w3w3.com

IT & Open Source Solutions

IT infrastructure solutions for companies of all sizes
1286_ 9/28/12 - We are here with a valuable resource, AppliedTrust Co-CEOs/CoFounders, Trent Hein and Ned McClain and winners of the Colorado Companies to Watch 2012. AppliedTrust is an IT consulting firm and we help mostly with IT infrastructure problems for companies of all sizes. They like to say they do the hard IT stuff so you can be awesome! What that really means is they do Internet or network plumbing stuff like performance, security and availability. And Trent points out, AppliedTrust is one of the few organizations that helps other organizations with Open Source technology - so they help them apply, maintain and operate open source technology in their environment. Because of the economy we've asked Trend and Ned what they think are the biggest challenges to entrepreneurs today. Trent said he thought one of the biggest challenges was for an entrepreneur to differentiate their company from the rest of the marketplace. ATE has that challenge and they work with a lot of startups in Boulder, and they have that challenge. There is so much noise out there that it's hard to pick out what are the companies that can really deliver what they say and that there's a need for whatever it is they do. Next question, what are the greatest opportunities. Ned takes this one and said, "In our space it's really exciting, cloud services. Companies can roll out first class infrastructure, first class products without investing millions of dollars in computing infrastructure ...Listen for much more...

          

RELATED LINKS: AppliedTrust || The Barking Seal Blog || AppliedTrust History || Boulder IS || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || Gala Event || KEYWORDS: AppliedTrust, Trent Hein, Ned McClain, IT infrastructure, Cloud Services, Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, > bytes=6464055
LISTEN TO: Trent Hein, Ned McClain, Applied Trust

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Small businesses the cornerstone of Colorado's economy

A wide variety of different winning companies
 1281_ 9/21/12 - The Colorado Companies to Watch program Award Winners program, 2012, has a variety of different winning companies. "This year's Colorado Companies to Watch winners show the impact small business has on our economy and demonstrate why Colorado is one of the nation's leaders in innovation and entrepreneurship," said Colorado Gov. John Hickenlooper. "We want to congratulate each of these companies and wish them continued success." "Small businesses are the cornerstone of Colorado's economy and a vital part of our economic recovery," said Ken Lund, Executive Director of the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade. The winners employ nearly 2,000 and had combined revenue of $377 million. We are delighted to be part of the Colorado Companies to Watch program to highlight their accomplishments." SoundTraxx’ corporate entity, Throttle Up! Corp., was founded in 1989 in Pocasset, Massachusetts. Our first product was a powerful little lighting system called the Hyperlight. In 1991, SoundTraxx introduced the SoundTraxx D220-IR Diesel Sound System. This was the first sound and throttle system to incorporate wireless control. In 1994, the company moved to Broomfield, Colorado, a suburb of Denver. The DSD-2408 Digital Sound Decoder was the first DCC decoder to be integrated with sound and lighting functions. In 1998 they moved to Durango, Colorado and purchased a new SMT (Surface Mount Technology) line of manufacturing equipment...
RELATED LINKS: Home|SoundTraxx || Soundtraxx Blog || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || PodCast Directory || Gala Event || KEYWORDS: Nancy Workman, Sound Traxx, Digital Sound Decoder, Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, bytes=4493377
LISTEN TO: Nancy Workman, Co-Owner, Sound Traxx

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Courage, Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation & Care...

They bootstrapped the company and came out with a single product

1280_ 9/20/12 - Founded in 2010, Gordon Nuttall said, this company was built on Courage and Integrity, Collaboration, Innovation and Care, CICIC and from that came the name CourAgent. They bootstrapped the company and came out with a single product, Flip Pal Mobile Scanner. CourAgent is the innovative maker of the Flip-Pal Mobile Scanner - a remarkable solution for preserving and sharing memories. No longer will your precious photos, documents and other memories be scattered, lost or hidden. Have fun and enhance your creativity, then share your memories with family and friends. And save time in the process. Take advantage of the patented flip-and-scan technology to scan photos safely in their album or frame. CourAgent was also selected as a 2012 Colorado Companies to Watch Award Winner. Couragent launched the nation’s first equity crowdfunding solicitation for investors using the Small Company Offering Registration (SCOR) procedure to register and legally solicit its intrastate stock offering. The cloud-based campaign’s goal is to raise $350,000 in working capital to accelerate the company’s flagship product, the Flip-Pal mobile scanner, into the national and international retail marketplace, as well as to develop and bring to market additional digital imaging products...Listen for more... RELATED LINKS: CourAgent || Crowdfunding Launch Pad || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || PodCast Directory || Gala Event || 2012 Winners List || KEYWORDS: Gordon Nuttall, CourAgent, Crowdfunding, Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, bytes=6691843
LISTEN TO: Gordon Nuttall, CEO/Founder, CourAgent 

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Denver Sweet Spot for National Service Company

Customer Focus is North America, Colorado a Sweet Spot!
1282_ 9/19/12 - Here's how a Denver based company became a winner in the Colorado Companies to Watch program, 2012 - Fueling the Economic Fire of Colorado. Find a niche - like an SAP professional services company. That's what Yosh Eisbart and business partner Michael Pytell did. They founded NIMBL about three years ago. A Denver startup with customers from Miami, Florida going all the way up to the northern tip of Canada. They are North American focused but their customers really do run from coast to coast and north to south with clients like ExxonMobil, PepsiCo, Nestle... From a Colorado perspective NIMBL has a very nice Colorado customer base - and they are really growing because there are no SAP specialized, Denver based services firms like NIMBL. Yosh explained, "While SAP, the most widely used business software package on the planet, is dominated by the Big Four, NIMBL is small enough to not be subject to the fiscal constraints of the business model of a big consulting firm. Eisbart says. "There's a trend in the SAP marketplace that organizations are looking for more agile, nimble and flexible consulting firms that are able to react quickly and moving away from the institutional behemoth. NIMBL isn't shackled by the traditional handcuffs of profit margins..."
RELATED LINKS: Home | NIMBL || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || PodCast Directory || ColoradoBiz || Gala Event || KEYWORDS: Yosh Eisbart, Nimbl, SAP, Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, bytes=7599650
LISTEN TO: Yosh Eisbart, CEO/Founder, NIMBL LLC

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Banner year for COCTW

This program is a perfect example of public/private partnership
1259_ 8/16/12 - We're talking to Sam Bailey the Relationship Manager for the Governor's Office of Economic Development and International Trade. That means he primarily works in business retention and expansion, helping existing businesses grow and expand their businesses. Sam is also the new program director for Colorado Companies to Watch, which is now four years into the program with 200 companies highlighted and close to, if not over a thousand finalists. Sam said, "We have really seen a lot of companies and communities come out and support these businesses - highlight them, recognize them - so the program has grown to quite a prestigious honor. This year alone we had a wonderful geographical diversity across the state of Colorado. We had companies from rural and urban communities - communities that we haven't seen on stage before. So this has been a banner year for COCTW. We're looking to continue that through outreach to our community partners across the state. It's important to note this is not a program just for the Front Range. It's for the entire state; we have companies from Durango, Carbondale, Craig, and Holly." Listen for more...
Related Links: Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || w3w3.com Blog || Gala Event || Keywords: Sam Bailey, Office of Economic Development and International Trade, OEDIT, Colorado Companies to Watch, COCTW, Colorado, Second Stage Companies, Lowe Foundation, bytes=6226236
LISTEN TO: Sam Bailey, Program Director, COCTW

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Representing 8% of Colorado companies

They contribute about 86% of the employment in the state
1227_ 6/20/12 - We're talking with David Tolson, Managing Director at Capital Value Advisors investment banking firm, and they're involvement with a community project that we think is very special. Larry said, "Give us an overview of Capital Value Advisors." Dave said, "We are an investment bank which is basically a fancy term for our focus on valuations, mergers and acquisitions, both buy side and sell side representation, as well as capital raises. And we really focus on mid market, privately held businesses, anywhere between $5-$50 Million in terms of revenue." We are all really excited about the annual Colorado Companies to Watch event coming up this week, Friday, June 22, 2012. Capital Value Advisors is the presenting sponsor. David tells us they became involved about three years ago, they attended the very first Gala. It was right in the darkest depths of the economic recession. What they saw was amazing and very compelling. And that was a lot of second stage companies with great ideas, that were growing very rapidly, that were adding employees. It was such a stark contrast to what you were hearing in the news at the time, not only regionally and locally but also nationally. We looked at this and said these are the types of companies we need to support not only as a company, but quite frankly as a community need to support. Because these companies while they represent only about 8% of the overall companies in Colorado, they contribute about 86% of the total employment in the state of Colorado. So it's a wonderful place for experienced people to go and develop their business and continue to grow their business. Colorado Companies to Watch focuses on and celebrates second stage companies and really the alums who have been past winners and this year's current winners are part of a community that includes sponsors like Capital Value Advisors, community partners, media relations partners like w3w3®, as well as a host of other government and community resources that are working towards the success and trying to help these second stage companies continue to grow and prosper." Tickets are still available to attend the gala...we'll see you there...
Related Links: Capital Value Advisors || Colorado Companies to Watch || Edward Lowe Foundation || YE (Your Economy) || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || PodCast Directory || COCTW Gala 2010 || Keywords: David Tolson, Capital Value Advisors, Edward Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, bytes=4462448
LISTEN TO: David Tolson, Managing Director, Capital Value Advisors

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Check out Your Economy

Colorado companies that are making a big impact
1225_ 6/18/12 - The Edward Lowe Foundation and the Companies to Watch Program were started by Edward Lowe in Michigan. His claim to fame was that he invented Kitty Litter. With that he made his fortune and then decided he wanted to put part of that fortune back into an organization that would help make the life of an entrepreneur a little easier than what he had. So that was the genesis on which the foundation was started. Penny Lewandowski tells us "What they do is work with communities and help them understand what we call their second stage growth businesses. We help them understand those businesses and their special needs as they grow their companies, what kind of programs can be put around those companies -[ the foundation has developed a significant number of those programs] - and Companies to Watch is one of those." Larry said, "The second stage companies that you work with have such a tremendous impact on the state of Colorado." Penny replied, "You're right and I've got some numbers for you. We have a database called 'Your-Economy-dot-org'. Existing, expanding companies contribute most to U.S. job creation. In fact, from 1990 to 2008, existing companies generated 71 percent more new jobs than startups." We're talking with Penny Lewandowski, Director, Entrepreneurship & Development, Edward Lowe Foundation, about a very interesting event we have coming up on June 23rd, here in Denver. Pat and I along with lots of celebrities and well known business people will be looking for you at the Colorado Companies to Watch Gala and Award Celebration. There are plenty of good reasons for you to be there and that's why we've cornered Penny, to give us a little background about this program and why it's so important to all of us. Companies to Watch is really centered around recognizing second stage companies. "Those are companies between 6 and 99 employees with $750K to $50 Million in revenue. And these are companies that have both the intention and capacity to grow. We pay a lot of attention to them because they are huge job creators, so they are making a big difference in their communities in a lot of different ways." There's much more and we are looking forward to seeing you there on June 23rd.
Related Links: Colorado Companies to Watch || YE (Your Economy) || Edward Lowe Foundation || YE (Your Economy) || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || PodCast Directory || Gala Event 2011 || Keywords: Penny Lewandowski, Edward Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, bytes=4359212
LISTEN TO: Penny Lewandowski, Edward Lowe Foundation

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Customer Service Creates Success

Providing innovative and cutting edge technologically
1182_ 3/22/12 - And yet another COCTW winner. In and amongst the selection criteria to become a Colorado Company to Watch is community involvement and philanthropy. With that in mind, we introduce you to this week's Company to Watch, Garmat USA, represented by Debbie Teter. Debbie is Marketing Director for Garmat USA, a Colorado based manufacturer of paint spray booths and equipment. In her role Debbie wears many hats from in-house agency to event management. In addition to her role with Garmat USA, she also serves as VP of Operations on the Colorado AMA (American Marketing Association) and also as board chair on S.W.A.G. (South Westminster Arts Group) a community based arts initiative. Debbie holds a B.S. in Marketing from Metropolitan State College located in Denver Colorado. Garmat® USA's mission is to provide innovative and cutting edge technologically advanced products that enhance your facility's productivity and profitability, while providing an environmentally safe atmosphere for the refinish technician. When asked what advice she would offer an entrepreneur in today's market, Debbie said, "Go work hard". She further explains that she's never worked for a company with more dedicated individuals than Garmat. While they're salaried, they put in long hours, much longer days because they just believe the customer needs to get what they want. While they work through a distribution network, and often they are the ones dealing with the end user to make sure that everything they need in place is there. The phone are open for them to call anytime to check on their order or just check on how something works, etc. Debbie tells us they have booths that have been in the market for over 24 years - and there is a young lady in the office, if you need a part, she can still tell you the part number for that booth that's 24 years old, and she doesn't have to look it up. She knows where the booths are and can tell you the specifics on any of those booths. She amazes us and the clients too. All Garmat® USA cabins and mechanical units are designed and manufactured at our Englewood, Colorado facility. Each unit is built for the client's specific application...
Related Links: Garmat USA || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || w3w3 Blog || Gala Event || Keywords: Garmat USA, Debbie Teter, Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade - bytes=5667425
LISTEN TO: Debbie Teter, Marketing Director, Garmat USA

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Colorado Company to Watch!

The secret weapon is good old fashioned customer service
1171_ 3/6/12 - It is a pleasure to introduce you to another Colorado Companies to Watch winner, Greg Greenwood, President and CEO of comCables. They are a manufacturer and distributor of cables and connectors for Ethernet and fiber optic networks, low voltage, surveillance and security systems. Structural cabling products are really the 'information highway' connecting all the IP systems. They also have a distribution division which is low voltage systems, so fire alarms systems, security surveillance, call access... They started their business, inside another business in April of 1999. comCables has been an asset to the Colorado community and continues to build its brand and product line expertise. With 5 locations to foster its national presence and a location in Cabo San Lucas, B.C.S., Mexico, comCables continues to grow and expand in its current market place. Larry asked, "Greg you run into all kinds of businesses and individuals and you're very active in the community... What are some of the challenges entrepreneurs will experience in the coming year?" With experience on his side, Greg replied, "What we see in our industry is the big are getting bigger, and the smaller need to be more nimble and focused. I would suggest to figure out what your really focused on and stay there, be really good to your customers. Opportunities? With larger companies getting bigger and unstable markets, we've found the secret weapon is good old fashioned customer service. Not just that you're handling a customer well, but you're creating an experience with the customer that they're not getting somewhere else. For us it's the keystone of our business. We are serving them and empowering them with the knowledge and the products that we provide, and I think that is a long term strategy for any business."Greg and comCables is very active in the community adopting the Sun Valley Youth Center [the poorest zip code in all of Colorado] there is a very special need for the families there. "We've taken our clothes, our resources and our customers, and engaged all of our relationships in the support of that community there. Since 2011, we offer a scholarship to an inner city college student." He believes that income creates an ability for impact and so our obligation and responsibility to the community is not just to take from it, but to provide back to it. There's much more entrepreneurial advice...listen...
Related Links: comCables || Colorado Companies to Watch || Colorado Companies to Watch Channel || Sun Valley Youth Center || Gala Event || Keywords: Greg Greenwood, comCables, Lowe Foundation, Colorado Companies to Watch, Gala Event, COCTW, Second Stage Companies, Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade, Sun Valley Youth Center - bytes=5032545
LISTEN TO: Greg Greenwood, President/CEO comCables

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Winner of the Emerging Corporate Growth Award

Winner of the Emerging Corporate Growth Award
1164_ 2/23/12 - For the past number of years we've covered an important conference here in Denver and we are looking forward again to the ACG Denver Corporate Growth Conference coming next month, March 13-14th. Larry corralled John Griffith, the founder and president of Alpine Waste and Recycling, recipient of the ACG Emerging Corporate Growth Award. Of course, it's great to be a winner but more than that, John tells us that they see it as a real validation for the investment in innovation and more than that the buy in of their employees in those innovations and their ability to implement those things. "So, in short, it's a real thrill for all of us at Alpine." Alpine was founded in 1999, a one-man, one-truck operation started with the premise of offering a better level of service than their competition. Since those early years they have grown to 60 collection vehicles, 108 employees, operating the second largest recycling facility in the state, they operate the only privately held landfill in the state and they also run a compost facility. They've had a lot of growth and breadth of services to offer their customers. Asked about his corporate strategy, John tells us that Alpine has never been hesitant to invest heavily in innovation and that's been the key to their growth. Investing $4.5 million...watch and listen for more interesting ideas...
Related Links: Alpine Waste & Recycling || ACG Denver || M&A || Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference || CoBiz Article Alpine || Video on YouTube || Keywords: John Griffith, Alpine Waste & Recycling, ACG, Denver, Leading Resilient Growth Rocky Mountain Corporate Growth Conference, Association for Corporate Growth, Emerging Corporate Growth Award -
Video, Watch: John Griffith, Ceo/Founder, Alpine Waste & Recycling