50 Colorado companies: Fueling the economic fire
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RESURGENT HEALTH AND MEDICAL LLC
www.resurgenthealth.com
SNAPSHOT: Golden-based Resurgent Health manufactures a patented, one-of-a-kind automated hand-sanitizing machine, which cleans hands in 12 seconds without damaging skin health. The company also makes radio-frequency identification (RFID)-based hygiene compliance monitoring equipment and electronics for use in hospitals, restaurants, food plants and public places.
LEADERSHIP: James Glenn is CEO, and Michele Colbert is vice president of sales and marketing.
WORK FORCE: Since it was founded in 2006, Resurgent has grown from eight employees to an estimated 30 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: Resurgent’s patented product line includes the only fully automated, touchless hand-washing machine in the world.
SOLUTIONS: Resurgent’s most innovative new product is an automated hand hygiene compliance product, which utilizes advanced RFID electronics to automatically and, in-real time, gather data on health care workers’ hygiene practices. It’s the only product of its kind in the world.
GROWTH CURVE: Resurgent’s revenues leaped 67 percent in its second year and has continued rapid growth; revenues are expected to climb by 50 percent in 2009.
RIDGEVIEWTEL LLC
www.ridgeviewtel.com
SNAPSHOT: Longmont-based RidgeviewTel establishes and provides next-generation connectivity and defined broadband services for communities at an affordable price.
LEADERSHIP: Vincent T. Jordan is president and CEO, and Melinda T. Jordan is director of operations.
WORK FORCE: Since it was founded in 2005, the company has grown from three employees to an estimated 100 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: The company’s mission is to provide every person, no matter what their address, access to the Internet. It works with local municipalities to secure funding for wireless networks and provide solutions for residents and business owners in underserved areas.
SOLUTIONS: RidgeviewTel’s fully integrated platform, dBOSS, provides operational solutions for carriers to efficiently expand their service areas; it also allows the company to map, design and monitor any type of communications network – from high-speed broadband to WiMax – and to successfully bring Internet access to rural America.
GROWTH CURVE: In the past three years, RidgeviewTel has increased, on average, more than 400 percent in both revenue and staff.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN NATURAL MEATS INC.
www.greatrangebison.com
SNAPSHOT: Rocky Mountain Natural Meats, based in Henderson, purchases bison from ranchers on the high plains of the U.S. and Canada. It processes, markets and sells bison meat to food service and grocer distributors and major grocery chains nationwide.
LEADERSHIP: Robert J. Dineen is president, and Richard J. Zahringer is chief financial officer.
WORK FORCE: The opening of a new facility with increased production capacity led to an increase of employees from 25 in 2007 to an estimated 74.5 in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: Twenty-two years ago, when Rocky Mountain Natural Meats was founded, the bison meat industry was in its infancy. The company has a competitive advantage, thanks to positive relations with producers, constant communication with customers, a loyal, hardworking employee team and continuing improvement in production practices.
SOLUTIONS: In late 1999, the company’s biggest grocer customer requested that it produce a retail package of fresh ground buffalo. Today it is the company’s best-selling product. Also, a new plant, opened in December 2007, has given the company quality controls, flexibility and professionalism that it didn’t have before.
GROWTH CURVE: The company grew its revenues an estimated 44 percent in 2008, thanks to the opening of its new plant; revenues are expected to increase 18 percent in 2009.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN SUSTAINABLE ENTERPRISES LLC
www.rmse.biz
SNAPSHOT: Boulder-based Rocky Mountain Sustainable Enterprises develops and operates regional bioXchange projects, including advanced next-generation biofuels and biorefining facilities that enhance the regions’ energy, food, climate and economic security.
LEADERSHIP: Aaron Perry is CEO, and Martin Newton is vice president of project development.
WORK FORCE: The company has grown from five employees in 2005 to 19 in 2007; it expects to have 34 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: While many technology companies are focused on developing “next-generation” biofuel and energy technologies, RMSE is deploying viable, proven biomass-to-energy technologies that deliver the most advanced biofuels and products to the market in the near term, using platforms that will deploy next-generation technologies in the long term.
SOLUTIONS: RMSE’s technology, know-how and innovation in the management of biomass and biorefining supply chains allow it to deliver economical, high-quality energy products to down-stream biorefining customers, as well as associated economic and environmental value to up-stream organics and biomass waste producers. “We believe that core expertise in the ‘total supply chain management’ is going to emerge as one of the most critical and decisive elements of the new energy economy generally and the biorefining/biomass industries specifically.”
GROWTH CURVE: RMSE has averaged 272 percent growth per year.
ROCKY MOUNTAIN URGENT CARE PC
www.SeeADoctorToday.com
SNAPSHOT: Aurora-based Rocky Mountain Urgent Care provides urgent care walk-in medical services seven days a week and is an alternative to a hospital emergency room.
LEADERSHIP: Dr. Nathaniel J. Moore is president, and Kelly J. Michael is director of marketing.
WORK FORCE: Rocky Mountain Urgent Care had 43.5 employees in 2005, 82.5 in 2007 and expects to have 98.4 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: Rocky Mountain Urgent Care is a less expensive, quicker alternative to a typical emergency room visit. A typical visit is less than one hour and the cost is one-third that of the ER. The company also differentiates itself through its attention to customer service. The organization is “committed to finding affordable health care solutions” for Coloradans.
SOLUTIONS: The company opened a second facility in 2003 and then expanded its services in 2008 to provide primary care and occupational health services and physical therapy, which have allowed it to build customer loyalty.
GROWTH CURVE: Growth has been steady since RMUC opened its doors in 2002, with 34 percent revenue growth in 2007; however it has begun to level off. The company expects an increase of 12 percent in revenues in 2009.
SPARKFUN ELECTRONICS
www.sparkfun.com
SNAPSHOT: SparkFun Electronics, based in Boulder, is an online retailer that provides development and prototyping tools to engineers, students and hobbyists, who work with microelectronics.
LEADERSHIP: CEO Nathan Seidle founded the company in 2003. AnnDrea Boe is the director of marketing.
WORK FORCE: SparkFun had 31 employees in 2007 and expects to have 70 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: CEO Seidle has been a leader in growing the niche field of microelectronics by writing extensively and creating new products; he uses customer feedback and input throughout the design process and the company has ingrained itself within the do-it-yourself electronics community by sharing knowledge, hosting informal classes at its facility and providing free instructional material online.
SOLUTIONS: “SparkFun believes that creativity and innovation comes from a person, not a product. Although SparkFun is a technology retailer, it does not exist to be the creator of innovation; it exists to enable its customers to be the creator.”
GROWTH CURVE: In the six years since its founding, SparkFun has internally funded its growth, which has been considerable: 2007 saw a 115 percent increase in revenues; a 60 percent increase is projected for 2009.
STONEAGE INC.
www.stoneagetools.com
SNAPSHOT: Durango-based StoneAge Inc.
designs and manufactures high-pressure waterblasting tools used for various cleaning applications across many different industries.
LEADERSHIP: CEO and general manager is Kerry Petranek. Brenda Cundiff is the company’s human resources manager.
WORK FORCE: StoneAge Inc. had 52.5 employees in 2007 and anticipates a slightly smaller work force of 49.5 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: StoneAge Inc.’s tools can reduce cleaning times by multiple days, saving plants millions of dollars. The tools make industrial applications safer as they can be automated, removing an operator from the cleaning surface, where accidents occur. Because the tools use water, they have replaced environmentally dangerous cleaning methods such as sandblasting and the use of chemical abrasives.
SOLUTIONS: Company engineers focus solely on improving existing StoneAge waterblast tools, as well as creating new ones. It is unique in the waterblasting industry because it manufactures a wide range of waterblast accessories, which allow it to stay a step ahead of the competition.
GROWTH CURVE: Since its founding in 1979, StoneAge Inc. has averaged 18 percent annual sales growth; 2007 saw 28 percent revenue growth, however, the company anticipates a slower 2009 and is projecting a 6 percent revenue increase.
VERISMA SYSTEMS INC.
www.verismasystems.com
SNAPSHOT: Pueblo-based Verisma Systems Inc. provides Web-based technology, HIPAA (Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act) expertise and back-office functions to support the complex process of releasing private health information to authorized requestors on behalf of health care customers.
LEADERSHIP: Michael D. Pugh is president and CEO; Peter D. Mc-Carthy is vice president of administration.
WORK FORCE: In 2007, Verisma Systems had 60 employees; the company anticipates growing its work force to 115 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: “We are growing nationwide because we offer a model that is simpler to implement, more cost effective and with critical safety and security features built in and not added on.”
SOLUTIONS: Verisma Systems developed a software platform and delivery method which, coupled with back-office and fulfillment processes, allow it to provide health-care customers with an effective way to handle their complex release of information procedures, streamlines workflows and provides a profit center where one may not have existed before.
GROWTH CURVE: Verisma Systems experienced explosive growth in 2007, with 100 percent revenue growth. That number was expected to skyrocket to 413 percent revenue growth in 2008; 2009 is projected to be a more modest year, with an anticipated 67 percent revenue increase.
WORKFORCE INSIGHT INC.
www.workforceinsight.com
SNAPSHOT: Workforce Insight, based in Denver, provides strategic work-force management consulting and implementation services. It is committed to helping businesses improve the way they leverage investments in people and technology.
LEADERSHIP: Steve C. Goldman is the CEO and managing partner. Meghan C. Clarry is the company’s human resources manager.
WORK FORCE: Founded in 2006 with six employees, Workforce Insight has steadily grown; it had 14 employees in 2007 and expects to have 50 employees in 2009.
MARKET NICHE: Workforce Insight’s innovation, best practice methodology, change-management strategies and proprietary tools help businesses transform the way they leverage their work force. The results are measured through reduced overtime, improved operational efficiency, enhanced productivity, as well as customer and employee satisfaction.
SOLUTIONS: “Technology is critical to our customers and to our core business because we advise large organizations how to optimally deploy workforce management solutions. People represent the largest operating expense for most businesses.”
GROWTH CURVE: Workforce Insight took off in 2007 with 562 percent revenue growth. The company anticipated 36 percent growth in 2008 and 61 percent growth in 2009.
ZUKE’S
www.zukes.com
SNAPSHOT: Founded in 1995, Zuke’s (also known as Performance Pet Nutrition) makes natural and organic pet treats and chews targeted to the unique nutritional needs of dogs and cats.
COMPANY STRENGTHS: Beginning with PowerBones — “Energy Bars for Active Dogs” — Zuke’s has been the leader in performance-driven, natural and organic pet nutrition. The company has achieved double-digit growth every year since its inception in 1995. Zuke’s pioneered the process of making truly “all-natural” moist pet treats. Performance dog food is on the horizon, the company says.
PIVOTAL POINT: Early in Zuke’s history, its sole product was picked up by a large retailer. Because of this retailer’s stature in the industry, many of Zuke’s smaller customers dropped the Zuke’s line, furious that the company had “sold out.” A few months later, the large retailer stopped carrying Zuke’s product, and the young company was left trying to piece the business back together. “This experience taught us that good customer service was the best thing we could offer, even outstripping our most innovative products,” the company says. “We live by that mantra to this day, and have always made sure that we offer the best service possible to our customers.” The company‘s name came from founder Patrick Meiering‘s dog, Zuke.
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