Three local companies called ones to watch

Published: Friday, August 17, 2012 at 1:00 a.m.

Last Modified: Thursday, August 16, 2012 at 9:27 p.m.

SARASOTA – Three local businesses have been recognized by a state program that honors so-called “second stage” growth companies.

Biolife, Method Factory and My Green Buildings were named 2012 “Florida Companies to Watch.”

The statewide program selects companies based on employment and revenue growth, as well as on leadership, innovation, community responsibility and competitive business practices.

Companies to Watch will be recognized at an October event, the organization said.

Biolife, whose WoundSeal product is now sold in about 16,000 retail outlets nationally, is a 12-year-old company that has grown substantially in recent years. Earlier this year, Biolife reported 32 employees, but the company said it expects to double employment in the next few years.

Method Factory is a Sarasota-based software development business that has been around for more than a decade.

My Green Buildings, a company that specializes in building sustainable houses, in 2009 held the distinction of having built “the greenest house in the state.”

Last year, it won the Frank G. Berlin Sr. Small Business award as a “Think Green” entity from the Greater Sarasota Chamber of Commerce.