Hot Growth Special Report 2006 >

Hot Growth Companies 1 VAALCO Energy 2 Hansen Natural 3 Palomar Medical Technologies 4 W&T Offshore 5 NAVTEQ 6 Under Armour 7 VASCO Data Security International 8 Programmer's Paradise 9 LCA-Vision 10 Blue Nile 11 Volcom 12 American Science & Engineering 13 ASV 14 PeopleSupport 15 Imperial Industries 16 Cognizant Technology Solutions 17 Multi-Fineline Electronix 18 Hittite Microwave 19 OmniVision Technologies 20 NutriSystem 21 Resources Connection 22 EFJ 23 InfoSonics 24 Amedisys 25 LifeCell 26 RPC 27 PetMed Express 28 NeuStar 29 Netflix 30 Ceradyne 31 MEMC Electronic Materials 32 Empire Resources 33 Gevity HR 34 Berry Petroleum 35 Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings 36 Cimarex Energy 37 Alliance Resource Partners 38 VSE 39 Chico's FAS 40 Build-A-Bear Workshop 41 St. Mary Land & Exploration 42 Hurco 43 Unit 44 Barrett Business Services 45 Encore Wire 46 Ansoft 47 Sonic Solutions 48 Reliv International 49 Quality Systems 50 LoJack 51 Dynamic Materials 52 Diodes 53 Leucadia National 54 Argon ST 55 ValueClick 56 eCollege.com 57 Ventiv Health 58 Packeteer 59 Digital River 60 TTM Technologies 61 Sun Hydraulics 62 Coldwater Creek 63 Parlux Fragrances 64 CNX Gas 65 Altera 66 Ventana Medical Systems 67 Gen-Probe 68 Trimble Navigation 69 Radyne 70 Helix Energy Solutions 71 Providence Service 72 Miller Industries 73 Headwaters 74 Hydril 75 aQuantive 76 Commercial Vehicle Group 77 Brigham Exploration 78 Guess? 79 NETGEAR 80 Labor Ready 81 Pharmaceutical Product Development 82 Korn/Ferry International 83 DSW 84 Rofin-Sinar Technologies 85 ADTRAN 86 MSC Industrial Direct 87 MICROS Systems 88 Concur Technologies 89 Kforce 90 Lamson & Sessions 91 Stratasys 92 AngioDynamics 93 AMCOL International 94 Denbury Resources 95 Lufkin Industries 96 Lifetime Brands 97 II-VI 98 Digitas 99 Old Dominion Freight Line 100 Brady

...Alphabetical 85 ADTRAN 37 Alliance Resource Partners 65 Altera 93 AMCOL International 24 Amedisys 12 American Science & Engineering 92 AngioDynamics 46 Ansoft 75 aQuantive 54 Argon ST 13 ASV 44 Barrett Business Services 34 Berry Petroleum 10 Blue Nile 100 Brady 77 Brigham Exploration 40 Build-A-Bear Workshop 30 Ceradyne 39 Chico's FAS 36 Cimarex Energy 64 CNX Gas 16 Cognizant Technology Solutions 62 Coldwater Creek 76 Commercial Vehicle Group 88 Concur Technologies 94 Denbury Resources 59 Digital River 98 Digitas 52 Diodes 83 DSW 51 Dynamic Materials 56 eCollege.com 22 EFJ 32 Empire Resources 45 Encore Wire 35 Endo Pharmaceuticals Holdings 67 Gen-Probe 33 Gevity HR 78 Guess? 2 Hansen Natural 73 Headwaters 70 Helix Energy Solutions 18 Hittite Microwave 42 Hurco 74 Hydril 97 II-VI 15 Imperial Industries 23 InfoSonics 89 Kforce 82 Korn/Ferry International 80 Labor Ready 90 Lamson & Sessions 9 LCA-Vision 53 Leucadia National 25 LifeCell 96 Lifetime Brands 50 LoJack 95 Lufkin Industries 31 MEMC Electronic Materials 87 MICROS Systems 72 Miller Industries 86 MSC Industrial Direct 17 Multi-Fineline Electronix 5 NAVTEQ 29 Netflix 79 NETGEAR 28 NeuStar 20 NutriSystem 99 Old Dominion Freight Line 19 OmniVision Technologies 58 Packeteer 3 Palomar Medical Technologies 63 Parlux Fragrances 14 PeopleSupport 27 PetMed Express 81 Pharmaceutical Product Development 8 Programmer's Paradise 71 Providence Service 49 Quality Systems 69 Radyne 48 Reliv International 21 Resources Connection 84 Rofin-Sinar Technologies 26 RPC 47 Sonic Solutions 41 St. Mary Land & Exploration 91 Stratasys 61 Sun Hydraulics 68 Trimble Navigation 60 TTM Technologies 6 Under Armour 43 Unit 1 VAALCO Energy 55 ValueClick 7 VASCO Data Security International 66 Ventana Medical Systems 57 Ventiv Health 11 Volcom 38 VSE 4 W&T Offshore

40

Build-A-Bear Workshop (BBW)

Build-a-Bear Workshop continues to roar. Despite tough competition across the globe, the St. Louis stuffed-animal chain has managed to claw out double-digit growth, jumping 20% in the previous year, to $361.8 million in 2005, and is expecting another near 20% leap in 2006. Net income grew even faster, rising 36%, to $27.3 million from $20 million. One reason for the good fortunes come from CEO Maxine Clark's voracious appetite. She has expanded the company to 200 stores in 43 states and Canada, with 30 more outside North America. Clark also acquired Bear Factory, a British teddy-bear-stuffing retailer, in April. That's expected to help fortify Build-A-Bear's global position. The challenge will be to fight off others gnawing at Build-A-Bear's heels. Animal-stuffing machines, in fact, are now being sold online for a few thousand bucks, which means rivals could pounce from anywhere.

Maxine Clark, 57

Chairman and Chief Executive Officer

Total Compensation*

$ 1,290,788

Total Options Value*

$ 10,452,000

* Fiscal Year 2005

DEGREES HELD
University of Georgia - Bachelor's Degree

Executive Bio

Maxine Clark is a founder of Build-a-Bear Workshop and has been its chief executive since 1996 and chairman since April, 2000. Clark served as president of Build-a-Bear Workshop from its inception in 1997 to April, 2004. Prior to founding Build-a-Bear Workshop in 1997, Clark served as president and chief merchandising officer of Payless Shoesource from November, 1992, to January, 1996. Previously, she held key management and merchandising positions at May Department Stores. She served as executive vice-president of women's and children's apparel at Famous Barr and executive vice-president of Softlines for Venture Stores from 1988 to 1992. Clark began her retail career as an executive trainee at the Hecht Co. in 1972. She has been a director of J.C. Penney since December, 2003. Clark has been a director of Sara Lee Bakery Group since 1996 and serves as a director of Build-a-Bear Workshop. Clark also serves on the board of trustees of the International Council of Shopping Centers and as a member of the Committee of 200, an international organization for female entrepreneurs and top corporate executives. She serves on the board of the Simon Youth Foundation and the Girl Scout Council of Greater St. Louis, the board of trustees of Washington University in St. Louis, the advisory council of the Olin School of Business at Washington University, the board of Barnes-Jewish Hospital, and the board of trustees of her alma mater, the University of Georgia. Clark earned an undergraduate degree in journalism from the University of Georgia.

Management Team

Key Executives

Maxine Clark; Barry Erdos; Scott Seay; Teresa Kroll; Tina Klocke

Board Directors

Louis M. Mucci; Barney A. Ebsworth; James M. Gould; William M. Reisler; Mary Lou Fiala; Coleman Peterson; Joan E. Ryan; Barry Erdos; Maxine Clark

Executive Data provided by