ranked on cumulative three-year sales growth from 2001 to 2004. Inc. verifies all information using tax forms and audited financial statements from certified public accountants and by conducting interviews with company officials.

About Broadlane

Broadlane serves thousands of acute care hospitals, sub-acute care facilities and physician practices across the country. The company is headquartered in San Francisco with offices in California, Kansas, New York, Ohio and Texas. For more information, visit www.broadlane.com.