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"We've done very well," said Mark Campito, chief executive at Marktech Optoelectronics in Latham.

The Hot 10 list is compiled by the Albany-Colonie Regional Chamber of Commerce. The list was voted on by an adhoc panel assembled by the chamber. In the past, local reporters chose the list.

Campito said his company, which makes more than 1,000 products focused on light-emitting diode (LED) technology, has the most employees--31--in its 23-year history.

"We're continuing to hire. We're looking forward to another great year this year, so many products coming out, we just need the people to handle it," he said.

One reason for the spurt in growth is the company began manufacturing this year. It has a manufacturing plant in China and remains the exclusive North American distributor for Toshiba's optoelectronic products.

Gov. Eliot Spitzer also made the Hot 10 list. It wasn't for his controversial plan to allow undocumented workers to receive licenses--a plan he eventually withdrew after receiving negative national attention. It was for playing a role in International Sematech's decision this year to relocate to the University at Albany's College of Nanoscale Science and Engineering. The state approved $300 million in funding to support International Sematech's expansion at the state University at Albany. Sematech plans to create 450 jobs at UAlbany.

Joining Spitzer on the list was the state Senate because it provided $250,000 to the Tech Valley Chamber Coalition to expand a program highlighting science and math initiatives.

This year's list had three names that made it to last year's Hot 10 list: Alain Kaloyeros, vice president and chief administrator officer of UAlbany's NanoCollege; Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute President Shirley Ann Jackson and Glenn Epstein, former president and CEO of Intermagnetics General Corp., who led the company through a $1.3 billion acquisition by Royal Philips Electronics. He left the company months earlier than expected because the transition was so smooth.

The remaining winners were:

• § Mike Hickey, president of Pitney Bowes MapInfo. Pitney Bowes acquired MapInfo, the region's largest software company, in April for $408 million, Hickey, MapInfo's former chief operating officer, was named president of the new company;
• § John Kelly III, senior vice president at IBM who was named director of IBM's research this year. Kelly isaUnion College and Rensselaer graduate and played a key role in IBM's investments at the nanocollege and was instrumental bringing one of the world's most powerful supercomputers to Rensselaer this year;
• § Mark Little, senior vice president and director of the GE Global Research Center. He oversees a $500 million research and development center in Niskayuna. Under his leadership. GE announced plans tot build a new $165 million health care manufacturing facility in the Rensselaer Technology Park;
• § Glenn McGee, 40, is director of the Alden March Bioethics Institute. He is the founder of the institute and the youngest director of a bioethics institute in the U.S. He is also holds an endowed chair in medical ethics at the Albany Medical College.