To get on Inc. Magazine’s 2010 list of the fastest-growing privately held companies means opening up your books to auditors and documenting your growth from 2006 through 2009. Of course, not every growing company has the inclination or time to play along.

That said, observers of the 3-D imaging marketplace can find some good signs among those included on the Inc. 5000 list announced in September.

Engineering and 3-D

Topping the list from the 3-D field is an engineering firm called Appareo, which grew 1,752 percent since 2006, moving from $295,668 in revenue to $5.5 million, partly on the basis of its proprietary 3-D rendering and playback software that allows aircraft operators to replay individual flights in a detailed 3-D environment. The software enables true, accurate representations of the terrain that was flown over during the recorded flight. The company now employs 57.

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