America's fastest-growing small public companies

PrimeEnergy
Rank: 24 (Previous rank: 11)Get quote: PNRG Industry: Energy CEO: Charles E. Drimal Jr., CEOHeadquarters: Stamford, CTEmployees: 206 (as of March 25, 2006)
Analysis:PrimeEnergy is an oil and gas exploration and development company with properties in six states and the Gulf of Mexico. Its subsidiaries service oil and gas wells and manage oil and gas limited partnerships.

Sun Hydraulics
Rank: 25 (Previous rank: 14)Get quote: SNHY Industry: Manufacturing/Industrial CEO: Allen J. Carlson, CEO & PresidentHeadquarters: Sarasota, FLEmployees: 663
Analysis:Sun Hydraulics designs and makes screw-in hydraulic cartridge valves and manifolds that control force, speed and motion in mobile and industrial machinery. Sun, which operates in the U.S. and five other countries, has generated a profit every year since 1972.


Parallel Petroleum
Rank: 26 (Previous rank: 27)Get quote: PLLL Industry: Energy CEO: Larry C. Oldham, President & CEOHeadquarters: Midland, TXEmployees: 41
Analysis:Parallel Petroleum drills through rock for natural gas horizontally, releasing the gas more efficiently from locations in Texas and New Mexico. Acquisitions and development of properties during the past five years helped increase PLLL's proved reserves over 52% last year.


U.S. Lime & Minerals
Rank: 27 (Previous rank: 20)Get quote: USLM Industry: Manufacturing/Industrial CEO: Timothy W. Byrne, President & CEOHeadquarters: Dallas, TXEmployees: 317
Analysis:USLM manufactures lime and limestone products used for highway construction, parking lots, steel manufacturing and water purification. The company sold its products to 900 customers across 14 states last year.


Edge Petroleum
Rank: 28 (Previous rank: 4)Get quote: EPEX Industry: Energy CEO: John W. Elias, Chairman, President & CEOHeadquarters: Houston, TXEmployees: 75
Analysis:Founded in 1983, Edge is a crude oil and natural gas exploration, development, and production company. Last year its proven reserves decreased slightly from 2005, but Edge still drilled 52 wells with an 83% success rate. About 75% of its daily production is natural gas.


Ansoft
Rank: 29 (Previous rank: N/A)Get quote: ANST Industry: Tech CEO: Nicholas Csendes, President & CEOHeadquarters: Pittsburgh, PAEmployees: 305
Analysis:Ansoft's software simulates the design and performance of circuitry and electromagnetic fields inside high-speed computers and wireless communication devices, so engineers no longer need to build prototypes. A demand for faster integrated circuits within wireless devices is driving sales.

Cybex International
Rank: 30 (Previous rank: N/A)Get quote: CYBI Industry: Consumer CEO: John Aglialoro, Chairman & CEOHeadquarters: Medway, MAEmployees: 547 (3/30/2007)
Analysis:Cybex is a household name among fitness enthusiasts, who build strength and endurance on the company's machines, both at home and in the gym. Its products include treadmills, cross trainers and weight equipment. Last year Cybex broke ground on a new office and manufacturing facility on 36 acres in Minnesota.

New life for plasma TVs?

LAS VEGAS - In the United States, plasma televisions are losing the high-def battle with LCD screens. But at the Consumer Electronics Show, plasma backers including Pioneer and Panasonic clearly believe it’s not over.
Plasma’s problem has always been the side-by-side comparison with LCD on the showroom floor. Because LCD screens tend to be brighter and thinner, consumers tend to judge it superior, even though good plasma sets can provide truer colors and better contrast ratios for a lower price.
Pioneer had one of the more eye-popping previews in its booth: TVs based on its “Project Kuro,” which alludes to the Japanese word for “black.” Pioneer set out to achieve the blackest blacks it could in its plasma sets, reasoning that black is the canvas on which color is displayed, so high contrast will make colors pop more. Walk around the booth, and the effect is obvious: color oozes seductively from of the screen, particularly in scenes that offer high contrast.
Pioneer also showed a 50-inch display that’s just 9 millimeters thin and 41 pounds – an offering that would certainly turn heads the local Best Buy or Circuit City. Still, there’s no word on exactly how much the sets will cost and when they will be available — Pioneer said only that it won’t be this year.
Panasonic also voiced its continuing support for plasma, showing off a 150-inch set. Yoshi Yamada, CEO of Panasonic North America, told Fortune the company remains committed to big-screen plasma, though it offers LCD TVs as well. Some competitors are pushing just LCD, “because it’s easy,” Yamada said. With plasma, “there is more research and development required to make it a real TV.” Panasonic has done that work, he said, and “as far as we are concerned, we see in a lot of the areas, plasma does a lot better.”
It’s not clear how any of this might change the game in store showrooms, where plasma is fighting an uphill battle.
Stan Glasgow, president of LCD-exclusive Sony Electronics (SNE), seemed to acknowledge the plasma camp’s efforts, but couldn’t resist slipping in a dig at his rivals. “I think it’s going to be an interesting year in terms of plasma, what they’re going to do as they keep losing share in the United States.”

Robots galore

Femisapien by WowWee
Price: $99

This walking humanoid can detect words and music, communicate with other robots and see up to 1.2 feet away. According to WowWee, the womanly toy also has "fluid movements" and "elegant gestures." Look for "her" this summer.

ConnectR by iRobot
Price: TBD (the product is still in beta)The ConnectR from Roomba-maker iRobot enables "virtual visits" over the Internet. Up to ten family and friends can access and control the password-protected machine - equipped with two-way audio and a video camera - over the Internet.

Spykee Spy by Erector / Meccano
Price: $149-$299The Wi-Fi enabled Spykee Spy is Skype-compatible and plays MP3s. Great for do-it-yourselfers - this robot comes unassembled. Check out its latest family members, including Spykee Cell and the voice-activated Vox and Miss, due out next fall.

Looj by iRobot
Price: $99 (available at www.irobot.com)It's hard to get excited about a robot that cleans your gutters, but that's exactly what this strange-looking contraption does. iRobot claims this little guy can clear a 60-foot section of gutter in just ten minutes.

Rovio by WowWee
Price: $299This new robot comes with a built-in Wi-Fi enabled Web cam that lets homeowners patrol their houses remotely over a PC, phone or video game console. The Rovio also has built-in GPS - that enables it to easily locate and report its position and the position of other objects and even navigate back to its charging station. Available this fall.

Alive Cubs by WowWee
Price: $59Meant to be cute and cuddly, these furry bots are a bit on the creepy side. The small machines can blink, purr and fall asleep (wow, tough life). Choose from lion, white tiger, panda or polar bear cubs - all available this summer.

RoboCAM by Microrobot
Price: TBDHome surveillance over 3G cellular networks? Sleek user interface, gas detector and vacuuming capabilities? Too bad this all-in-one robot is not yet available in the United States.