Sponsored by the Edward Lowe Foundation, the “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” award list recognizes high-performing, second-stage Michigan companies with six to 99 full-time employees. Only companies that are privately held, headquartered in Michigan and generate between $750,000 to $50 million in annual revenue (or working capital from investors or grants) are eligible.

“In today’s economy, Companies to Watch has become a real game changer,” said Penny Lewandowski, director of entrepreneurship development at the Edward Lowe Foundation, a nonprofit operating foundation based in Michigan. “It changes the conversation from slow-growth, layoffs and closings, to companies that are expanding, hiring and moving beyond traditional markets.

“Presenters of the Michigan program have recognized this potential since its inaugural year, five years ago. With a vow to find 50 new companies to celebrate each year, Michigan 50 Companies to Watch is now 250 strong. These are the companies that sustain Michigan through tough times and are transforming how the rest of the nation views the state.”

Founded by Wael Berrached in 1999, Eview 360 has grown from a two-person start-up to a full-service design agency with a roster of Fortune 500 clients. A key to the company’s early growth was its development of 360WARE -- a software platform used to power www.fordland.net, Ford Motor Company’s dealer extranet site. Other automotive clients now include Jaguar, Land Rover, Quick Lane and Volvo.

“It’s an honor to be chosen as one of Michigan’s 50 Companies to Watch,” said Berrached, the company’s chief creative officer. “Our growth has been exceptional, even during these tough economic times.”

Today, Eview 360 focuses on brand-identity design and development, graphic design and branded environments design. Its staff uses a multidisciplinary approach on its client programs with all of its designers experts in several media.

Branching out to other industries, Eview 360 has undertaken brand identity programs for a large Michigan insurance agency and a leading executive search firm in Dubai, as well as interior projects for major real-estate property-management firms.

In 2006, the company established Moda 360, a subsidiary dedicated to interior fit-out and fulfillment. Moda 360 specializes in national retail programs and commercial interiors. Eview 360 opened an office in Dubai in 2007 to satisfy a growing demand for the firm’s creative expertise in the United Arab Emirates (U.A.E.).

Nominees for the “Michigan 50 Companies to Watch” program were evaluated on their demonstrated intent and capacity to grow based on a number of factors, including employee or sales growth, exceptional entrepreneurial leadership and sustainable competitive advantage.

Eview 360 and its fellow award recipients will be honored at an awards ceremony during the fourth annual Michigan Celebrates Small Business event on April 30 in Lansing.