BRIGHTSTAR CORPORATION NAMED TO INC. 500 LIST OF AMERICA’S FASTEST GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES

NEW YORK – October 1, 2003 – Inc. Magazine, the premier publication for small and medium-sized businesses, today released its 23rd annual Inc. 500 ranking of the fastest-growing private companies in the country. Brightstar Corp. ranks #154 on the list, with five-year sales growth of 1,064%. The Inc. 500 Special Issue will appear on newsstands October 14 and will be on display until January 2004.

The companies that made this list have thrived through continued stagnation in the economy, posting an average five-year sales growth of 1,312%. With aggregate revenue of $14.4 billion, Inc. 500 companies are a formidable market force. And while the United States shed 1.5 million jobs in 2002, Inc. 500 companies – half of which were launched with less than $20,000 – provided employment for 67,973 people.

“The entrepreneurs you’ll find on the Inc. 500 have the type of attitude we need to get this economy moving again,” said Inc. editor-in-chief John Koten. “For them, a tough market is not an excuse for poor performance, but an opportunity to innovate and rise above the competition.”

The Inc. 500 ranks privately held companies according to sales growth over the past five years. With 75% of all new job creation in the U.S. coming from small businesses, the Inc. 500 is a prescient indicator of the companies and industries that are driving the economy forward. Over the years, the Inc. 500 has identified the next generation of world-class companies, with Microsoft, Stonyfield Farms, Timberland, Oracle, Princeton Review, Morningstar, E* Trade, Intuit and Domino’s Pizza all appearing on the list before they became industry powerhouses.

To be eligible for this years Inc. 500, companies had to be independent and privately held through their fiscal year 2002, have had at least $200,000 in sales in the base year of 1998, and their 2002 sales had to exceed 2001 sales. Inc. verifies all information using tax forms and financial statements from certified public accountants and by conducting interviews with company officials.