CEO Stories: The untold story of the middle market

THE MIGHTY MIDDLE

Middle market companies—defined by NCMM as companies with revenue between 10 million and a billion dollars—account for one-third of all output in the private sector in the U.S. and for 60 percent of net new job growth. These companies occupy a sweet spot between resilience and runway: surprisingly they can often absorb blows better than large companies and they also have room to grow. Research from NCMM shows that this group almost always outperforms the S&P 500.

INFLECTION POINTS

Born in 2011 as the recovery from the financial crisis was starting to take hold, NCMM is the leading source of information and research on the approximately 200,000 companies that comprise the middle market. NCMM tracks the inflection points companies hit as they mature and grow, their changing needs surrounding capital and other resources, and their shifting priorities. Top of mind now are customer-centricity, digital transformation, and cybersecurity.

MIDDLE MARKET CHALLENGES

Lack of advocacy— The Small Business Administration exists to advocate for small business and K Street law firms and lobbyists advocate for big business—a shortage of talent, and lack of awareness about the middle market are seen as the biggest challenges. NCMM aims to help companies overcome those challenges with data, benchmarking tools, strategic partnerships, and by creating resources for knowledge sharing among companies.