grow as transitive
Grow the business versus the business grew.
Grow as a transitive verb is standard for crops and hair: grow corn, grow a beard. Grow the business and grow the economy are common. Prefer expand, increase, or build when the object is not a living thing. Do not treat grow the company as an error. Treat it as the looser verb.
Examples
Use They grow corn.
Use The company grew.
Prefer They expanded the company.
Avoid They grew the company. (If you want the tighter verb.)