Waltham, Mass. – August 21, 2012 – Inc. magazine today ranked DealerRater, the nation’s largest and most trusted source for consumer reviews of automotive dealers, #137 on its 31st annual Inc. 500|5000 list, an exclusive ranking of the nation's fastest-growing private companies. The list represents the most comprehensive look at the most important segment of the economy—America’s independent entrepreneurs. Companies such as Microsoft, Zappos, Intuit, Jamba Juice, Zipcar, Clif Bar, Vizio, Oracle, and many other well-known names gained early exposure as members of the Inc. 500|5000. 

“I’m very proud of this recognition, which is a wonderful testament to the hard work and passion for the business that each of our employees exhibit every day,” said Chip Grueter, president of DealerRater. “It also represents yet another strong validation of the importance of online consumer reviews in the automotive industry and effectiveness of the web-based tools that we’ve developed exclusively for our Certified Dealers. We’re still at the forefront of the consumer revolution and DealerRater is proud to be leading the way for car dealerships. ” 

With 2012 representing the company’s 10-year anniversary, DealerRater enjoys distinction as the first and largest third-party review web site dedicated solely to automotive dealerships.   In addition to the increasing volume of consumer reviews, the DealerRater® site has demonstrated persistent growth over the past three years in both total web site visitors as well as the number of U.S. and Canadian dealers that have embraced DealerRater’s popular Certified Dealer Program.   Certified Dealers are able to connect with DealerRater’s 9.5 million web site visitors while demonstrating an utmost commitment to quality customer service.  

The 2012 Inc. 500, unveiled in the September issue of Inc. (available on newsstands August 21 to November 15 and on Inc.com), is the most competitive crop in the list’s history. To make the cut, companies had to have achieved a staggering minimum of 770% in sales growth. The Inc. 500’s aggregate revenue is $15.7 billion, with a median three-year growth of 1,431 percent. The companies on this year's Inc. 500 employ more than 48,000 people and generated over 40,000 jobs in the past three years. Complete results of the Inc. 500|5000, including company profiles and an interactive database that can be sorted by industry, region, and other criteria, can be found at www.inc.com/500. 

"Now, more than ever, we depend on Inc. 500/5000 companies to spur innovation, provide jobs, and drive the economy forward.  Growth companies, not large corporations, are where the action is,” says Inc. magazine Editor Eric Schurenberg.