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Eighteen Wharton students are working for one of the most prominent projects in the Philadelphia business world, the "Philadelphia 100." Philadelphia 100 is an annual survey which identifies the 100 fastest-growing private companies in the Philadelphia area. The survey has translated into hands-on business consultation experience for the graduate and undergraduate students involved in the project. The students, all employees in the Wharton Small Business Development Center -- which provides consulting and market research services to clients in the Philadelphia area -- have been researching which businesses in the region are successful enough to join the ranks of this year's top 100, Assistant Director of the Center Stephanie McAlaine said. Beginning next week, the students will organize the sales information submitted by area firms, she added. The students will verify the data by consulting with lawyers and accountants and then rank the firms accordingly. The final results will be submitted to The Philadelphia Business Journal for publication in October, McAlaine said. "Our role [in the Philadelphia 100] is exhaustive, from beginning to end," said Neil Shah, a Wharton and College senior who is a consultant at the Center. McAlaine described Philadelphia 100 as "an integral component of economic development," in the Philadelphia area. The project highlights small firms which are thriving throughout the region in diverse industries such as environmental-related consulting, home health care services and restaurant delivery services, she said. McAlaine added that the Philadelphia 100 are "folks [who] are clearly bringing to this region new jobs, and they're also generating tax revenue." Local entrepreneurs who have made it to the top in past years said a ranking in the Philadelphia 100 lends prestige and numerous benefits to a firm. Joel Levitt, a 1968 College graduate and president of Action Duplication Inc., said his firm's ranking at the number two spot in the 1993 Philadelphia 100 "helps give us some confidence and a little bit of credibility when we speak to Fortune 500 companies about our [video duplication] services." About 1,300 firms submitted applications for the 1994 Philadelphia 100, up from 1,200 last year. The Center began the ranking and review process last week, after the June 3 deadline.

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