The Winners Circle: America's Best Small Companies

True Religion, founded in 2002, sells luxury denim in 124 stores domestically and 31 overseas.

America's Best Small Companies: Newcomers 2013

Other organizations that graduated to the next level or took a healthy exit include…

Metropolitan Health Networks: The Florida-based healthcare company was acquired by Humana in late 2012 for about $500 million.

United Therapeutics Corp: After declaring over $900 million in revenue at year's end 2012, the biotech firm saw its stock climb over 60%.

DXP Enterprises: By the closing of 2012, DXP had topped one billion revenue for the first time. In 2013 stocks have grown in value by over 64%.

Middleby: It was a good year to be a stockholder in this food service equipment firm. Final 2012 figures showed the company generated over $1 billion on the year and since then share prices have riser 65%.

EDAC Technologies Corp.: The company was acquired by GB Aero Engine – an affiliate of Greenbriar Equity Group – in May for $17.75 per share.

Atwood Oceanics:  Declared $787 million in revenue in 2012, netting $272 in income. Since then shares have swelled over 10% in value.

Top Small Cap Companies To Buy Right Now

Copart: This past July the online auction and vehicle remarketing firm declared it had generated over $1 billion in its fiscal year. In the past 12 months the company's shares have added 20% of value.

Keynote Systems: This summer the and mobile services company was acquired by investment firm Thoma Bravo for $395 million in cash—a 48 percent premium over the price of the company's shares at market.

Shuffle Master: The gaming products company was acquired by electronic gaming giant Bally Technologies for $1.3 billion in a deal announced this past summer.