Inspiration Travel takes the wheel as Central Valley’s quickest rising on Inc. 5000 checklist

Father and daughter crew Stephanie Smith and Steve Dick go to the ends of the Earth (actually) to make sure their purchasers have a constructive journey expertise. Photo by Backstory Creative

Several Central Valley corporations made it on the 2025 Inc. 5000 list of companies launched Tuesday, distinguished by their income progress.

The annual checklist is compiled by entrepreneur media publishing model Inc. and is ranked on income progress from 2021-2024. The minimal income required for 2021 is $100,000; the minimal for 2024 is $2 million.

Inspiration Travel, No. 223

Fresno faith-based journey company Inspiration Travel has the very best rating of any native firm, debuting on the Inc 5000 checklist at No. 223 with 2021-2024 income progress of 1,721%.

In 2020, Inspiration Travel ranked at No. 4,349.

The second-generation household enterprise was based in 1981 as Christian Cruise Conferences. It focuses on Christian cruises and excursions of the Holy Land in Israel. The enterprise was acquired by Steve and Ruth Dick in 1994, and has since grown its shopper base to serve greater than 1,500 organizations and greater than 240,000 vacationers.

Earlier this yr, Inspiration Travel underwent a management transition, with Stephanie Smith, daughter of Steve and Ruth, appointed as CEO.

The firm’s ascendancy is much more exceptional given the depths reached by the journey business throughout the pandemic.

Our progress displays the facility of adaptability, robust partnerships and God’s steering. After a 98% drop in 2021 as a result of pandemic, we methodically rebuilt as journey returned, then navigated one other disruption with the battle in Israel in 2023,” mentioned Smith in an announcement. “Through each challenge, God truly directed our steps, providing wisdom, opportunities, and the right people at the right time. We pivoted quickly, innovated our offerings, and leaned into our relationships with event partners. By 2024, pent-up demand and our proven ability to deliver seamless, mission-aligned experiences propelled us back to and beyond pre-pandemic levels.”

In 2024, Inspiration Travel was named a winner of The Business Journal’s Family Owned Business Awards (FOBA).

Wellpointe, Inc., No. 690

Fresno well being care firm Wellpointe, Inc. ranked at No. 690 with three-year income progress of 600%. The boutique supplier of residential assisted residing providers was co-founded by CEO George Kutnerian in 2007.

“I attribute our continued success to clarity and conviction of vision, as well as a talented, committed team that can consistently execute against that vision,” Kutnerian mentioned in an announcement.

He added that it’s thrilling to be a part of the Central Valley’s increasing ecosystem of growth-oriented companies.

EasyTherapy, No. 1,234

SimpleTherapy in Fresno was 1,234 with 355%. Founded in 2011, the corporate offers bodily, musculoskeletal and behavioral well being providers to employer shopper teams by combining digital and technology-guided remedy with a nationwide community of suppliers. Arpit Khemka is CEO of EasyTherapy, which is making its debut on the checklist.

“This recognition is a testament to our entire team’s unwavering dedication to delivering holistic, patient-centered care,” Khemka mentioned in an announcement. “SimpleTherapy has evolved from a virtual MSK [musculoskeletal] solution into a unified platform for physical and behavioral health, offering digital care, virtual services, and access to a national network of over 60,000 providers.”

EasyTherapy lately partnered with the Fresno Unified School District to launch SimpleConnect, a 24/7, multilingual digital psychological well being service for college students and households.

Clark Bros., No. 1,580

Fresno heavy civil building firm Clark Bros. returns to the checklist at No. 1,580 with 277% income progress. Founded in 1962, Clark Bros. focuses on water and waste remedy, wind and photo voltaic vitality, high-voltage electrical energy distribution and utility-scale battery storage.

Lawrence Clark is CEO and president of the corporate, which made its greatest ever exhibiting on the checklist this yr after seven appearances courting again to 2016.

Solar Negotiators, No. 2,892

Solar Negotiators of Clovis makes its second consecutive look on the Inc. 5000 checklist, rating at No. 2,892 with 147% progress underneath CEO Chris Moran. Founded in 2008, Solar Negotiators has served greater than 10,000 clients and is likely one of the highest-rated photo voltaic contractors in California.

Lee’s Air, Plumbing and Heating, No. 3,061

Lee’s Air, Plumbing and Heating in Fresno returns for its eighth look on the checklist, rating at No. 3,061 with 132% income progress. Founded in 1981, Lee’s Air has workplaces in Fresno, Sacramento, Las Vegas and Peoria, Arizona. Damon Bromagem was introduced as CEO of the corporate in December 2024.

EKC Enterprises, No. 3,554

Fresno’s EKC Enterprises ranks at 3,554 on the checklist with 109% income progress. The low-voltage integration firm offers options in design, set up and integration of know-how merchandise for colleges, hospitals and industrial area. Founded in 2003, EKC is making its sixth look on the checklist underneath CEO Chris Shafer.

Empower Home Services, No. 4,670

Empower Home Services of Clovis, a residential and small-business photo voltaic set up firm, ranked at No. 4,670 with 65% progress. This was the third consecutive yr on the checklist for the corporate underneath proprietor and CEO Landon Wimmer.

The 5,000 corporations on this yr’s checklist mixed for $300 billion in 2024 income, added 536,086 jobs previously three years and posted over $177 billion in progress since 2021.

Topping the Inc. 5000 checklist is Akool, with a staggering 37,364% progress price. The generative AI platform for visible advertising and promoting relies in Palo Alto.

The prime industries by income are well being care & medical (210% median progress price), authorities providers (181% median progress price) and building (163% median progress price).

The greatest metro areas for income progress embody Milwaukee-Waukesha, Wisconsin (358% median progress price), Chattanooga, Tennessee (323% median progress price) and Charleston-North Charleston, South Carolina (220% median progress price).

Forty-one of the businesses reported income of $1 billion and extra. There have been 110 corporations making the checklist for the tenth time or extra. Companies as giant as 70,000-plus staff and as small as a single-person operation (19 single operators complete) made the checklist.

The No. 1 firm by income was No. 4,017 Carahsoft Technology in Reston, Virginia. The authorities IT options supplier reported greater than $16 billion in income in 2023.

“The Inc. 5000 is one of the most important things we publish each year — a real-time bellwether of American business,” acknowledged Mike Hofman, editor-in-chief of Inc. “At a moment when entrepreneurs are navigating economic uncertainty, labor shifts, and inflation, this list is powerful proof of innovation and resilience. We’re deeply grateful to the thousands of companies that trust us with their growth data to make this list possible.”