Tulsa companies round out top 5

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A Tulsa children's book distributor has been named one of Oklahoma's fastest growing companies. <br><br>Education Development Corp., a small Tulsa-based company that sells

Sunday, November 3rd 2002, 12:00 am

By: News On 6

OKLAHOMA CITY (AP) _ A Tulsa children's book distributor has been named one of Oklahoma's fastest growing companies.

Education Development Corp., a small Tulsa-based company that sells children's books has had steady increases in its total return to shareholders, revenue growth and per-share earnings, according to poll compiled by The Daily Oklahoman.

The newspaper and Standard & Poor's has ranked Oklahoma publicly traded companies based on profitable growth.

Educational Development has made a quick rise to the top of this year's rankings.

Recent steady growth, no debt, and a product line of entertaining and educational books and toys have boosted the fortunes of the company.

Nearly all the company's revenue is derived from the sale of books produced by Usborne Publishing Limited of Great Britain.

Chief Executive Officer Randall White said the company has had some rough years, but in the last year made $20.5 million in net sales.

The stock has traded as high as $7.89 this year, and sold for below $7 for much of the recent past.

The company will keep growing, White said.

``I set this goal for myself here to get this stock to $65 by the time I'm 65. That's four and a half years,'' White said. ``That's a little optimistic.''

Hemerich & Payne Inc. came in second on the list. The Tulsa-based company explores, produces, and sells crude oil and natural gas. The company also drills oil and gas wells.

Unit Corp., another Tulsa-based company that drills for oil and gas was ranked third on the list. The company also specializes in the acquisition, development and production of oil and natural gas properties.

Oklahoma City-based Sonic Corp. was ranked fourth on the list. The company operates the largest chain of drive-in restaurants in the United States.

Global Power Equipment Group Inc. was ranked fifth on the list. The company has headquarters in Tulsa and is the leading global designer, engineer and fabricator of equipment for gas turbine power plants, one of the fastest growing types of energy generation.

Panhandle Royalty of Oklahoma City was ranked sixth, Tulsa's BOK Financial Corp. was seventh, Kinark Corp. of Tulsa ranked eighth, Alliance Resources of Tulsa held the ninth spot on the list and Canaan Energy Corp. of Oklahoma City was tenth.