Each year, Louisville Business First, a weekly business publication in Louisville, KY, releases a list of the fifty fastest growing privately-held companies in the area. The list represents a wide variety of companies who are ranked by growth percentage over the past three years. The awards luncheon takes place annually and is in its 15th year of recognizing fast growing companies.
This year, HMS Global Maritime was ranked number five on the list, with a growth percentage of 146.97%. The growth percentage was largely attributed to the successful operation of the American Queen and the purchase and launch of the American Empress.
When John Waggoner, President and CEO, was asked what the company’s biggest accomplishment during the past year has been, he responded:
“Due to our successful launch and operation of the American Queen over the past two years, we were able to secure financing and purchase the American Empress from the Federal Maritime Administration. Formerly the Empress of the North, the American Empress will deliver opulence on a grand scale, following in the pedigree of our flagship, the American Queen, and proudly serves as the largest overnight riverboat west of the Mississippi River. A U.S.-flagged vessel, the American Empress measures 360 feet with five towering decks and accommodates 223 guests in seven stateroom categories.”
John Waggoner, along with other guests attended the awards luncheon where he accepted the award from Louisville Business First publisher, Gary Tyler. The event was held at the Kentucky International Convention Center on October 16, 2014.
