VANCOUVER, British Columbia ? Two Michigan companies were ranked in the 50 Fastest Growing Women-Owned companies in North America.

The Michigan businesses are:

Vendor Managed Solutions Inc., an Integrated Materials Management. VMS manages approximately $650 million in MRO spend on behalf of their customers across over 4,000 locations in the United States, Mexico and Canada. It was founded by Rumia Burbank.

Strategic Staffing Solutions, a provider of Information Technology Consulting, Customized Project Solutions, Vendor Management Programs, Executive Search Services, call center technology and IT business development services for customers through the United States and Europe. The company was founded by Cynthia Pasky.

The Top 50 generated a combined $4.1 billion in 2010 revenues (mean of $82.7 million) and collectively employed 24,650 in 2010 (projected average for 2011 is 557 employees).

?The Top 50 list includes a group of trailblazing women entrepreneurs that represent a variety of industries ranging from staffing to electronic systems providers, language services to security,? said Marsha Firestone, Ph. D., president and founder of the WPO. ?We are pleased to partner with American Express OPEN to honor these powerful women and recognize their triumphs.?

In order to help the Top 50 continue to seize even more business opportunities, each of the honored business owners will be offered a Business Platinum Card[1] from American Express OPEN. The card will include 100,000 Membership Rewards? points, which may be used on capital investments including: the funding of employee recognition programs, business travel or the purchase of office equipment and supplies.

?Based on American Express OPEN?s ?State of Women-Owned Businesses? report, there are an estimated 8.1 million women-owned businesses in the United States, generating nearly $1.3 trillion in revenues and employing nearly 7.7 million people,? said Nancy Hood, Vice President at American Express OPEN. ?We at OPEN are honored to support this elite group of women who diversify the full spectrum of industries and have become leaders within the women business community.?

All eligible companies were ranked according to a sales growth formula that combines percentage and absolute growth. From this list, the 50 Fastest were selected. To be qualified for the ranking, businesses are required to be privately held, woman-owned/led companies in the U.S. or Canada and have reached revenue of at least $500,000 by the first week of 2006 and $2 million in 2010.

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