“Savvy trend spotters and those who invest in private companies know that the Inc. 5000 is the best place to find out about young companies that are achieving success through a wide variety of unprecedented business models, as well as older private companies that are still expanding at an impressive rate,” said Inc. 5000 Project Manager Jim Melloan. “That’s why our list is so eagerly anticipated every year.”

Lopez Negrete Communications is the second largest independent, Hispanic owned and operated full-service agency specializing in Hispanic marketing, headquartered in Houston, Texas, with a second office in Los Angeles, California. The agency was co-founded in 1985 by husband and wife team Alex and Cathy López Negrete. A sampling of clients includes Wal-Mart, Bank of America, MillerCoors, NBC Universal Motion Pictures Group, Azteca Milling L.P., Microsoft Corporation, Reliant Energy and Kraft Foods.

“This is our second year to be included on the Inc. 5000 list, and it is especially gratifying due to the current economic climate. The fact that our company continues to grow is a reflection of the mounting necessity for companies to communicate to Latinos in this country,” says Alex López Negrete, CEO, president and chief creative officer of Lopez Negrete Communications. “Corporations who are not marketing their brand, product and/or services to the fastest-growing segment in America are truly doing their shareholders a disservice.”

The 2009 Inc. 5000 serves as a unique report card on the U.S. economy. Despite the ongoing recession, aggregate revenue among the companies on the list actually increased to $214 billion, up $29 billion from last year, with a median three-year growth rate of 126 percent. The Inc. 5000 posted an aggregate revenue of $214 billion in 2008, up nearly 16 percent from the previous year.

The 2009 Inc. 5000 list includes 398 advertising and marketing companies, 26 of which are located in Texas, with nine of those being in Houston, including Lopez Negrete Communications.

Methodology

The Inc. 5000 is ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2005 through 2008. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by the first week of 2005, and therefore able to show four full calendar years of sales. Additionally, they have to be U.S.-based, privately held, for profit, and independent -- not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2008. Revenue in 2005 must have been at least $200,000, and revenue in 2008 must have been at least $2 million. The top 10 percent of companies on the list comprise the Inc. 500, now in its 28th year.

About Inc. Magazine

Founded in 1979 and acquired in 2005 by Mansueto Ventures LLC, Inc. (www.inc.com) is the only major business magazine dedicated exclusively to owners and managers of growing private companies that delivers real solutions for today’s innovative company builders. With a total paid circulation of 712,961, Inc. provides hands-on tools and market-tested strategies for managing people, finances, sales, marketing, and technology. Visit us online at Inc.com.

About Lopez Negrete Communications, Inc.

Lopez Negrete Communications is an independent, Hispanic owned and operated full-service agency specializing in Hispanic marketing. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, with a second office in Los Angeles, Calif., the company’s billings for 2009 are estimated at $161 million. Since 1985, Lopez Negrete has offered a full range of advertising, marketing and public relations services to industry leaders such as Wal-Mart Stores, Inc., Tyson Foods, Bank of America, Microsoft Corporation, Kraft Foods (Kraft Singles), MillerCoors (Miller Lite), NBC Universal Motion Pictures Group, Azteca Milling L.P., Sonic Drive-Ins, Reliant Energy, and others. With more than 160 employees, Lopez Negrete is a proven leader in providing fully integrated national Hispanic marketing and communications services.

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