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Article: Dwelling on the bottom: executives of top Tar Heel private companies hope things start looking up soon. But many aren't so sure they will.(FEATURE)(Company overview)
- Article from:
- Business North Carolina
- Article date:
- October 1, 2009
- Author:
CopyrightCOPYRIGHT 2009 Business North Carolina. This material is published under license from the publisher through the Gale Group, Farmington Hills, Michigan. All inquiries regarding rights should be directed to the Gale Group. (Hide copyright information)
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With a bedroom as the office and his garage the warehouse, Bob Luddy started what became Captive-Aire Systems Inc. 33 years ago in Raleigh. His company, which installed fire-suppression equipment in commercial kitchens, boomed, landing on Inc. magazine's list of the nation's fastest growing a couple of times in the '80s.
It evolved into a manufacturer of ventilation equipment for commercial kitchens. Customers include Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Golden Corral. Captive-Aire grossed $224 million last year, up 6%, and climbed three spots to No. 35 on Grant Thornton's annual ranking of North Carolina privately held companies. But it might have trouble hoisting ...