not sure about the US, but in Europe these companies often grow into having a couple of hundred employees, at which point they just continue being at the top in

not sure about the US, but in Europe these companies often grow into having a couple of hundred employees, at which point they just continue being at the top in their niche without much growth. sometimes they get absorbed, often not because what they do doesn't provide a lot of synergies with what big corp. are doing.