MIDDLETOWN — One local business has been named one of the top 1,000 fastest-growing private companies in the United States, according to Inc. magazine.

Hightowers Petroleum Co. of Middletown was ranked 579th, with 2008 revenues of $111.2 million compared to $19.7 million in 2005.

Hightowers Petroleum supplies and transports fuel and other petroleum products nationwide.

Owned and operated by Middletown native Stephen Hightower, the company recently secured a contract with General Motors. The company will supply the automaker with four gallons of fuel per vehicle it manufactures as one of the last steps of the assembly line at GM plants in the United States, Canada and Mexico. The contract went into effect May 1.

In a time where overall fuel consumption is down, Hightower said his business is on track to grow 100 percent over last year.

“We did not get to this point overnight, and because we are beginning to have rapid growth today is a tribute to our ability to remain steadfast and focused on our goals and delivering a good product consistently day after day,” he said.

Expanding contracts with companies like Duke Energy and Kroger have added to this year’s growth, and the company also landed a contract with AK Steel Corp., Hightower said.

This would be the fourth consecutive year HPC has experienced sales growth of more than 100 percent, he said.