Rock Hill software developer makes Inc. 5000 list

The rapid expansion of Span Enterprises, a Rock Hill-based software developer, has put the company on the Inc. 5000 list.

Span was No. 1,150 on the list of the fastest-growing entrepreneurs released Wednesday morning by the business magazine.

In three years, Span has seen almost a 500 percent growth, co-founder and CEO Agie Sundaram said Tuesday on the eve of Wednesday’s announcement. To qualify for the list, companies must have grown revenue from a minimum of $100,000 in 2011 to at least $2 million in 2014.

Being named to the Inc. 5000 list is a bucket list item for the company, Sundaram said. The honor, he said, is not the greatest his company has attained. He listed offering his employees health care and being debt free as greater achievements, but Wednesday’s announcement, “it’s up there.”

Since Sundaram helped found the company, Span has doubled the number of computer programs it has written and supports – from seven to 15 – and quadrupled the number of employees – from seven to more than 30.

Span has grown because of its success in identifying various niche markets – truckers, taxes, beauty and health.

The firm now offers truckers a comprehensive service that covers the variety of paperwork that must be filed – from certifications to rig licenses to periodic tax documents. Sundaram said some of the major trucking firms in the United States are his clients.

Span also has focused on e-filing of various federal tax forms. Spanuses a narrative approach to filing out the form. The program asks a series of questions which are used to fill out the various tax forms, Sundaram said.

Not only can Span file the various tax documents, but it also can get immediate confirmation that they have been accepted by the Internal Revenue Service. In some cases, such as tax extension requests, Span not only tracks whether the IRS received the filing but whether the tax extension was granted, Sundaram said.

With several more programs ready to roll out, Sundaram said he expects to hire as many as 20 people in the next six months. He said Span will also likely leave its office in the Citizens Corner building in downtown. Sundaram said he’s looking for 15,000 square feet of office space.

Span becomes one of several companies from the region to make Inc. list. Previous companies named to the list include Brothers Air and Heat of Rock Hill and Fab Fours of Lancaster, a manufacturer of steel bumper and accessories for truck and jeep markets.

This story was originally published August 12, 2015 at 11:39 AM with the headline "Rock Hill software developer makes Inc. 5000 list."