Briefs: Gerard Design named in Inc. list

WARRENVILLE -- Gerard Design, a strategic branding and design communications agency, recently was named as one of the area's fastest growing private companies by Inc. magazine. The firm was ranked number 45 in the top companies in the media industry in America, and number 70 in the top companies in the Chicago-Naperville-Joliet metro region. Revenues at the strategic branding and design communications agency increased more than 159 percent from 2003 to 2006.

ISCO International inks merger deal

ELK GROVE VILLAGE -- ISCO International Inc., a provider of radio-frequency management and interference-control systems for the wireless telecommunications industry, and Clarity Communication Systems Inc., a private company based in Aurora that sells applications for mobile networks and devices, announced the signing of a definitive merger agreement. ISCO announced that it intends to file a proxy statement for its shareholders later this month related to this proposed acquisition.