Five Spokane-area businesses have earned spots on a list of the Fastest-Growing Public Companies based in Washington state published last month by Seattles Puget Sound Business Journal.


Eight Spokane-area companies also made the Puget Sound Business Journals annual list of the Largest Public Companies based in Washington state published in the same issue.


Sterling Financial Corp. made the most dramatic jump on the list of fastest-growing public companies, moving up to 13th place from 46th. Companies were ranked by their compounded annual percentage change in revenue over the last three years. With a 27.5 percent jump over that period, Sterling pulled in $368.1 million in 2004.


Two Spokane-based companies appeared on the list after not making it last year. One, Ambassadors Group, a travel-services company with $51.8 million in revenue last year, showed a 19.8 percent compounded revenue increase, compared with Itrons 18.5 percent. Avista Corp. also appeared on the list, ranked 41st with an 8.4 percent compounded revenue rise to $1.15 billion.


AmericanWest Bancorp. held its position at 29th place with a 13.3 percent bump in revenue to $83 million from $64.6 million in 2002.


Potlatch Corp., the paper and paper products company, ranked highest of all the Spokane-based concerns on the newspapers list of largest public companies in the state. With reported annual revenue of $1.35 billion, it ranked 16th, dropping two places from last year.


Avista Corp. maintained its position in 17th place with $1.15 billion in revenue. Itron also kept its spot in 28th with $399.2 million in revenue, followed by Sterling Financial in 29th place with $368.1 million.


Other Spokane-based companies that made the list of largest public companies were WestCoast Hospitality Corp. and Key Tronic Corp.