Good Company: Mike Shand, CEO of Bron Tapes

Mike Shand joined Bron Tapes as a sales representative in San Diego in 2003. The company manufactures, customizes and distributes adhesive tape of all kinds to industries ranging from aerospace to construction to film. Its Killer Red Tape is trademarked as “the world’s best double-sided tape.”

The 150-employee business now has locations in seven states beyond its Colorado headquarters, as well as Bron Aerotech and Bron Converting in Denver. Shand, who took the reins as CEO from Bron founder James Flynn in 2017, recently talked with ColoradoBiz about his career with the 45-year-old company and his plans for the future.

Mike Shand, 53

CEO of Bron Tapes 

 

Mike Shand 2

Hometown: Born in Phoenix, grew up in Torrance, California.

What he’s reading: “Sell or Be Sold,” by Grant Cardone

ColoradoBiz: How did you come to start at Bron Tapes? 

Mike Shand: It was kind of a friend of a friend. At that time, I was living in the western suburbs of Chicago, and I was selling land and homes, but I did not like the cold and I missed my family. I was single at the time. This job opened up, and I was going to go start for Bron in the Las Vegas branch.  

When I came back from Chicago to start my job in Las Vegas, they told me they didn’t have a spot for me, but to call our founder—his name is Jim Flynn—and Jim had a spot for me in San Diego. 

 

Tell me about your career path. How did you advance from sales to becoming CEO? 

I’m still a sales guy. That’s what I am. I’m still learning as I go, but I’m mostly geared toward sales. 

The answer is: I was a rookie salesperson and did really well early on, and then our founder, my boss [Flynn], asked me to take over the San Diego industrial location, so I did that for a period of time, maybe, 10 years. During that time, I was asked to participate in our aerospace business [Bron Aerotech], so I started to wear a dual hat: I was selling and managing our industrial sales team at the San Diego location, but I was also participating in our aerospace division in a sales role. 

Then, unsolicited by me, our founder, who at that time was trying to plan his succession, had looked outside the company for a potential successor, and that was not successful. Then he came to the realization that hiring somebody internally was the best path. So he showed up impromptu in San Diego one summer day along with his brother, and came in my office and asked me to take over for him. I was pretty speechless. I was not expecting it. That was about eight years ago. 

For about a year, I had a high level of frequency flying back and forth from San Diego to Denver each week in preparation for moving here. Then when I moved here, they named me president of the aerospace division in preparation for this position. I ran that for a couple years and then I took over this role five years ago. 

 

How has the company grown and changed in your tenure as CEO? 

Our model used to be: For every brick-and-mortar location that we had, we had converting capabilities, meaning we have a slitting machine—or two or three—in that location. What we started looking at as we were trying to build our brand is being consistent with how the material looks, how it’s packaged, and how it’s presented to the customer. It gets a little tricky when you try to duplicate that at 10 different locations. 

For us to get a really robust safety program and for us to get more efficient, we started to centralize our production. Currently, we have converting locations here in Colorado and two locations elsewhere. It’s really helped the bottom line, and it’s allowed us to become more consistent.  

We were looking at three big pieces of equipment [at the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic] that were millions of dollars, and then when the lockdowns happened, we had to make the decision of whether we were going to go forward with that investment or hit the pause button. And thank god we hit the go button and did it. Those machines are now online and bringing us a lot of value—it increased our capability and increased our capacity. As of [June 2022], we had a record-setting month—our best-ever sales and profits from all three companies, not just one. 

 

What are the top initiatives and priorities at Bron in 2022? 

Our power statement, if you will, is that we are the premier producer, distributor and converter of pressure-sensitive tapes, specialty materials, and innovative solutions in North America. That’s really what we are. 

Currently, we sell into all 50 states and 48 foreign countries, but our brand is growing. Our quote-unquote law of familiarity with the customer with the Bron brand continues to grow across the globe. We’re looking at partnering with companies that supply innovative products to industry, whether it be manufacturing, fabrication, metalworking, trying to acquire new innovations . . . so that we’re ahead of our customers. What I mean by that is we’re able to provide a wider range of solutions for our customers’ customers than our competitors can. 

We are going to be coming online with a full e-commerce site for BronTapes.com. We’re targeting the end of this year, but no later than Q1 of next year. That’s a big shift for us, to be able to sell online. We’re way behind the eight ball on that; we should have done it 20 years ago.  

There is one new geography that we want to expand into, and that is in the Northeast. We are looking at, probably in the next 12 to 18 months, establishing a location in the Northeast. 

 

What’s your leadership philosophy? Do you have any advice for newly minted CEOs? 

I don’t like to be a micromanager. I know when I’m seeing what I like and what I don’t, but you have to allow the people the ability to share ideas and to use their own creativity when it is being designed to try and help the business.  

Not every idea is a home-run idea—certainly not every idea of mine is a home-run idea—but I feel like when you micromanage people, that you can get results, but they’re short-term and short-lived. If you allow the opportunity for an employee to spread their wings, to kind of make their own mark on the company, that has a greater impact—not only for the employee but for the business. 

 

Was there a mentor or someone you learned from along the way? 

Our founder, Jim Flynn, who just passed away in recent weeks. It was a blow to us. Jim used to do it all by himself. The truth is that I’ve got an incredible team, but it takes 10 of us to do what Jim did by himself. 

We were very grateful and honored and—in retrospect—appreciative that we had the national sales meeting to honor Jim while he was still alive at our 45th annual national sales meeting that we did in person in downtown Denver in May of this year. 

A lot of people flew in from around the country and around the world to pay tribute to Jim. In retrospect, it was great he was able to receive that while he was still here. 

 

Why do you like living in Colorado? What do you do when you’re not at work? 

I have two young kids, so they eat up a lot of time. I’ve gotten my son into golf, so that is a nice little reprieve to go out with him on the golf course. I like to go on a getaway trip with the kids on a family vacation, somewhere generally that has a beach or a pool for us. Just spending family time would be high on the list. 

I have one vice: I love the sport of horse racing, so I follow that sport very closely. I love horses and own a couple that race. 

When I moved here from Southern California, people used to ask me, “What do you like better? Do you like San Diego better?” Some people would say, “Why would you ever move from San Diego?” But it’s apples and it’s oranges. It really is. One thing I would say about Colorado is that the people here are really genuine. I like doing business in the state of Colorado: People are people. 

 

Any other comments, Mike? 

I’m excited for the future. If you buy what the news says—and I follow the news from the left all the way to the right to try to get a good understanding of what’s going on in the business world—if you buy into people saying we’re going into a recession or there’s already a recession, or there’s going to be growing inflation or stagflation, the truth is that, through our 45-year history, in the toughest of times, Bron has really persevered the best. We really have. We’ve had a reduction sometimes in total revenue, but our profitability and us coming out of it on the other side, we’ve always been bigger and better.  

The reason for that is: We don’t just have great products and solutions to offer our customers, it’s because of our people. We have great customer service. Our outside salespeople—we call them our application specialists—they are really experts in the area of finding the right solution for every customer. 

The interview was edited for length and clarity.

GenXYZ 2022: Finalists (11-15)

This year’s Top 25 Young Professionals vary in their backgrounds and their professional pursuits – they’re leaders in banking, real estate, nonprofits, law, entrepreneurship and architecture, to name just a few. 

Some are lifelong Coloradans who couldn’t conceive of living anywhere else; others are transplants from the East and West coasts or somewhere between. What they have in common is a relentless achiever’s mindset, a can-do spirit and a desire to do good for others as they do well for themselves.

Read on to learn more about this year’s GenXYZ finalists.

Shawnee Adelson, 38 

Executive Director, Colorado Brewers Guild | Denver

Shawnee Adelson
Shawnee Adelson, Executive Director at Colorado Brewers Guild

Shawnee Adelson has worked with the Colorado Brewers Guild for nearly seven years and has consistently proven herself as a valuable ally to more than 400 independent brewers in the state. 

Taking over as the nonprofit trade assocation’s executive director when the position was vacated in 2019, Adelson had little time to settle into the job before COVID unleashed its wrath on the business landscape. She worked tirelessly to support breweries, communicating to them weekly on how to navigate shut-down orders, mask mandates and constantly changing ordinances. Efforts from the guild included teaming up with the Left Hand Brewing Foundation to create the Colorado Strong Fund, a campaign to provide for those impacted by COVID, working with Gov. Jared Polis and the Liquor Enforcement Division (LED) so that breweries could deliver and sell beer to-go during Colorado stay-at-home orders, and lobbying to ensure reopening guidelines for restaurants, including breweries and brewpubs.  

Operating as a one-person team after COVID-induced layoffs of two guild staffers, Adelson juggled multiple jobs during this time, including member communications, member recruitment, event planning, and legislative and regulatory advocacy. She also strived to maintain the guild’s financial stability to ensure the organization would survive the pandemic. 

Fortunately, Adelson was able to weather the storm and hire a business-development manager in 2021 and a marketing and events manager in 2022. 

Adelson is particularly proud of two legislative priorities that passed during the pandemic:   

In 2020, Senate Bill 20-194 was signed into law, allowing brew pubs with multiple locations to sell beer to-go from both locations if the beer is brewed under the same ownership. Another big win was SB21-082. The bill expands festival permits – previously limited to wineries—to include Colorado licensed breweries and brew pubs. Thus, breweries can sell samples as well as beer to-go and invite other breweries, wineries and distilleries to participate.  

Colin McIntosh, 31  

CEO & Founder, Sheets & Giggles | Denver 

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Colin McIntosh, CEO & Founder of Sheets & Giggles

Colin McIntosh is reinventing the bedding industry through comfort, sustainability and puns. He started the sustainable bedding brand with a joke and Indiegogo campaign and now oversees the fastest-growing direct-to-consumer brand in the bedding industry.  

As the sole employee during the company’s first six months in business in 2018, McIntosh received more than 6,000 orders and generated nearly half a million dollars in revenue. He finished 2021 with more than $9 million in revenue.  

McIntosh’s business is build on this concept: The bedding industry can sell better products for better prices without retail margins, give people a good customer experience, unlimited returns and full confidence in their products. Sheets & Giggles entered the space in 2018 with previously unseen levels of transparency and customer engagement to ensure it was giving shoppers a memorable experience at every touchpoint in an incredibly competitive space. This means bending over for customers. Defects? Free replacement. Delayed shipment? Amazon gift card. Social follow? Relentless giveaways. McIntosh “personally answers reviews and Facebook posts within minutes,” says Jason Michael, senior vice president at markeing firm Elasticity, who nominated McIntosh for this GenXYZ honor. 

Sheets & Giggles also strives to share its prosperity with worthy causes. The company donated $20,000 to koala conservation in 2019, $40,000 to Colorado COVID relief in 2020, and $28,000 to cancer organizations in 2021. The company is also an environmental steward, planting one tree for every Sheets & Giggles sale. To date, the company has planted nearly 70,000 trees; it also tracks how many pounds of carbon dioxide those trees absorb every year and posts the figures on the company website. 

McIntosh is a graduate of Techstars Denver and has remained active in the program, mentoring students and guiding Techstars classes.  

Anthony Halsch, 29  

CEO, ROXBOX Containers | Denver

Anthony Halsch
Anthony Halsch, CEO of ROXBOX Containers

Halsch’s first company in Colorado, Overcon, disrupted the container sales industry by using new technology in the space to sell and deliver containers. He had the first e-commerce platform to buy new and used shipping containers in Colorado. 

While expanding Overcon to Texas, Halsch was able to create a new shipping lane for containers between Houston and San Antonio so that his containers would arrive without the shipper having to pay for transport, increasing margins dramatically. 

Out of this came his idea for what he calls the “BeerCan” model, fashioined out of a 20-foot shipping container. This product is now the best selling unit at ROXBOX Containers Inc. With ROXBOX, Halsch and his team were able to create a product to assist restaurants with extra seating during the pandemic. “The PatioBox” was developed and received two-day approval from the Denver Building Department for placement on Larimer Street in downtown Denver, creating covid-safe seating for an additional 24 patrons per establishment. 

ROXBOX was started in a dirt lot in Erie, Colorado, with a good idea but  little knowledge of what was needed to produce a modified container for serving beer to thousands of people. Halsch was able to sell and build containers as he bootstrapped the operations with little outside investment. After receiving a large investment from the City of Denver, ROXBOX hit the hiring requirement for the city in hiring 14 people in the first two months of receiving funding. This enabled the company to move into a 31,000-square-foot warehouse, and it increased revenue more than fourfold from 2020 to 2021. The company how has 25 employees and a pipeline to double or triple revenue in 2022. 

A graduate of Colorado School of Mines, Halsch was a board member of the Denver Transportation Club for three years, hosting events to educate students about the transportation industry. He also was a board member of the Golden-based nonprofit GoFarm for three years, helping to build 20-foot containers to pull behind trailers for cold food storage, and dedicating many hours to business development, planning events and assisting at events for GoFarm.    

Kristin Strohm, 38  

President & CEO, Common Sense Institute | Greenwood Village

Kristin Strohm
Kristin Strohm, President & CEO of Common Sense Institute

As co-founder (and now president & CEO) of Common Sense Institute, Kristin Strohm is guided by the belief that when people have solid information, they are more likely to make sound choices. Free markets and free people function when they have facts and data to frame vital choices.  Strohm took the non-partisan nonprofit Common Sense Institute from vision to reality, and now CSI is driving the debate across the state on the most important policy issues. 

While in her 20s, Strohm, along with her business partner started Starboard Group, a groundbreaking political and nonprofit fundraising firm that enabled clients to capitalize on the momentum of their last election cycle and successfully build and expand their base.  Several firms have since copied this successful model designed and executed by Starboard Group. 

Since its founding in 2010, CSI has become a leading voice in Colorado, providing citizens and leaders facts they need to make informed decisions about the future for their families, and to empower state lawmakers to shape policy with sound fiscal and economic research. Building CSI to the point that it exerts this much influence has been no small task. Strohm has amassed a top-flight board of respected community leaders; she’s been a dogged fundraiser; and she’s hired a smart, ethical and committed staff of economists and bi-partisan fellows whose insights are helping policymakers and the public reach important decisions with facts as their guide. 

Strohm defies the stereotype or label of any political party. She’s been a trailblazer in the LGBTQ movement, recognized by a gay rights organization for her commitment to kicking down-barriers for same-sex couples. In 2016, she received the Ally Award from the pro LGBTQ organization One Colorado in recognition of her work.  

She was the only Republican board member of the National Vote at Home Institute, a nonpartisan, nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the security of elections. For several years, she was the volunteer chair of the Denver Area Boy Scouts Annual Sports Breakfast, shattering  fundraising records under her watch, and she was a six-year board member and two-term chair of the Women’s Bean Project.  

Francis LeGasse Jr., 39 

Managing Partner, Assured Senior Living | Wheat Ridge 

Francis LeGasse Jr.
Francis LeGasse Jr., Managing Partner at Assured Senior Living

Francis LeGasse Jr. is the co-owner of Assured Senior Living and Sevens Home Care. At the age of 25, after having watched his parents provide care for his grandfather living with Parkinson’s, he joined forces with a college friend to create a different future for the way we age. 

The two purchased a small home-care agency in the Castle Rock area, then added a couple of existing memory care residential homes in Lakewood and Castle Rock. LeGasse learned the business inside and out, doing everything from hands-on care to house repairs to training his staff to providing house tours for new move-ins. The multi-tasking helped leave them with enough revenue to survive and grow the business.  

LeGasse was one of the first senior-care providers to recognize that shifting demographics required a stronger role for the primary supporting family members. He proactively embraced clear, consistent, two-way communication with families of those in his care, and he searched for ways to modernize an antiquated, siloed industry. 

Assured Senior Living has set the stage for a new way of thinking about senior care. For example, he often asks partner providers such as hospice and home-health providers to collaborate when they have a shared patient.  

Having started small in order to learn the market, Francis and businss partner Brian Turner have grown to 10 residential care homes from Castle Rock to Wheat Ridge; their home care business is now a steady supplier of staff to other senior care providers.   

Francis takes his business and the quality of life for those in his care seriously. And personally. He became certified in renowned dementia care expert Teepa Snow’s “Positive Approach to Dementia” so he could better serve his residents and continually train and coach his staff.  

GenXYZ 2022: Finalists (6-10)

This year’s Top 25 Young Professionals vary in their backgrounds and their professional pursuits – they’re leaders in banking, real estate, nonprofits, law, entrepreneurship and architecture, to name just a few. 

Some are lifelong Coloradans who couldn’t conceive of living anywhere else; others are transplants from the East and West coasts or somewhere between. What they have in common is a relentless achiever’s mindset, a can-do spirit and a desire to do good for others as they do well for themselves.

Read on to learn more about this year’s GenXYZ finalists.

Jessica Ostoyich, 38

Market Director, Mortenson | Denver 

Jessica Ostoyich
Jessica Ostoyich, Marketing Director at Mortenson

Jessica Ostoyich started her career as a field engineer at Mortenson’s Central Park (formerly Stapleton) project.  

A 15-year veteran of the company, Ostoyich has since overseen projects such as Saint Joseph Hospital in Denver, Woodward corporate headquarters in Fort Collins, Facebook’s massive data center in Eagle Mountain, Utah, and The HUB Project in Denver’s Five Points neighborhood. Along the way, she’s built strong community partnerships with local nonprofits, making an impact in the communities in which she works and lives. Two years ago, Ostoyich was named project executive and is now responsible for Mortenson’s Corporate Market, which also includes life sciences, manufacturing, industrial and corporate projects. 

She credits great mentors with helping her chart a path in the building industry and aims to provide the same support for others. She’s become a vital leader in Mortenson’s national event for Women in Construction Week, leading discussions at Mortenson’s “Cup of Joe” conversations, and coaching field team members. 

Ostoyich is currently overseeing a new $15.5 million research laboratory on the South Table Mountain Campus of the U.S. Department of Energy’s National Renewable Energy Laboratory. The 15,700-square-foot laboratory will provide multipurpose lab space for cross-disciplinary research within the fields of chemistry, materials science, bioscience and engineering. This project will be the first of its kind on the NREL campus. 

Ostoyich has served on the boards of Firefly Autism and the American Society of Civil Engineers Concrete Canoe Committee and is a founding board member of the Eagle Mountain Chamber of Commerce in Eagle Mountain, Utah.  

Ginnie Logan, 39

Program Director, Chinook Fund | Denver 

Ginnie Logan
Ginnie Logan, Program Director at Chinook Fund

Born and raised in Denver, Ginnie Logan has worked for several nonprofits in the Denver area, including one she founded—Big Hair, Bigger Dreams—advocating for and providing opportunities for students needing adults to advocate for and support them.  

As a leader focused on equity, Logan has led efforts to strengthen diversity, equity and inclusiveness. Through this lens and her lived experience, she has positively impacted thousands of individuals and families in classrooms, schools and communities across metro Denver and the country. 

One of her strengths is her ability to engage in interdisciplinary efforts that connect with a wide range of community members. 

This ability is evident in her current role as Program Director at Chinook Fund, a Denver-based community foundation working across Colorado to support organizations and leaders engaged in community organizing and social justice. Logan has brought her strengths in planning, project management, change management and teaching to strengthen the organization’s cornerstone program, the Giving Project. She has also been active within the National Giving Project Network, a collaborative of 11 social justice organizatons across the country advancing political education, donor organizing and movement building. 

One of her most notable achievements was the curating, co-editing and publishing of the book, “Black Girl Civics.” By incorporating intersecting identities of race, gender and age, Logan and her co-editor and authors have reframed these issues from overlooking and minimizing Black girls and women to centering them. In doing so she is challenging educators, youth development professionals and policy makers to consider how to improve civic education not only for Black girls, but any marginalized community.  

Erin Beffa, 36

Threat Intelligence Practice Lead, Digital Silence | Denver 

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Erin Beffa, Threat Intelligence Practice Lead at Digital Silence

Working as a one-woman department, Erin Beffa created an open-source intelligence (OSINT) practice at Digital Silence from scratch, bringing external security intelligence to information security clients.  

Beffa works one-on-one with clients to ensure online security. This includes clients in the legal field, whom she helps with case matters such as legal and plaintiff discovery. Beffa also has worked several financial cases to untangle account ownerships, business registrations, asset identification, cryptocurrency research and theft.  

Beffa was accepted to teach a workshop at this year’s National Association of Legal Assistants (NALA) conference in Phoenix. This provides an opportunity to present OSINT methods and techniques to the legal field, specifically to help paralegals.  

In 2018, Beffa earned a lifetime pass to the NOLA security conference in New Orleans, also known as a black badge, after her team won a Capture the Flag-style competition. The competition consisted of hunting down specific clues (flags) online using OSINT methodology. These competitions require a wide OSINT skill set to enable participants to investigate all corners of the internet to solve the clues provided.  

Beffa laso has contributed intelligence found online to law enforcement case files. This involves finding specific details regarding missing persons and providing that data to law enforcement. She is also an active participant in several online communities sharing tips and resources with fellow OSINT researchers.  

Beffa volunteers for the Innocent Lives Foundation (ILF), a nonprofit working to identify online child predators and bring them to justice. Many online predators use fake personas; Beffa and other ILF volunteers work to un-mask these predators. The work helps to stop child predators before any victims are hurt. 

Beffa has been invited as a guest lecturer at Washington University in St. Louis to speak with law students on the advantages of using OSINT (open-source intelligence).   

Victoria Donovan, 29  

CEO, Clinically Media | Denver

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Victoria Donovan, CEO of Clinically Media

According to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, only 25% to 30% of drugs in clinical trials make it past Phase 3. A University of Pennsylvania study concluded that around 86% of clinical trials do not reach their patient enrollment timelines. 

Victoria Donovan established Clinically Media to improve these numbers; she’s also redefining what it means to recruit and retain patients for clinical trials. Her Clinically Media team seeks to advance medicine and improve patient outcomes, while bringing diversity and inclusion to the forefront of clinical research and streamlining processes with cutting-edge technology. 

Clinically Media recognizes the historical exclusion of marginalized communities and strives to break down the systemic barriers still present. For example, Donovan established a partnership with Uber Health to provide transportation to and from clinical trials to increase accessibility for all patients. 

To address the challenge of tracking patients in clinical trials, Donovan launched Clinically Portal, a proprietary software designed to help research sites track patients as they move through the enrollment process, while giving the Clinically Media team and clients valuable insights into recruitment campaign success. Donovan is continually evolving the software and services Clinically Media offers to provide the most valuable product to patients and industry professionals, leading to more medical advancements and more patients served. 

Through her company, Donovan supports women in business and the life sciences and promotes diversity in clinical research and beyond. She also started an internship program with University of Colorado Denver, CU Boulder and University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus to invest in young professionals in the life sciences industry.  

Bobby W. Dishell, 29 

Associate Attorney, Moye White LLP | Denver

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Bobby W. Dishell, Associate Attorney at Moye White LLP

At just 29 and barely two years out of law school, Bobby Dishell is a publicly elected official with an active practice at a well-respected law firm. 

As a member of Moye White’s real estate team, Dishell focuses on real estate transactional matters, including industrial acquisition, development, leasing and disposition; commercial lease agreements; and multifamily assets. He also assists clients with solar leasing and development and other advanced energy matters. 

Dishell also is a member of the Regional Transportation District’s board of directors for District D. In this  elected position, he serves as vice chair of the Performance Committee, which oversees RTD’s GM/CEO evaluation. He also serves on the Ad Hoc Audit Committee, which is tasked with reforming RTD’s internal audit committee structure and overall internal audit process. 

Dishell spends about 40 hours a month tending to RTD-specific work, attending meetings and preparing for upcoming projects, in addition to his legal practice and community involvement. The RTD board position has also allowed him to develop expertise in areas important to his legal practice, including requirements related to federal funding, the impact of TABOR on the ability to increase revenue, and other public finance and general board governance matters.  

Dishell writes frequently on sustainability – he’s currently focused on solar power – and how it can impact the real estate industry; his work has been featured in Law Week Colorado and ColoradoBiz 

Celebrating Black Business Owners in Boulder: Leontyne Ashmore’s Barefoot-inspired Shoes

Last month was Black Business Month, a time to celebrate Black-owned businesses here in Colorado and across the country and honor the rich heritage of Black entrepreneurship and Black-owned businesses. It’s important that the Boulder community recognizes the significance of supporting Black-owned small businesses, not just for one week or one month, but all year round.

READ— Empowering Black Women in Leadership

I founded my company, Lisbeth Joe, after developing diastasis recti—or separation of the abs—from childbirth. I realized going barefoot helped make my body stronger. I started wearing minimalist shoes, which are nice and wide, so there is plenty of room for your toes to move freely and your whole foot to move in comfort. They are lightweight and flexible, with no artificial arch support or heel elevation.

However, I still needed shoes to wear in the workplace and I couldn’t find any stylish options. So, I decided to quit my job and start my own business making stylish barefoot-inspired shoes.

Like most small business owners, I’ve had to get creative to survive during the pandemic, and I find myself doing the same thing now since I’m dealing with production delays. My sales are down this year as supply chain issues continue to result in significant inventory delays. My winter boots were delivered after the winter season had already ended and my summer loafers and summer sandals, which were supposed to come in May, still haven’t even arrived.

Thankfully, Instagram has been a great platform for me. It’s become the place where I get most of my sales and has afforded me the ability to keep my business afloat. Social media has been a lifesaver when it comes to supporting small businesses. I use several of the available business tools including Instagram Reels, which helps me demonstrate how to style some of my shoes, primarily the boots. I’ve noticed people like to save these videos to refer back to when they’re putting together an outfit.

I also use social media to post giveaways and conduct polls to drive engagement from my followers and utilize Business Manager to place targeted ads on Facebook and Instagram to promote my business.

It is crucial that Black-owned businesses have greater access to these digital tools. Small business surveys show that the pandemic had a devastating impact on their ability to survive, where 26% of minority-led businesses closed, and many more faced a troubling drop in sales.

That’s why I believe it’s so critical to support other business owners. I contribute a portion of my sales to Kiva, which directly benefits women entrepreneurs. It’s a great organization, providing opportunities and empowerment to female entrepreneurs all over the world who can’t access the financial services they need.

This month is a reminder to continue to empower Black business owners in our communities and advocate for economic inclusivity for all — during this month and all year round I encourage everyone to go out and support their local Black-owned businesses.

Leontyne Head Shot 1Leontyne Ashmore is a Chartered and Certified accountant, with a background in corporate finance. Having left that world, she founded Lisbeth Joe to follow her passion for fashion.

Women to Watch: PNC Bank

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: PNC Bank

PNC Bank operates a Main Street Model. We know that long-term success comes through a commitment to our employees, communities, and teamwork. We are fortunate to have a group of professionals that embed themselves in the community and are focused on Early Childhood Education, Racial & Social Justice, Financial Empowerment & Affordable Housing. We do this through board service, grant making, volunteerism & community development banking. A sincere thanks to all of you for what you do for PNC and our communities. – Ryan Beiser, PNC regional president of Colorado.

 

pnc.com

Women to Watch: Tendit Group

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: Tendit Group

Tendit Group is a private equity-backed collective of best-in-class providers that, when combined, provide a full suite of external facilities services that improve curb appeal and keep properties fully operational. Our brands are the best at what they do in every city we operate in, leveraging years of experience and regional knowledge while representing the commitment to exceptional service that Tendit is known for. We have a unique approach in the marketplace, able to provide a complete package of services to building owners – a one-stop shop in a fragmented market. We are growing rapidly and have lots of opportunities for people who want to work hard and grow their careers along with us.

tenditgroup.com

Women to Watch: Vectra Bank

Women in Colorado are making an impact in every industry, enterprise and workplace role imaginable. They are CEOs, startup founders, strategists and irreplaceable employees who not only are instrumental in their own organization’s success; through their daily actions and achievements, they set a precedent of possibilities for the next generation of women in business to build upon. Every woman in business has her own story, and we present a few of them in this special advertising section with profiles specifically designed to show the person — the face, if you will — behind the business or organization that she has helped build or nurture.

Women to Watch: Vectra Bank

Megan Severs is SVP and Public Finance Relationship Manager for Vectra Bank Colorado. She is a lender specializing in Tax Increment Financing and District financing, working with developers, cities, and urban renewal authorities to finance public improvements. She also focuses on student housing. Megan began her career at Vectra Bank in 2013 as a Credit Analyst and has been promoted multiple times since then. Her dedication and motivation have created a strong brand reputation in the municipal finance sector. She has been involved with Junior League of Denver for many years, two of which on the Board of Directors.

vectrabank.com
720.947.8393

Colorado Companies to Watch 2022: Communicators & Educators 

Since 2009, the Colorado Companies to Watch program has sought to recognize second-stage enterprises from around the state. These companies often fly under the radar of awards programs of this type, yet they play an enormous role in fueling Colorado’s economy. 

From an economic-development perspective, the importance of recognizing second-stage companies — those beyond the startup stage but still developing — is obvious: As these companies grow, not only do they employ an increasing number of people, which benefits their local economies and quality of life; they also create a need for outside services, and thus opportunity for other businesses, from restaurants to accounting firms to pet boarders, to flourish. The ripple effect on the economy is sizable, to say the least.

This year, more than 1,100 companies from industries ranging from biosciences to fitness to food and beverage submitted nominations. A judging panel made up of business and economic-development leaders throughout the state whittled those candidates down to the finalists, and finally to this year’s select cast of 47 Colorado Companies to Watch winners. 

Read on to learn more about our favorite Colorado Communicators and Educators.

Core Progression Elite Personal Training 

Northglenn 

Core Progression

 

Core Progression gives clients a 360-degree approach to their health and wellness. It offers nutritional guidance, physical therapy, chiropractic, massage and training. 

The boutique personal training and wellness company boasts clientele ranging from professional athletes to executives to housewives – even owners of professional sports teams. 

“The fitness industry has been flipped on its head in the last two years,” owner and CEO Jonathan Cerf says, citing COVID-19 restrictions and the resulting emergence of digital and virtual offerings. “We have seen a huge demand for people wanting to have the private training experience and social aspect but in a more one-on-one setting. I think the screen fatigue will push people to want to have a safe place to exercise and to get out of the house.” 

In business since 2008, Core Progression has gone from two locations in 2018 to seven locations as of 2021, including six in Colorado. Revenues have more than tripled since 2019. The company owns the commercial spaces where it operates and is poised for more growth and national expansion. Providing a one-stop shop and combining rehab, exercise, nutrition and training into one enables the company to attract a wide range of clients. 

“By only needing a handful of clients, we can tap into many markets, as our footprint isn’t huge and the population needed for our locations also isn’t massive,” Cerf says. 

Intrinsic LLC 

Denver 

Intrinsic LLC
Intrinsic LLC Team Photo

Founded in 2010, Intrinsic is a transaction advisory and valuation firm providing time-critical transaction support and sophisticated valuation advice to private equity firms, family offices, high net worth individuals and estate planning attorneys. 

“Our business is shaped and guided by a highly informed group of investors, some of the most accomplished professionals and academics in the fields of private equity and entrepreneurial finance,” the company notes. 

Along with transaction advisory, services provided by the firm include transaction opinions, valuation, financial reporting and tax reporting. 

Intrinsic’s business is influenced by M&A activity and changes in the tax environment. Recent proposed tax changes and sunsetting tax policies, and the high M&A deal volume have had positive impact on the firm’s recent growth. With two offices in Denver and 30 employees as of year-end 2021, the firm expects to add significantly to its workforce in 2022. 

“We believe we have the capacity to continue on our growth trajectory and continue to recruit high-quality individuals,” CEO Alex Hodgkin says. 

Knott Laboratory 

Centennial 

Mike Lowe
Mike Lowe, President and co-owner of Knott Laboratory

Knott Laboratory provides forensic engineering and animation services for a variety of industries nationwide.  

The company produces scientifically accurate graphics and animations to support its engineers in their expert witness testimony.  

The company’s team includes mechanical engineers, fire and explosion investigators, forensic animators, accident reconstructionists and digital media forensics experts who have worked on more than 20,000 failure analysis cases for the legal and insurance industries as well as for local and national businesses.  

Knott Laboratory has 11 divisions, each serving a unique market, and functioning like a diverse portfolio, helping protect the company from market shifts. 

“Our recruitment has focused on building a diverse group of engineers, scientists, physicists, architects and law enforcement officers to form highly specialized teams for each division,” says Sarah Allen, Knott’s marketing manager. “Growth mentality is a huge part of our culture so that technical staff have a continuous stream of interesting and challenging projects.” 

Knott Laboratory’s systems and programs support a remote workforce that facilitates relatively easy expansion of the team. This was in place before the pandemic, allowing the company to easily adjust during pandemic stay-at-home orders. 

The company is headquartered in Centennial, with locations in Fort Collins, Colorado Springs, Grand Junction, Phoenix, Las Vegas, Dallas and San Antonio. 

ResultsLab 

Denver 

Cindy Eby
Cindy Eby, Founder and CEO of ResultsLab

ResultsLab is helping nonprofits and humanitarian-focused social enterprises harness the power of data.  

The company works with organizations of all sizes, from large-scale state and government agencies and nonprofits to smaller, community-based grassroots organizations. Its goal is to make data approachable and deepen its clients’ ability to make informed decisions to create greater impact. 

“I launched ResultsLab because I saw a real need for organizations to better utilize data and elevate voice to strengthen programs and drive real solutions that are centered to meet the needs of our communities,” CEO Cindy Eby notes on the company’s website.  

Rising demand for greater transparency and accountability combined with greater expectations for organizations to listen to and elevate the voices of their community factors more heavily into the decision-making process. 

ResultsLab walks its clients through a three-step process: design, measure and act. It’s geared toward helping social good organizations assess the performance of a project and make data-informed decisions. 

Organizations that partner with ResultsLab are more confident and equipped to engage with data. They gain a clearer understanding of their goals and learn how to measure and use data to deepen their impact.  

“Together we develop a culture of data that is sustainable and driving growth and transformative change,” Eby says.  

Semantic Arts 

Fort Collins 

Semantic Arts is breaking down silos by changing the way companies think about data. 

Through its transformation programs, Semantic Arts helps companies change their relationship to their information systems. The company promotes a shift in the way its clients think about data and simplifies the data landscape so they can understand it. 

“We help companies change their relationship to data,” Semantic Arts President David McComb said. “We call this shift the Data-Centric Revolution. Silos go away, systems integration goes away.”  

The company also offers advisory services, including workshops to help businesses grapple with tough issues, and assessments where Semantic Arts reviews projects in progress. 

Semantic Arts brought on a business development team in 2020 and has been growing at a rate of 25% annually since — the maximum growth Semantic Arts believes a specialized professional services company should achieve.  

The company has published four books on the shift in how data is used.  Company representatives also speak at many conferences and webinars. 

“We are thought leaders in our niche,” McComb says. “We have a very cohesive and collaborative culture and are able to hire the very rare skills that are needed to do this type of work.” 

Storyvine Inc. 

Denver 

Storyvine
Storyvine Inc. Team Photo

Using videos to get a story across helps consumers feel more connected to a brand, and Storyvine, Inc. makes it easy for companies to create them using nothing more than a phone and its video-management platform.  

Founded in 2012, Storyvine’s clients include multi-nationals, corporate marketing and communications, advocacy and nonprofit groups that want to use video to simplify storytelling to move their businesses forward.  

Storyvine combines distributed capture, asset management and fully automated video editing to allow clients to capture, produce and share the insights, knowledge and stories that define their brand. 

“The rise of professional, user-generated video platforms has given brands the opportunity to create authentic videos from a smartphone,” says Monique Elwell, president and chief operating officer. “There has been a massive shift to digital communications due to COVID-19.” 

Many of Storyvine’s pharmaceutical clients began using the platform their sales people could no longer get into the doctors’ offices. They’ve been using Storyvine to film hundreds to thousands of videos per day to continue their relationships and schedule meetings with healthcare providers. Storyvine’s customizable templates with high privacy and security features allow the company’s pharma clients to create authentic content that still meets regulatory guidelines. 

“The return on investment they have been seeing has made Storyvine move from a nice to have to a must have,” Elwell says. 

Tilt 

Fort Collins 

Tilt
Tilt Team Photo

Tilt is revolutionizing employee leave in the workplace.  

Because of poor work-life balance, being passed over for promotions, a lack of support from management and mismanaged leave in general, 34% of women don’t return to work after going on maternity leave. 

But Tilt’s platform and team of leave experts manages the entire lifecycle before, during and after leave.  

Tilt helps companies to incorporate their existing leave management process into its proprietary leave plan management platform. Each client receives a unique URL, and Tilt makes the interface look, feel, act and communicate in the same manner as the solution already in place. 

Tilt’s platform creates a collaborative, holistic experience personalized for each leave scenario — including parental and caregiving — communicating clear expectations for all parties involved. 

The platform helps companies stay compliant while retaining top talent, improving employee engagement and enhancing employee health and wellness.  

“Human resources dislikes leave management, so it’s ripe for tech automation,” Tilt Founder and CEO Jennifer Henderson says. 

Colorado Companies to Watch 2022: The Organizers 

Since 2009, the Colorado Companies to Watch program has sought to recognize second-stage enterprises from around the state. These companies often fly under the radar of awards programs of this type, yet they play an enormous role in fueling Colorado’s economy.

From an economic-development perspective, the importance of recognizing second-stage companies — those beyond the startup stage but still developing — is obvious: As these companies grow, not only do they employ an increasing number of people, which benefits their local economies and quality of life; they also create a need for outside services, and thus opportunity for other businesses, from restaurants to accounting firms to pet boarders, to flourish. The ripple effect on the economy is sizable, to say the least.

This year, more than 1,100 companies from industries ranging from biosciences to fitness to food and beverage submitted nominations. A judging panel made up of business and economic-development leaders throughout the state whittled those candidates down to the finalists, and finally to this year’s select cast of 47 Colorado Companies to Watch winners.

Read on to learn more about our favorite Colorado Organizers.

Edison Interactive 

Denver 

Jeremy Ostermiller Headshot
Jeremy Ostermiller, CEO of Edison Interactive

Founded by serial entrepreneurs Jeremy Ostermiller and Nick Stanitz-Harper in 2016, Edison Interactive has developed a cloud-based content management system for connected devices that allows brands to manage, optimize and monetize their network of screens across the globe. 

Dubbed the Edison Launch Pad, the system allows businesses to incorporate the platform on any type of screen or device in any location. Screens can be completely customized and branded in a manner that enhances the end-user experience while providing real-time data and analytics to the company.  

Edison’s digital out-of-home advertising opportunities allow brands, even those with limited ad budgets, to connect to consumers in more meaningful ways and in previously hard-to-reach places like golf courses, hotel rooms, rental vehicles and more. 

In 2021, Edison ranked No. 144 on Inc. 500’s list of fastest-growing private companies, and in the past three years revenue has skyrocketed 4,000%. Understandably, Edison plans to increase its workforce, from 27 employees in 2021 to a projected 65 this year. 

Such rapid growth presents challenges, including staff recruitment. Edison aims to provide a company culture that not only recruits quality employees, but retains them through new benefits added annually and opportunities for employees to grow their skills within the company. 

Orderly Health 

Denver 

Orderly Health
Orderly Health Team Photo

Orderly Health is revolutionizing data management in the health care industry through its suite of application programming interface (API) tools. 

The company migrates provider data management to the cloud, cleans and maintains the data using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) and makes the data accessible through a suite of APIs that allow for seamless integrations for payers, health systems and health services organizations. 

The company integrates its customers’ data into its proprietary database and leverages its network and cloud system to identify erroneous data. Orderly says the ecosystem it’s building will remove billions of dollars of waste from the healthcare industry.  

“Our greatest strength is around our expertise related to data science and data management,” says Kevin Krauth, the company’s CEO. 

The company’s Roster Automation Suite (RAS) creates an incentive for large commercial payers and providers to share detailed data on the providers in their network with Orderly, which creates network effects and a closed-feedback loop to continually improve the data it stores in its National Provider Directory. 

“Coupled together, these two offerings form the basis of a provider data platform that will improve efficiency and accuracy across the entire healthcare data ecosystem and enable a number of tools that will increase access to all individuals for the best, highest quality and lowest cost care from the best providers,” Krauth says. 

TurboTenant 

Fort Collins 

TurboTenant
TurboTenant Team Photo

From screening tenants to creating lease agreements and collecting rent, owning investment property takes a lot of work, one Fort Collins company is making the job easier for independent landlords.  

TurboTenant’s free, all-in-one property management software provides online tools to help independent landlords run their business. The platform lets landlords screen tenants, accept rental applications online, collect rent, create lease agreements and track expenses.  It doesn’t provide general property or listing search capabilities on its website. 

TurboTenants main suite of features is free, but additional services like state-specific leases and document e-signing are optional and may incur a small fee. Users also have the option to sign up for the premium package for $4.92 per month or $59 a year. 

“Our mission at TurboTenant is to empower independent landlords to create welcoming rental experiences through positive interactions with their tenants,” says Taylor Marley, the company’s marketing operations manager. “We know that a great home can make a life-changing difference in a renter’s life and that great landlords will make great tenants.”  

TurboTenant, which has 38 employees, works with more than 400,000 landlords and 12 million renters in all 50 states. Most TurboTenant users have between one and 50 units. 

“We are excited to expand our capabilities by growing the TurboTenant team this year so we can continue to serve more independent landlords and their renters,” Marley says. 

Colorado Companies to Watch 2022: The Fixers 

Since 2009, the Colorado Companies to Watch program has sought to recognize second-stage enterprises from around the state. These companies often fly under the radar of awards programs of this type, yet they play an enormous role in fueling Colorado’s economy. 

From an economic-development perspective, the importance of recognizing second-stage companies — those beyond the startup stage but still developing — is obvious: As these companies grow, not only do they employ an increasing number of people, which benefits their local economies and quality of life; they also create a need for outside services, and thus opportunity for other businesses, from restaurants to accounting firms to pet boarders, to flourish. The ripple effect on the economy is sizable, to say the least.

This year, more than 1,100 companies from industries ranging from biosciences to fitness to food and beverage submitted nominations. A judging panel made up of business and economic-development leaders throughout the state whittled those candidates down to the finalists, and finally to this year’s select cast of 47 Colorado Companies to Watch winners. 

Read on to learn more about our favorite Colorado Fixers.

Altitude Control Technology 

Edwards 

Act

Altitude Control Technology (ACT) has revolutionized altitude simulation and the prevention of altitude sickness. Its primary business is developing altitude-adjustment systems for high-altitude homes and altitude simulation systems for research. 

ACT pioneered the use of ceramic sensors, barometric pressure compensation and advanced altitude simulation algorithms. It continues to pave the way as a leader in scientific instruments and their application to better health in homes. 

Based in Edwards, 14 miles west of Vail, the enterprise is well-situated for the industry space it occupies. The company engineered the world’s first oxygen-controlled altitude simulation system. The technology it has developed is the most advanced solution for medical research and mountain homes. 

Founded in 2020, the company had 10 employees at year-end 2021 and expected to add another two this year. Those additions figure to be well-qualified. “We have the industry-leading, safest, most effective product and the largest, most experienced workforce,” President and CEO William Sinclair says. 

One trend that bodes well for the company’s future, Sinclair says, is that an increasing number of people want to stay living at altitude instead of retiring to lower-altitude places. So far, his market observations have paid off. The company increased revenues nearly sixfold from 2020 to 2021 and projects year-over-year revenue growth of 43% this year. 

Colorado Computer Support 

Colorado Springs 

Colorado Computer Support (CCS) has overcome some gut-punches in the past three years that would have overwhelmed lesser firms. In 2019, the IT and cybersecurity company lost its largest client, which was responsible for 50% of CCS’s business. Shortly thereafter, the pandemic hit, and clients canceled their capital projects, a major blow to the Colorado Springs firm’s revenue stream. 

And yet, CCS bounced back, partnering with 16 new clients toward the end of 2020 and closing out 2021 eight new clients. The firm is on track to post a year-over-year revenue increase of 45% in 2022, following last year’s 22% revenue increase. One key to CCS’s resurgence was its resolve to focus on larger clients; much of the company’s new business is with clients with more than 100 employees. 

“Cybersecurity threats have exploded,” CEO Blake Schwank says. “This has an impact on our clients in several areas, most notably in compliance.  Industries are now demanding that layers of cybersecurity are in place.  Additionally, cyber insurance policies have very specific requirements that are difficult to meet without assistance from an outside IT vendor that specializes in cybersecurity.” 

CCS enables clients to meet those demands so they can go about their business. 

“We enable businesses to staff an entire IT department at a fraction of the cost, allowing our clients to scale despite current staffing challenges,” Schwank says. “CCS takes care of the entire process — hiring, training, and managing our IT staff and support, freeing our clients to focus on running and growing their core operations.” 

Digital Silence 

Denver 

Justin Whitehead founded Digital Silence in 2018 with one goal in mind: to do cybersecurity consulting right. 

The boutique firm provides a comprehensive set of cybersecurity consulting services including penetration testing, framework-based risk assessments, ransomware reviews, incident response, digital forensics and virtual CISO consulting. 

“Even with the headwinds of 2020 COVID, we have been able to have dramatic growth over the past four years,” says Whitehead, the firm’s CEO. “Our focus on delivery excellence and technical talent is what sets us apart from our competitors.” 

The industries Digital Silence serves include entertainment, financial services, tech companies and health care. The company’s growth has been spurred by factors that include both an increase in cybersecurity attacks and an increase in compliance requirements from state and federal government. 

Since 2018 when the firm started out with two employees, Digital Silence has grown to a workforce of 12 full-time equivalent employees and expects to add up to four employees this year. Revenues increased 75% from 2020 to 2021 and are projected to grow another 68% year-over-year in 2022. 

HomePride 

Centennial 

Homepride Customerproject Tubconverttowalkinbath

HomePride is a specialty remodeler that focuses on bathroom remodeling and walk-in bath installation. CEO Matthew Colligan knew there was a huge market for these services that had yet to be tapped when he founded the company in 2018. 

“People are remodeling as they cannot afford to move,” Colligan says. “People love Colorado, and if they would like to update their home it is a less expensive option to stay in the home they love and give it an update vs. trying to sell and move into a home that is smaller and requiring the same upgrades as the home they are already in.” 

So, what sets HomePride apart from other remodelers? One of the keys has been its ability to generate leads and turn those into customers. From 2020 to 2021, the company’s revenues jumped from $6.6 million to $16.7 million, and the company projects a nearly twofold increase, to $33 million, this year. 

Meanwhile, HomePride nearly doubled its number of employees from 2020 to 2021 and projects another 42% increase in its workforce for 2022. 

“We are opening new locations and have created a lead-generation strategy and recruitment strategy that has allowed us to capitalize on the Colorado real estate market conditions,” Colligan says. 

Of course, lead-generation strategies wouldn’t matter if HomePride didn’t also deliver. The Centennial-based remodeler does that. 

“We focus on installing a bathroom in as little as a day or two,” Colligan says. 

Lion Home Service 

Fort Collins 

Lion Home Service is setting a new standard of excellence in the residential services industry. 

The company provides prompt service, quality fixes and a reliable response its customers can trust. The company understands that problems don’t always occur during normal business hours, so its call center is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week.  

Lion guarantees all of its repair work and if a manufacturer refuses to honor its warranty, the company will make the necessary repairs at no charge to the customer.  

“Barton Palmer, the company’s owner and general manager, plans for the future so Lion Home Service continues to grow and develop more efficient ways to operate,” says Donja Medina, the company’s marketing manager. 

“Leadership and vision are our biggest strengths,” Medina says. “A major focus over the past year has been growing leaders and investing in training. We are constantly working on recruiting the best employees and optimizing procedures.” 

TNT Home Services 

Firestone 

Van 6 Copy

TNT Home Services provides residential and commercial plumbing, heating, cooling and electrical services for customers along the Front Range.  

The veteran-owned company operates on the three pillars that guide the U.S. Air Force: integrity first; service before self; and excellence in all we do. 

TNT’s up-front, flat-rate pricing means customers are not charged by the house. The company provides free estimates for jobs like remodels, re-pipes and tankless water heaters. 

The company employs people who have served in the Air Force, Army, Marines and Navy who exemplify the company’s commitment to honesty and integrity. It offers veterans, first responders, active-duty military and their families 10$ off its services in appreciation of their service. 

Unlike most home service companies, TNT does not operate 24/7. The company has a family-first focus, meaning it wants its technicians home for dinner with their families every night. It also strives not to send them out on weekends — also not typical in the home services industry.  

“We know that if we take care of our employees that they will take care of our clients, and they will in turn take care of us,” TNT President Laura Thornton says.