The 2004 VARBusiness 500 Award Winners

Coleman, who has spent more than two decades in the solution-provider business, spent 17 years at IBM and four at Computer Sciences Corp. before moving over to CompuCom, where he successfully navigated the challenge of transforming the products-oriented reseller into a services-lead business. The result speaks for itself, with profits reported each year despite challenging economic conditions.

The next chapter of his career will involve another change: helping to transition CompuCom into the fold of the privately held Platinum Equity venture-capital group.

VARBusiness awarded its prestigious Executive of the Year Award to Mainline Information Systems CEO Rick Kearney, who led his company to a successful year. Thesolution provider grew revenue 25 percent to $411.4 million and picked up a coveted IBM Beacon Award in the process. Mainline is celebrating its 15th year in business.

On the business-metrics side of the awards proceedings, VARBusiness editors selected Digital River to receive the Top Profit Award. The company generated a profit of $17 million, or 54 cents a share, last year by focusing on e-commerce solutions and the midmarket.

For fastest-revenue growth among large companies, Bearing Point took the honors. The $3 billion-plus consultant grew its top line 33 percent in 2003.

We also distributed awards for outstanding growth and performance in vertical markets. Siwel Consulting won for the financial services market. Surebridge, which was just acquired by Navisite, took the award in the manufacturing category -- it posted sales of $42 million last year, up a powerful 76 percent. And Innovative Systems Design took home the award for best revenue performance in the telecommunications market.

This year, there were two Transformer of the Year Awards presented. They are given to companies that had the savvy and intelligence to reinvent themselves in order to generate success. The first was awarded to Keane, which ranked 63 this year, and successfully balanced a U.S.-based IT consultancy with an emerging offshore business model.

The second went to National Network Services. CEO Brad Hanson repurchased the network services business unit from Encompass, which had filed for bankruptcy. He helped resurrect the company and transform it into a VARBusiness 500 company with more than 100 employees.

There were also two Editors' Choice Awards given to standout organizations that take on the new -- whether it be new technologies, markets, business or business models -- and run with them. The first went to FusionStorm; CEO John Varel accepted. The award was bestowed because the company is reshaping its landscape with acquisitions. It is currently under NDA with at least six different companies looking to be acquired by it. The company's revenue grew more than 284 percent last year.

The second Editors' Choice Award was presented to Venture SystemSource, a go-to partner for IBM server solutions that spun off two vertical companies in the past year. The award was picked up by its CEO, Dave Traxler.

In the Technology Innovators categories, five awards were bestowed to companies with exemplary abilities to deliver innovative solutions to customers in a timely and cost-effective manner.

Pacific Star Communications, with a 150 percent increase in revenue, picked up its award for Network Infrastructure. Sequel Data Systems boosted sales 125 percent and picked up the award for Storage. The Server Award winner was Sysix, which in addition to hardware and software divisions, has its own consulting arm and a finance division. With a 117 percent revenue gain last year, GovPlace received the award for Security. And the Application Development Award was handed out to Computer Software Innovations.

In the Newcomer of the Year category, the award went to Helio Solutions. Founded in 2001, the Sunnyvale, Calif.-based VAR specializes in Sun technologies and infrastructure solutions. The Ascension Award winner, given to the enterprising VAR that climbed the most spots on the 2004 VARBusiness 500 list, was given to Future Tech Enterprises, which gained 129 spots to finish in position 355. It enjoyed a 100 percent growth rate last year.