March 31, 2026
INC. NAMES BRIGHTLINE TRAINS FLORIDA TO ITS 2026 LIST OF THE FASTEST-GROWING PRIVATE COMPANIES IN THE SOUTHEAST
Companies on the Inc. Regionals: Southeast list had a median growth rate of 89 percent.
Miami, FL (March 31, 2026) – Inc., the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future, today revealed that Brightline Trains Florida has been ranked No. 21 on its sixth annual Inc. Regionals: Southeast list – the most prestigious ranking of the fastest-growing privately held companies in the Southeast. The region includes South Carolina, Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Arkansas, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana, Florida, and Puerto Rico.
An extension of the national Inc. 5000 list, the Regionals list offers a data-driven look at the independent small businesses driving growth across the Southeast economy. Companies on this year’s list demonstrate exceptional revenue expansion, resilience, and job creation during a challenging economic period.
“The progress we’ve made at Brightline reflects the growing demand for better, more connected transportation in Florida,” said Patrick Goddard, CEO of Brightline Florida. “As we continue to welcome new riders and introduce more people to the convenience and reliability of rail, it reinforces the long-term promise of this business and the role Brightline is playing in shaping the future of travel in the state.”
Between 2022 and 2024, these 182 private companies had a median growth rate of 89 percent; by 2024, they’d also added 12,079 jobs and $3.4 billion to the region’s economy.
Complete results of the Inc. Regionals: Southeast, including company profiles and an interactive database sortable by industry and metro area, will be available beginning March 31 at: https://www.inc.com/regionals/southeast.
“The honorees on this year’s Inc. Regionals list achieved exceptional growth at a time when the odds were against them. Amid inflation, supply chain disruptions, and ongoing economic uncertainty, they didn't just persevere – they innovated, adapted, and thrived. Their resilience made them standouts in their industries and true growth engines in their regions,” said Bonny Ghosh, editorial director at Inc.
Brightline, the first privately operated higher-speed passenger rail in over 100 years, seamlessly connects travelers to top destinations and major events between Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. The company offers a hospitality-centric experience designed to reinvent train travel at a comparable price to driving or flying. Last year, Brightline transported more than 3 million guests to meaningful moments along the corridor. Brightline is recognized as one of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies, one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative by Fast Company and one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast by Inc.
More about Inc. and the Inc. Regionals
Methodology
The Inc. Regionals lists are ranked according to percentage revenue growth over two years. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2022. They had to be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent—not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies—as of December 31, 2024. (Since then, a number of companies on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2022 is $100,000; the minimum for 2024 is $1 million. As always, Inc. reserves the right to decline applicants for subjective reasons.
ABOUT INC.
Inc. is the leading media brand and playbook for the entrepreneurs and business leaders shaping our future. Through its journalism, Inc. aims to inform, educate, and elevate the profile of its community: the risk-takers, the innovators, and the ultra-driven go-getters who are creating the future of business. Inc. is published by Mansueto Ventures LLC, along with fellow leading business publication Fast Company. For more information, visit www.inc.com.
ABOUT BRIGHTLINE
Brightline seamlessly connects travelers to top destinations and major events between Central and South Florida with stations in Miami, Aventura, Fort Lauderdale, Boca Raton, West Palm Beach, and Orlando. The company offers a hospitality-centric experience designed to reinvent train travel at a comparable price to driving or flying. Brightline is recognized as one of TIME100’s Most Influential Companies, one of the World’s 50 Most Innovative by Fast Company and one of the fastest-growing private companies in the Southeast by Inc. The company focuses on city pairs that are too close to fly and too long to drive. Construction is currently underway to connect Las Vegas to Southern California. For more information, visit www.gobrightline.com and follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and X.
MEDIA CONTACTS
Ashley Blasewitz, Brightline, ashley.blasewitz@gobrightline.com
Michael Hicks, Brightline, mhicks@bltrain.com