50 Colo Companies to Watch 2013

Transcription

50 Colo Companies to Watch 2013
// COLORADO’S TOP 100 PUBLIC COMPANIES, P. 16 //
cobizmag.com
JUNE 2013
Volume 40, No. 06
A WiesnerMedia Publication | $3.95
5TH ANNUAL
BREAKING DOWN THE BANKING BIZ
WITH JOHN IKARD P. 8
WHAT’S MISSING FROM
THE HIGHLANDS P. 13
PROS AND CONS OF STATE-FUNDED
FILM PRODUCTION P. 54
SECOND-STAGE BUSINESSES PORTEND
BRIGHT FUTURE FOR STATE
Five years strong, Colorado Companies to Watch continues to enhance the state’s economy
M
aybe you know them, and maybe
you don’t. But if you don’t – you
definitely should.
In the last five years, Colorado
Companies to Watch has showcased 250 of
the state’s business movers and shakers, the
up-and-comers, the growers, the builders, the
job-creators. From the program’s inception
in 2009 through today, these best and brightest second-stage companies have fanned the
flames of Colorado’s economic fire in every
industry and every corner of the state.
“Colorado Companies to Watch represents a unique partnership between government, private sector and communities to recognize and support the game-changers in
Colorado,” says Ken Lund, executive director
of the Office of Economic Development and
International Trade (OEDIT), which picks the
winners with judges from both the public and
private sectors.
“These second-stage businesses – with
more than $410 million in total annual revenue last year – continue to create jobs and
grow the state’s economy and are vital to the
state’s continued growth,” Lund says.
It’s easy to see. From 2009 through 2012,
this year’s 50 winners alone generated $1.1
billion in revenue and added 815 employees,
reflecting a 149 percent increase in revenue
and 135 percent increase in jobs for the
four-year period. That translates into a 36
percent annual revenue growth and 33 percent annual growth in employees.
And there’s no stopping them. If projections for 2013 hold, this year’s class will have
generated $1.7 billion in revenue and added
1,275 employees over the last five years – a
279 percent increase in revenue and 212
percent increase in jobs.
Colorado’s first class of winners stepped
out in June 2009, a time when the economy
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was suffocating under a crippling recession.
But it’s not all about the bottom line.
“Right when we needed good news stories
Company culture and community impact
more than ever, we had them – 50 amazcount, too.
ing successes to talk about when bad news
One World Labs, a Denver-based team
was dominating the media,” says founding
of IT security experts, belongs to Hackers
Program Director Stephanie Steffens.
for Charity, which solves technology chalThe Companies to Watch program was
lenges for various nonprofits and provides
developed by the Edward Lowe Foundation,
food, equipment, job training and computer
which was started by the late Edward Lowe,
education to people in poverty.
creator of Kitty Litter, and his wife, Darlene,
Cycla LLC, a family-run professional thrift
to promote entreprerecycling company in
neurship.
Federal Heights, pro2013 Colorado
To be considered,
vided the seed money
Companies to Watch
companies must be
in 2011 to start Recycle
Economic Impact of 50
Colorado-based, priThat LLC, which partvately held, employ six
ners with nonprofits to
Second-Stage Companies
to 99 full-time equivahelp them raise funds
lent employees and
through textile recycling.
$410 million in total annual
have $750,000 to $50
Combined efforts of both
revenue in 2012
million in sales or a
companies nationwide
51.9 percent increase in total
similar range of workhas diverted more than
annual revenue compared to
ing capital. And per230 million pounds of
the previous year
haps most importantly,
textile waste from landthey must be more than
fills nationwide.
1,417 full-time equivalent
On the following
surviving, but thriving.
employees in 2012
pages,
you’ll find proThis year’s winners’
1,255 in Colorado
files
of
a
star from each
circle includes Adaptive
162 out of state
Colorado Companies
Innovations Corp., a
to Watch class of the
Lakewood engineering
460 net new jobs
past, plus snapshots of
firm specializing in cusprojected for 2013
the 50 stellar winners
tom machine automa364 in Colorado
from 2013.
tion, robotics and test
96 out of state
“These companies
equipment that has quaare the change agents
drupled its work force
in Colorado,” says Sam Bailey, OEDIT’s
and seen an eightfold increase in revenue in
current Colorado Companies to Watch prothe last five years, including a nearly 300 pergram director. “When I look at what has
cent revenue increase in 2012 alone. Another
been built over the past five years, Colorado
2013 winner, MM Local, has increased revtruly shows how government, local commuenue by nearly 3,000 percent since 2009
nities and businesses can come together in
and expects another 30 percent growth this
an amazing way.”
year through produce-preserving partnerships
— Lisa Ryckman
with local family farmers.
Enabling the Entrepreneurial Spirit
Success happens here.
Helping Colorado businesses one relationship at a time.
At CapitalValue Advisors, we recognize the significant financial and personal
risks you’ve taken as a business owner to pursue your passions and dreams.
Your commitment serves as the cornerstone for our collective economic and
social success, which is why we are dedicated to helping you.
Valuation
Mergers & Acquisitions
We leverage the depth of our business experience and our disciplined
process to bring more than just money to the table. Let us know if we can
help you – we all need you to win.
Board Advisory
Capital Raises
Congratulations to the 2013 Class
of Colorado Companies to Watch!
2013 P RESENTING S PONSOR
188 Inverness Drive West, Suite 110 | Englewood, CO 80112 | 720.733.0400 | www.capitalvalue.net
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FIRST FOUR REFLECTIONS
A Review of Colorado Compaines to Watch from 2009-2012
By Lisa Ryckman
COCTW Class of 2009:
Colorado Yurt Co.
Dan and Emma Kigar’s first home evolved
to become their first business.
A tipi set up at 11,000 feet in Breckenridge
in 1976 grew into Earthworks Tipis, which
morphed into Colorado Yurt Co. What
started as a home-grown, two-person venture has grown into a 30-person operation
with production facilities in Montrose that
create everything from 12-foot diameter
tipis, tents up to 700 square feet and yurts 30
feet in diameter, all of which meet stringent
structural parameters.
Since its inclusion in the inaugural
Colorado Companies to Watch class in
2009, Colorado Yurt Co. has posted 10
percent per annum growth and increased its
payroll by 23 percent, founder Dan Kigar
says. And that’s not all.
“Our company culture has become more
transparent and responsive to the creativity
inherent in the people who make our organization run,” he says. “Our efforts in sustainability have become more comprehensive and measurable, and we’ve burnished
our reputation for innovation, quality and
professionalism.”
This year Colorado Yurt’s production
department came up with a plan to increase
output by 25 percent, and its marketing
department developed a corresponding plan
to increase sales.
“This potential growth challenged all
phases of our company to develop more
efficient and sophisticated systems and planning tools,” Kigar says. “Sustaining this
growth means hiring more employees and
making capital improvements.”
Kigar says being selected as a Colorado
Company to Watch was a national marketing opportunity that the company used to
lasting advantage. Colorado Yurt’s products
were recently featured in a 1,000-item list
on the Science Channel’s “How It’s Made,”
which took viewers from the company’s
design and construction process to the formation of structures on Mount Sneffels.
Kigar says product innovation based on
customers’ needs and suggestions plays an
important role in helping the company
maintain its edge in the marketplace.
“To survive in a locally based manufacturing business, you have to be able to react
quickly and intelligently to external pressures,” he says.
The key: People.
“Talented, dedicated individuals make
this operation run. And while talent is never
in short supply, assembling a team that is
willing to pull together has made all the
difference,” Kigar says. “Everyone counts.”
COCTW Class of 2010:
Funovation
Erick Mueller measures his company’s growth
in grins: 16 million and counting, a 350 percent increase since Funovation was named a
Colorado Company to Watch in 2010.
One play of its patented Laser Maze
Challenge equals one smile, Mueller
explains. A smile counter on the company
website tracks its global happiness impact
– which is, of course, directly related to its
bottom line.
“We’re successful when our customers are
successful,” says Mueller, who founded the
Longmont-based company in 2007 and now
serves as chairman and vice president of
2013 COLORADO COMPANIES TO WATCH
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Friday, June 28
5 p.m. Registration and Welcome Reception
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Cocktail attire
Individual tickets: $135 • Corporate table of 10: $1,200
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sales and marketing. “Our team is available
to make sure our customer’s maze is up and
running, creating smiles and making money
at all times. We’ll even help our customers
hire staff.”
Speaking of hiring: Funovation’s work force
has increased by 60 percent since 2010 to keep
up with a 245 percent increase in installations
of its patented Laser Maze Challenge around
the world.
“Our biggest challenge has been scaling our
business in the best way,” Mueller says. “We’ve
overcome this by always focusing on delighting our customers and growing our business
around that. Specifically, we’ve stayed focused
on building our team of Funovators with
exceptional talent who buy into our vision of
reminding the world to play.”
Being named a Colorado Company to
Watch has helped attract that talent, Mueller
says, along with increasing the company’s profile and credibility with customers.
“It was a great win for us to celebrate the
value that we had created from just three
guys sitting around a table with an idea to
generate millions in revenue and locations
around the world,” he says.
One key to the company’s success: Taking
fun – but not themselves – very seriously. So product development becomes “our
Fungineering team playing in the sandbox.” And Friday afternoon might find the
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Funovators pelting each other with Nerf
balls or opening the office Laser Maze to
school kids or youth groups.
As for the future: more mazes, more countries, more profit – and tons more fun.
“In 2010, we created one smile every 8.7
seconds. Today, we create a smile somewhere in 20 countries around the world
every 4.9 seconds,” Mueller says. “We’re
really excited to progress in our goal of creating one smile per second.”
COCTW Class of 2011:
Moots Cycles
For the serious cyclist, sweet dreams are made
of Moots: light-as-air, tough-as-nails, titanium
beauties, lovingly designed, mitered, welded,
finished and machined by Butch, Nate, Bryce,
Willy, Caleb, Amy and the rest of the gang up
in Steamboat Springs.
They’re not cheap – a Moots can easily set
you back $5,000 – but for those in the know
who have got the dough, nothing less will do.
“Even during the tough economic times,
consumers were willing to ‘pay up’ for
high-end products, but they demanded
more value in those products,” says Moots
President/CEO Rob Mitchell, who joined
the 32-year-old company in 2007. “So it
dovetailed nicely into the value we offer
cyclists in our Moots bikes and components
– lifetime bikes, handcrafted in the U.S.”
In 2009, Moots wowed the cycling community with its leading-edge road bike,
the Vamoots RSL, a testament to the possibilities of aerospace-grade titanium. Since
then, the rapidly rising price of high-end
carbon steel bikes has helped Moots thrive,
Mitchell says.
“That pricing trend, along with carbon’s
continuing challenge with durability, allowed
people to more immediately and clearly see
the exceptional value in titanium versus carbon, at like-ranged prices,” he says.
Mitchell says Moots has continued growing since it was named a Colorado Company
to Watch two years ago and expects to
remain on that upward trajectory, despite a
somewhat sluggish overall bike market.
To help offset that, Moots has supported
its independent dealers through personal
territory visits, Moots education and clinics and other helpful floor display tools, he
says. The company also started a Moots
In-House Dealer Camp program.
“We host one to three dealer partners for
two to three days at Moots,” Mitchell says.
“We immerse them in the Moots culture,
our build philosophies, our build process
and craftsmanship focus while, of course,
having a lot of fun riding or skiing and getting to know the Moots crew over dinners.”
He credits that increased support, along
with a clear plan and innovative design and
performance, for driving Moots’ success.
Ultimately, though, Mitchell says, it’s about
focusing on “what we do best: handcrafting
the finest titanium bikes for cycling enthusiasts
around the world – and consistently telling
that story to the cycling community.”
COCTW Class of 2012:
Rocky Mountain Popcorn Co.
For Karen Bradley, it’s all about the popcorn: The flavor. The quality.
And especially – the location, location,
location.
When she bought the 20-year-old Rocky
Mountain Popcorn Co. (RMPC) in 2007,
s
e
s
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s
Able Planet
www.ableplanet.com
Snapshot: Able Planet designs and manufactures audio and communication devices
for individuals with all levels of hearing.
The products range from consumer headphones to devices for hearing health. The
company was founded in 2005 and is based
in Wheat Ridge.
Leadership: Kevin Semcken has been
CEO since 2005.
Work Force: Able Planet had 21 full-time
employees and eight part-time in 2012, and
expects to have 25 full-time and two parttime employees this year.
Pivotal Moment: At the International
Consumer Electronics Show in 2006,
Able Planet won an Innovations Design
and Engineering Award in the Embedded
Technology Category for its LINX AUDIO
technology. This led to the development of
the company’s first consumer headphone,
Clear Harmony.
Tech Edge: Able Planet LINX AUDIO
alters audio signals creating high frequency
harmonics off every fundamental sound.
Most hearing loss occurs in the high frequency, so Able Planet’s products create
high frequency sounds that are untainted.
Community Involvement: Able Planet
donates assistive listening products to schools,
and sends its “I Am Able” sponsored athletes such as Ashley Fiolek – who is deaf
and a Women’s Super X Motocross World
Champion – to schools to motivate kids to
overcome auditory challenges.
Adaptive Innovations
Corp.
www.a-i-corp.com
Snapshot: Adaptive is an engineering
firm specializing in design, build and programming of custom machine automation,
robotics, test equipment and fixtures. The
company was founded in 2002 and is based
in Lakewood.
Leadership: Michael Abdella and
Scott Robinson are co-owners. Robinson
founded the company in 2002. Revenues
increased 296 percent in 2012 and are projected to increase 49 percent this year.
Work Force: The company had 15 fulltime equivalent (FTE) employees in 2012
and expects to have 19 this year.
Big Break: In 2008 the leadership made
a decision to shift primary offerings from
custom test equipment and tooling to
custom machine automation. Adaptive
changed its messaging and marketing and
won its first automation project in 2011. A
year later the company landed a second,
much larger project.
Tech Edge: Customers include companies
in aerospace and defense, medical device,
automotive, electronics and other sectors.
Adaptive integrates the latest technologies,
such as advanced robotics and progressive
software and controls, to reduce costs and
improve reliability for its clients.
Community Involvement: Adaptive
supports Dawg Nation Hockey Foundation,
which helps sick or injured hockey players.
Adaptive also supports events and fundraisers led by the Boulder Rugby Club, including volunteering time, coaching kids and
raising money.
Agility Solutions
www.agility-solutions.com
Snapshot: Agility Solutions is a consultancy
that works with telecom, energy, hospitality and technology companies in Denver.
Revenue increased 41 percent in 2012 and is
projected to increase 21 percent this year.
Leadership: Sami Ibrahim and Cody
Sudmeier are principals and co-founded
Agility.
Work Force: Agility does not disclose
how many employees it has, but says the
company uses behavioral interviewing plus
speed recruiting, or short, structured interviews, in the hiring process.
Pivotal Moment: Companies decreased
their spending during the Great Recession,
so Agility began offering clients a successbased fee model, in which clients only pay
for direct, measurable improvements to
their bottom line.
Tech Edge: In 2012, Agility launched a new
brand identity, creating a service suite called
Profit Assurance. Today the company is serving new customers outside the U.S.
Community Involvement: In 2012 all
Agility team members participated in at
least one of the firm’s community service
engagements, contributing more than
$6,000 to nonprofits such as the American
Cancer Society and Adopt a Family holiday gifts for families of fallen troops.
AGPROfessionals LLC
www.agpros.com
Snapshot:AGPROfessionals LLC offers
research and feasibility, location and site
selection, property acquisition and due
diligence, federal, state and local land use,
environmental permits and entitlements
and other services to agricultural entities. The Longmont-based company was
founded in 2000.
Leadership: Thomas Haren is owner and
CEO. Revenues increased 75 percent in
2012 and are projected to increase 10 percent this year.
Work Force: The company had 16 FTE
employees in 2012 and expects to increase
by two in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: The company divested
non-agricultural activities in 2005 to focus
exclusively on agriculture with its one-stopshop and services. In 2009 AGPROfessionals
was approached for a merger, and although it
did not sell, the company implemented new
efficiency improvements.
Tech Edge: AGPROfessionals uses biotechnology, computerization, remote sensing,
engineering, business, public policy and natural resource convergence to help solve some
of the challenges the industry faces.
Community Involvement: The com-
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pany donates and sponsors calves in the
annual livestock auction, and supports
the Boys & Girls Clubs of Weld County,
FFA (formerly Future Farmers of America)
and 4-H. In a 2012 survey employees
chose world food production as the company’s philanthropy and identified the
Weld County Food Bank and Heifer
International as a part of that mission.
Audioair, Airborne Media
Group Inc.
www.audioair.com
Snapshot: In 2011 Airborne Media Group
created Audioair, a technology that permits
smartphone and tablet users to selectively listen to muted televisions in private and public
venues, such as airports, sports bars, universities, casinos, fitness clubs and hospitals.
Revenues grew 59 percent in 2012, and are
projected to increase 1,015 percent this year.
Leadership: Cordell Brown is CEO of the
Durango-based company.
Work Force : The company had 18 fulltime employees in 2012 and expects to have
32 by end of this year.
Pivotal Moment: In 2012 Airborne
Media Group debuted Audioair at South
By Southwest Interactive, the tech conference of the SXSW festivals in Austin,
Texas. The technology was also noticed at
TechCrunch Disrupt San Francisco 2012.
Tech Edge: The dedicated platform provides the opportunity to develop ad content
that can be distributed to Audioair locations in real time. The venues and advertisers can use the digital channel to reach a
targeted segment in specific locations with
unique content.
Community Involvement: Airborne
Media Group provides digital signage on its
ad platform to local charities free of charge.
BEW Global
www.bewglobal.com
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Snapshot: BEW Global is a data protection
company with customers in more than 23
countries. The company was founded in 2002
and is based in Greenwood Village. Revenues
increased 48 percent in 2012 and are projected to increase 30 percent this year.
Leadership: Robert Eggebrecht is cofounder, president and CEO. His counterpart, Chuck Bloomquist is vice president
and CTO.
Work Force: The company had 33 fulltime employees in 2012 and expects to have
60 this year.
Big Break: Leadership decided BEW
Global would specialize in Data Loss
Prevention (DLP) and spent the first five
years in business educating the market on
the risks of data loss and the need for DLP.
Software vendors let BEW talk to their
prospects and clients about the need for a
strategic DLP system.
Tech Edge: BEW Global offers consulting
services and 24/7 Intelisecure Managed
Security Service Provider (MSSP) solutions. BEW Global also offers a cloudbased DLP delivery portfolio that integrates leading DLP solutions with best-inclass email and Web security platforms.
Company Culture: BEW Global’s culture
balances professionalism and comfort. No
suits except when meeting with a client, so
employees wear jeans, shorts and T-shirts
and often have mountain bikes and skis
ready to go, just in case.
Blue Moon Works Inc.
www.bluemoonworks.com
Snapshot: Blue Moon Works is a digital
marketing agency in Denver that helps clients sort through large amounts of data to
improve performance.
Leadership: Cynthia Brown founded
the company in 2003 and serves as CEO.
Revenues increased 39 percent in 2012 and
are projected to increase 43 percent this year.
Work Force: The company expects
to have 42 full-time and two part-time
employees this year.
Big Break: Blue Moon Works started as
an email marketing business. Early on a
major business supply company asked Blue
Moon Works to bid on providing pay-perclick (PPC) advertising and manage a $3
million ad budget. Today PPC advertising
is the firm’s largest service.
Tech Edge: The IT company filed a utility patent for Visual Intelligence Cubes.
This technology enables quick assessment
of up to eight different data sources and the
identification of the true driver of traffic,
revenue and conversion rates.
Company Culture: The company focuses
on six core values: Achievement, Growth,
Innovation, Respect, Teamwork and
Integrity. In weekly stand-up meetings,
peers shout out recognition of teammates’
accomplishments, and quarterly teambuilding projects are based on each of the six
core values.
Botanical Interests Inc.
www.botanicalinterests.com
Snapshot: Botanical Interests manufactures
and sells garden seed packets to independent
retail garden centers and health-centric grocery
stores nationwide. The company was founded
in 1995 and is based in Broomfield. Revenue
increased 10 percent in 2012 and is expected
to get another 18 percent boost this year.
Leadership: Curtis Jones and Judith
Seaborn are co-presidents.
Work Force: The company had 40 fulltime employees in 2012 and expects to
grow by two more in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: Consumers have
become interested in growing their own
food, and they are concerned about food
safety and the presence of genetically
modified organisms (GMOs). Organic
also became an important health trend, so
about seven years ago Botanical Interests
added a line of certified organic varieties.
Company Culture: Every spring, the
company takes orders from employees.
For example, someone might want to
grow Brandywine tomatoes, so Botanical
Interests grows them for that staff member.
This helps employees understand the company’s purpose and sometimes motivates
non-gardeners to learn to enjoy gardening.
Community Involvement: The company donates outdated but viable seeds to
organizations that grow food for school and
community gardens and food banks.
Boulder Creek Builders
www.livebouldercreek.com
Snapshot: Boulder Creek Builders calls
Louisville home and has built green homes
since 2006.
Leadership: David Sinkey is owner and
president. Revenues increased 204 percent in 2012 and are projected to increase
another 92 percent this year.
Work Force: The company expects to
nearly double its full-time employees in
2013, getting up to 45.
Big Break: The economic downturn ultimately benefitted Boulder Creek Builders,
as the company hired workers who were
laid off by competitors, bought land below
market value and boosted their marketing
and advertising efforts.
Tech Edge: The company implemented
an enterprise management system that
gives it access to real-time construction,
buyer, cost, pricing and warranty data.
This reporting power allows the company
to detect trends and stay ahead of changes in the market. BCB homes are low
maintenance designs that often appeal to
empty nesters.
Company Culture: Boulder Creek
enjoys a small company feel in a small
town. The company offers family outings
to the ice rink across the street and hosts
weekly barbecues during the Louisville
Downtown Street Faire, on Friday evenings in the summer.
AmCheck congratulates two clients
for being 2012 COCTW Winners!
AmCheck is a proud sponsor of Colorado Companies to Watch.
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Boulder Electric Vehicle Inc.
www.boulderev.com
Snapshot: Boulder Electric Vehicle builds
and sells 100 percent electric trucks. The
company was founded in 2008 and is based
in Lafayette.
Leadership: Carter Brown is president
and CEO.
Work Force: The company had 26 fulltime employees in 2012 and expects to have
35 by this year’s end.
Big Break: In a series of successes, the
Colorado Energy Office provided the
company with a $1.3 million loan, two
major shipping/logistics companies ordered
trucks from Boulder Electric Vehicle, and
a corporate and fleet sales group partnered
with BEV to sell trucks under a GSA
Schedule Contract.
Tech Edge: The company has two utility patents pending. One is for the battery
management system, and the other for a
special honeycomb design that increases
the strength of the body platform while significantly lowering weight.
Company Culture: The common
thread between each of the BEV team
members is their shared enthusiasm for
electric vehicles. The car crew works in
an integrated, collaborative fashion to
build a community atmosphere, increase
productivity and morale.
BSC Signs
www.bscsigns.com
Snapshot: Since 1999 Broomfield-based
BSC Signs has designed, manufactured,
installed and serviced signs for commercial,
corporate and government agencies.
Leadership: John Dobie is owner, founder
and president of the company originally
known as Broomfield Sign Co. Revenues
increased by 70 percent in 2012 and are
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projected to increase 28 percent this year.
Work Force: BSC expects to have 26 fulltimers this year.
Pivotal Moment: About three years ago
Dobie hired a business coach who guided
him to become a better leader and manager. The company started hiring new
team members so Dobie could better delegate tasks, including the company’s first
Certified Professional Salesperson.
Tech Edge: The company has implemented some semi-automatic machinery
and also hired people with industrial
art degrees who know how to do 3-D
presentations. That has helped BSC
get attention from architects and real
estate developers. The company also
uses Cloud Sign Estimating Software to
streamline business.
Community Involvement: BSC Signs
has donated signs and made financial
pledges to local schools and sporting organizations and to Habitat for
Humanity, Broomfield Community
Foundation, Broomfield Fish and Higher
Ground Youth Challenge.
Chinook Medical Gear Inc.
www.chinookmed.com
Snapshot: Chinook provides medical
containers, supplies, modules and kits for
military, government, law enforcement and
corporate clients. The company was founded
in 1990 and is based in Durango. Revenues
increased 21 percent in 2012 and are projected to increase 36 percent this year.
Leadership: Carl Darnell has been president and CEO since 1992.
Big Break: Before the Sept. 11, 2001
attacks, Chinook served adventure companies, travelers and travel clinics. After 9/11
a contact at an international medical clinic
helped Chinook enter the private military
contractor market.
Tech Edge: Chinook introduced Medical
Modules with vacuum sealed, single use,
injury specific treatment packages that
stand alone or can be added to complete a
larger medical kit. The company specializes in manufacturing medical kits for use in
the harshest environments and introduced
seven new products over the last 18 months
for its largest segment, the military.
Community Involvement: Chinook
supports organizations financially and
with in-kind donations. The charities
include military groups such as Blue
Star Mothers of Durango, Navy Seal
Foundation, as well as local groups such
as Durango Nature Studies and Durango
Food Bank.
Circle Fresh Farms LLC
www.circlefreshfarms.com
Snapshot: Denver’s own Circle Fresh
Farms is a marketing group that assists a
network of local farms to distribute fresh
organic produce across the Front Range.
Leadership: Richard Naha is CEO.
Revenues increased 194 percent in 2012
and are projected to increase 286 this year.
Work Force: After its founding in 2011,
the company had 16 full-time employees in
2012 and expects to have 20 this year.
Pivotal Moment: Since the demand
for organic produce is high, Circle Fresh
opted to retrofit abandoned greenhouses
instead of building new roofs, fixing up
interiors and planting new seeds within
two months.
Tech Edge: The farms maintain proprietary growing methods and hydroponic technology that use less water than
conventional agriculture. Circle Fresh
developed a Track and Trace System that
allows the retailer and the consumer to
know where and when the food was harvested and where it traveled before reaching them.
Community Involvement: The company has a farm called Growhaus, a nonprofit
in the Elyria Swansea neighborhood, which
sells lettuce.
Citron WorkSpaces LLC
www.citronworkspaces.com
Snapshot: Louisville’s Citron
Workspaces plans office interiors, sources
and supplies new and used office furniture and helps liquidate excess furniture
for commercial clients.
Leadership: Kathey Pear founded
Citron in 2004 and serves as president.
Revenues increased 24 percent in 2012
and are projected to increase 9 percent
this year.
Work Force: The company expects to
reach 20 full-time workers this year.
Pivotal Moment: Citron recognized the
need for a “blended furniture solutions”
program that uses a combination of existing furniture, used furniture, and new furniture to provide options for environmental
and budget-conscious clients.
Community Involvement: Citron
sponsors and attends events such as Taste
of Louisville, Louisville Parade of Lights,
Bonfils Blood Drive and Relay for Life
East Boulder County. The company
offers a Volunteer Time Off (VTO) program, which grants each employee two
days off annually, in addition to their
vacation time, to volunteer for a nonprofit of their choice.
Company Culture: The company offers
team building activities such as mountain
ski weekends, happy hour get-togethers
and pot-luck lunches. Other group activi-
ties include wine/painting sessions and
museum tours.
Cycla LLC
www.cyclallc.com
Snapshot: Cycla is a family-run professional thrift recycling company servicing
local and national thrift stores, commercial
laundries and penitentiary textile recycling.
The company was founded in 2007 and is
based in Federal Heights.
Leadership: Patricia McCully is company
president.
Pivotal Moment: Leadership recognized
there was a large untapped volume of landfill
303.839.1300
Some things never change. Like our
commitment to integrity, stability
and our core beliefs.
Doing what’s right,
not what’s popular.
Mariner Kemper, CEO, on the bank’s 100th anniversary
That’s why we’re proud to sponsor
COBiz Magazine’s Colorado Companies
to Watch. In celebration of 100 years,
we are proud to support organizations
that are working to shape a better
tomorrow.
We made a promise 100 years ago to
do what’s right for our customers. And
that promise stands today. And it will
for the next century.
umb.com/100
[ 34]
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More than a bank. More than a century.
waste and associated disposal costs in the
thrift store environment. Cycla expanded its
recycling services beyond textiles, to books,
plastics, metals and electronics.
Tech Edge: Instead of offering single
source recycling, Cycla made a decision to
identify expert third party suppliers to offer
a tool box of options to better manage multiple waste categories.
Community Involvement: In 2011 Cycla
provided the seed money to start a Colorado
company, Recycle That LLC, to partner with
nonprofits and help raise funds through textile recycling. Today Recycle That supports
nonprofits including Habitat for Humanity,
Ronald McDonald House Charities, Hospice
of Saint John and others. Combined efforts
of both companies nationwide have diverted
more than 230 million pounds of textile
waste from landfills.
Discovery Outsourcing LLC
discoveryoutsourcing.com
Snapshot: Since 2003 Discovery
Outsourcing has offered small and midsized businesses a single-source for benefits,
payroll, human resources and risk management. Revenues increased 17 percent in
2012 and are projected to grow 12 percent this year.
Leadership: Todd Beutel has been CEO
of the Greenwood Village-based business
since 2009.
Pivotal Moment: Leadership decided the
company is not a product or sales provider
but a service organization.
Tech Edge: Discovery Outsourcing
runs on ASP systems that are housed at
data centers across the country and are
fully SAS70 compliant. The company
provides full Web-based solutions for
clients, so they can hire new employees
without wasting paper. Instead clients use
a secure Web portal to access personal
information including paystubs, W2
forms and benefit packages.
Community Involvement: In 2012
Discovery launched its corporate volunteer program. The first event took place
at Children’s Hospital Colorado, where
Discovery employees participated in arts
and crafts with patients and their families.
The company also made a holiday gift
donation to Children’s Hospital on behalf
of clients.
300
ury.
At Hein & Associates LLP, we believe success is the result of our
people and clients sharing knowledge, working effectively in
teams, and sustaining long-term relationships to achieve goals.
For more information, visit www.heincpa.com or contact our
Partner-in-Charge, Jim Brendel, at [email protected]
or 303-298-9600.
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Doc Popcorn
www.docpopcorn.com
Snapshot: Doc Popcorn is a popcorn
retailer out of Boulder with more than 80
franchised units in 25 states.
Leadership: Husband and wife team
Rob and Renée Israel cofounded the company in 2003. Rob is CEO or Big Pop and
Renee is Mama Pop. Revenues increased
84 percent in 2012 and are projected to
increase 46 percent this year.
Work Force: The company expects to
have 18 full-time workers in 2013.
Big Break: Doc Popcorn needed a hightraffic venue to test the product in time for
the 2003 winter holiday season. A property
manager from Macerich offered a space for
free that a cookie vendor had occupied at
Flatiron Crossing.
Community Involvement: Doc
Popcorn launched the Popping for Pink
program, raising more than $15,000 for
the Foxy Lady Fund, which provides free
breast cancer screenings through Boulder
Community Hospital.
Company Culture: A Pop-It-Forward
program empowers employees to give a
free bag of popcorn a week to someone in
need as defined by the giver. The team
can do impromptu activities such as closing down early to go to a Rockies game
or go bowling.
Easter-Owens
www.easter-owens.com
Snapshot: Easter-Owens is a custom
metal fabrication shop providing design,
manufacturing and custom product solutions for the oil and gas, solar and wind,
defense contracting, correctional and mining industries. The company was founded
in 1955 and is based in Arvada.
Leadership: David Easter has been
president and CEO since 1980. Revenues
increased 82 percent in 2012 and are set to
increase by another 25 percent this year.
Work Force: The company expects to
employ 98 full-timers this year.
Pivotal Moment: When David Easter
took leadership of his father’s company,
>100
years of building
relationships of trust
Proudly Supporting
Colorado Companies to Watch
Risk Management Solutions >
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Denver, CO 80202
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David decided the corrections market
would be the path to the company’s prosperity. Later Easter-Owens ventured into
the world of oil and gas.
Tech Edge: Easter-Owens kept up with
technological advances in manufacturing by
purchasing state-of-the-art machinery such
as high-powered lasers and superior material
handling equipment. As such the operation
went from simple, local fabrication to manufacturer of medium voltage buildings and
programmable logic controller panels.
Community Involvement: EasterOwens is a regular contributor and supporter of the Arvada Police Departments,
fire stations, churches, high schools and
the Arvada Food Bank. David Easter is
an active member of the Jefferson County
Economic Council, offering his assistance
by providing leadership and direction to
city decision makers.
Ecosphere Environmental
Services Inc.
www.ecosphere-services.com
Snapshot: Ecosphere Environmental
Services is an environmental consulting
firm that has specialized in environmental compliance and permitting, natural
resources consulting, public outreach and
participation and environmental planning and monitoring since 1982. Revenues
increased 40 percent in 2012 and are projected to increase 16 percent this year.
Leadership: Mike Fitzgerald has been
president of the Durango-based business
since 1997.
Work Force: The company had 35 fulltime and four part-time employees in 2012.
Pivotal Moment: Ecosphere recently
hired a professional human resource and
organizational management specialist,
re-engineered the company’s computer
network and adopting process and quality
improvement applications.
Tech Edge: This year Ecosphere
developed a company-wide, all-inclusive
training program for project and process
management. The company leveraged
technology such as SharePoint, which
allows the team to effectively track the
status of 350 projects annually.
Community Involvement: In 2009 the
Board of Directors voted to focus on giving
to local nonprofit and community development organizations. Ecosphere provides
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in-kind environmental services and financial support to the Durango Discovery
Museum, public radio stations, La Plata
County Economic Development Alliance
(Enterprise Zone) and others.
EnerHealth Botanicals
www.enerfood.com
Snapshot: EnerHealth Botanicals manufactures health products such as food,
supplements and herbal medicine to help
customers achieve optimal health.
Leadership: Steve St. Clair and Darren
Craddock founded the company in 2005.
St. Clair is president and CEO and
Proud Sponsor
Congratulations to
the 2013 Colorado
Companies to Watch
Building Materials
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Healthcare
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Craddock is vice president of product
development. Revenues increased 20 percent in 2012 and are projected to increase
100 percent this year.
Work Force: The company had eight
full-time equivalent employees in 2012 and
expects to have 11 this year.
Pivotal Moment: The company recently
moved from Internet-based sales to stores,
and signed a distribution agreement that
will put the products on thousands of store
shelves across the country.
Community Involvement: EnerHealth
supports Evergreen High School’s sporting
and philanthropic activities. Also a friend
of Sales Manager Ryan St. George climbed
Mount Kilimanjaro to raise money for cerebral palsy research, and EnerHealth provided
him with herbs, supplements and supplies to
We
applaud
you.
help him train and complete his climb.
Company Culture: Staff members occasionally get together on the weekends and
donate time to various projects from diabetes charity walks to planting gardens.
Freenotes Harmony Park Inc.
freenotesharmonypark.com
Snapshot: Since 2010 Freenotes Harmony
Park has manufactured durable outdoor
musical instruments out of Durango that
are permanently installed in the ground for
parks, schools and playgrounds.
Leadership: Owner Christy Cooke experienced a revenue increase of 36 percent in
Customized IT solutions for
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Congratulations to all
the winning companies.
Key Private Bank wishes
you continued success!
Congratulations to the
For more information go to
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2013 Colorado
Companies to Watch
1515 Wynkoop St., Ste. 800, Denver, CO 80202
Member FINRA
JUNE 2013
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Technology
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Key.com is a federally registered service
mark of KeyCorp. ©2013 KeyCorp.
KeyBank is Member FDIC. ADL2959
GoWest IT.com
(303) 795-2200
L
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2012 and Freenotes projected to increase 32
percent this year.
Work Force: Freenotes expects to have
nine full-time and five part-time employees
this year.
Pivotal Moment: The company switched
from direct to wholesale sales through a
national network of distributors, which
helped it create a national brand for the
products and a wider reach among industries in Europe, Canada, Australia, Chile,
Israel and Singapore.
Tech Edge: Richard Cooke, Christy
Cooke’s husband and the company designer, created durable acoustical designs for
outdoor environments. Freenotes instruments are tuned, wheelchair accessible and
designed for any age, gender, ethnicity and
physicality. For architects and site planners,
the company’s website has state-of-the-art
3D CAD drawings available in nine formats to facilitate a drag and drop function.
Community Involvement: Freenotes
strives to be a green manufacture, so it
looks for local suppliers first for all goods
and services.
Green Garage
www.greengarage.com
Snapshot: Green Garage is a vehicle
repair and maintenance provider in
Boulder that uses new technologies to save
money, time and the planet.
Leadership: In 2009 Ryan Ferrero
founded Green Garage and has gone on as
CEO and chief carhugger. Steve Kirchner
is president.
Work Force: The company had 25 fulltime and three part-time employees in
2012, and expects to have 75 full-time and
three part-timers this year.
Pivotal Moment: In 2011, after testing
and measuring technological, operational
and customer acquisition models, the
company converted an existing garage to
a Green Garage and customers responded
positively. Last year the company built
Green Garage V 2.0 with the help of
advertising agency Crispin Porter +
Bogusky and Oz Architecture.
Community Involvement: Green
Garage supports academia with internships
primarily from the University of Colorado
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Boulder and from high schools as well. The
company tries to teach students business
strategy, work ethic and sustainability.
Company Culture: Green Garage offers
innovative employees empowerment, promotions from within and general respect.
Rather than refer to a technician as a tech
or mechanic, the company has carhuggers,
and instead of a service adviser, the garage
has greenskeepers.
Icelantic Skis
www.icelanticskis.com
Snapshot: Icelantic Skis manufactures
and sells Alpine skis and boots. The company was founded in 2005 and is Denverbased. Revenues increased 69 percent in
2012 and are projected to increase 61 percent this year.
Leadership: Benjamin Anderson is CEO
and co-founder with Annelise Loevlie,
Travis Parr and Travis Cook.
Work Force: The company expects to
have 10 full-time and 14 part-time employees this year.
Pivotal Moment: Icelantic Skis won
the Best Brand New Hardgood of the
year award in 2006 at ISPO, a sporting
goods tradeshow in Munich, Germany.
Also, the company partnered with the
snowboard manufacturer Never
Summer Industries to make Icelantic
Skis in Denver.
Community Involvement:
Employees of Icelantic Skis volunteer
with University of Denver’s Daniels
College of Business, Rocky Mountain
Micro Finance Institute, GALS (Girls
Athletic Leadership School), Women’s
Economic Leadership Forum, Something
Independent, The Business of Fun and
other local organizations.
Company Culture: There are no set
hours or vacation quotas. Some employees work 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and take government holidays; others travel the world
and work remotely. The Icelantic crew
takes one or two company retreats, a ski
or surf trip, every year. This allows the
team to connect out of the office and
generate new ideas.
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[ 40]
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SalesLeadership, Inc., 303.708.1128
salesleadershipdevelopment.com
Isonas Inc.
www.isonas.com
Snapshot: ISONAS offers physical access
control with a pure Internet protocol (IP)
solution that eliminates control panels and
specialized wiring while allowing management of the system via a Web interface.
The company was founded in 1999 and is
based in Boulder. It experienced a 113 percent revenue increase in 2012.
Leadership: Rob Mossman became CEO
in 2012.
Pivotal Moment: In 2004 the founders
decided to approach a hardware-based
access control market from a software per-
spective. They were able to build a product
that eliminated control panels and the
need for external power, reducing installation time and cost. Patents were issued in
August 2010, giving ISONAS broad protection to grow the business.
Tech Edge: The patented product uses a
pure IP solution that is control panel-free
and powered over Ethernet cable, to bring
flexibility and scalability up and cost down.
The user has the ability to modify the
access control system via a Web interface,
which allows decentralization of permissions management.
Company Culture: ISONAS has an
espresso machine and free Italian coffee and
beer ready and waiting in the refrigerator.
Company culture descriptors are listed on a
dry erase board in the office: Proud, Thrifty,
Motivated, Energized, Urgency, OK to
Make Mistakes, Creative, Innovative, Open
Minded, Personally Responsible.
Luna Gourmet Coffee
and Tea Co.
www.lunagourmet.com
Coffee & Tea Company
EST. 1996
Snapshot: Founded in 1996 and based in
Denver, Luna Gourmet Coffee and Tea Co.
is a coffee roasting and tea blending company that owns and manages three brands:
BocaJava.com, Boulder Organic Coffee and
2013 Colorado Companies to Watch award winner
Wetland Delineations
Clean Water Act Permitting
Flora and Fauna Investigations
Threatened and Endangered Species Surveys
Environmental Assessments (NEPA) Compliance
Stormwater Management and Reclamation Planning
Private Land, Forest, and Natural Resources Planning
Durango, CO: (970) 382-7256 • Farmington, NM: (505) 327-3088 • Cortez, CO: (970) 564-9100 • Pagosa Springs, CO: (970) 264-0309
Profess io n al env i ro n m ental solu tions. Ex per t regu lator y g uid a nce.
www.ecosphere-services.com
Luna Roasters Coffee & Tea.
Leadership: Jason Barrow is president
and co-owner. Revenues are expected to
increase 117 percent this year.
Big Break: In 2008 the company won its
first multi-million dollar national account.
The new business helped Luna attract new
investor financing, which the company
used to expand its facility by 15,000 square
feet, add a second coffee roaster and install
an automated packaging line.
Community Involvement: Luna offers
socially responsible, roast-to-order coffee
to restaurants and online. The company
donated 7.9 million cups of coffee to front line
soldiers through its Troop Coffee program.
Also the company provided a sizable cash
donation to local nonprofit partners, through
a give-back on every dollar spent with wholesale customers.
Company Culture: The management
philosophy is Happy Employees create
Happy Customers, who in turn create
Happy Shareholders. Every employee has
several areas of responsibility, which drives
accountability, quality and awareness of the
processes upstream and downstream.
Minute Key Inc.
www.minutekey.com
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Snapshot: Founded in 2008, Boulderbased Minute Key Inc. devised the world’s
first self-service, automated key-cutting
machine. The kiosks can be found in major
retailers, including Lowe’s, Walmart and
The Home Depot. Revenues grew 681 percent last year and the company projects a
39 percent increase in 2013.
Leadership: CEO Randall Fagundo
assumed his role in 2010.
Work force: As of 2012, Minute Key
employs 31 full-time workers and 66 parttimers, experiencing a 68 percent employee
growth rate in 2012. It expects to reach 40
full-time workers this year.
Big Break: When Minute Key’s founders
recognized how challenging key duplication
was despite technological leaps and bounds
in other industries, their curiosity was piqued.
Consequently, they created a simplified and
automated prototype from wood and metal in
their garage, believing the result would be a
win-win for customers and retailers.
Tech Edge: With robotics, software engineering and a singular focus, the tedious
task of copying keys has gone from inconvenient and labor-intensive to a three-step
solution that produces 100 percent accurate
keys in a minute or less.
Company Culture: Fagundo’s respect for
his staff builds an environment with high
sociability and solidarity. With shared values, trust and rewards to incentivize hard
work, the Minute Key atmosphere is open
for creativity and teamwork.
created a unique company holiday in March,
MM Local Eating Day.
Montanya Distillers LLC
www.montanyarum.com
MM Local
www.mmlocalfoods.com
Snapshot: MM Local partners with
Colorado family farmers to preserve their
organic, homegrown produce so hungry
customers can chow down on nutrient-rich
local food year-round. In 2012, MM Local
experienced 73 percent revenue growth.
Leadership: Owners Jim Mills and Ben
Mustin co-founded the company in 2009.
Work Force: The Denver-based business
employed 19 full-time-equivalent workers in
2012 and expects to reach 22 this year.
Pivotal Moment: Before Mills and Mustin
dove into their production process, they jotted
down MM Local’s brand beliefs. Three-andhalf years later, the values-driven team vision
to craft an authentic, healthy and sustainable
food system and inspire community connections has gone unchanged.
Community Involvement: By buying
produce exclusively from Colorado farmers,
hiring Colorado workers and selling solely
to Colorado consumers, MM Local has
become a trailblazer in the state’s food community. Also, as a primary buyer of local
produce from several agricultural partners,
the farms are able to plant more acreage
and confidently maintain a stable buyer,
willing to adapt to ever-changing supplies.
Company Culture: MM Local strives to
invest in relationships internally and externally
by embracing collaboration and manufacturing better food. To recognize employees’ hard
work and the long hours required during
harvest months, the MM Local crew observes
holidays in the late winter-early spring and has
Snapshot: From its beginning, Montanya
made rum its focal point and the company
has yet to falter from that focus. Montanya
Distillers is a craft distiller of artisan rum,
now distributed across the country and
around the world. Its projected revenue
growth is 21 percent for 2013.
Leadership: Company President Karen
Hoskin founded Montanya in 2008.
Work Force: Montanya expects to expand
its employee base by 5 percent this year.
Big Break: In May 2011, Montanya made
the move from Silverton to Crested Butte,
solving the challenges of growth it had
faced for several years. Montanya received
“2013 Craft Distillery of the Year” from
the American Distilling Institute and “2012
Business of the Year” from the Crested
Butte Chamber of Commerce.
Community Involvement: The artisanal
rum producer lends its facilities cost-free for
fundraising event space year-round, most
recently hosting a Moulin Rouge Ball to
benefit local land preservation organization
High Country Citizens’ Alliance (HCCA) in
Crested Butte.
Company Culture: As self-proclaimed
“classic bootstrappers,” and “eternal optimists,” the distillery aims to enhance the
lives of its staff. As such, Montanya instigates group activities such as staff retreats
at the Chipeta Sun Lodge in Ridgeway or
company celebrations with pirate-themed
parties and aerial dancers.
Mountain Racing Products
www.mountainracingproducts.com
Snapshot: Mesa County’s Mountain
Racing Products manufactures high-end
bicycle components and is a global leader
in the niche chain guide and guard market.
MRP’s brand was the original chain guide
in the bicycle market.
Leadership: Tim Fry, Mountain
Racing’s president, founded the company
in February 2000.
Work Force: In 2012, MRP had nearly 19
full-time equivalent employees, expecting to
ramp up by a couple more this year.
Big Break: The expansion of MRP’s
bicycle chain guide and guard technology
from the downhill market to the broader
mountain bike space changed the business
dramatically. This year MRP expects a 400
percent increase in revenue due to the addition of this product line.
Community Involvement: Not surprisingly, the bike-component makers tend to
concentrate community service efforts on projects to support the advancement of outdoor
activities, such as the 130-acre acquisition of
the Three Sisters property to be developed for
recreation and educational purposes.
Tech Edge: The company makes and
supplies parts that keep chains on mountain bikes in tricky terrain, protecting the
bikes from damage. MRP has two main
patented areas in its suspension products: a unique patented valve system that
employs magnetism to control suspension
and an axle resulting in an easy-to-use
and substantially stiffer suspension fork
than competitors’ offerings.
Oliver Manufacturing
Co. Inc.
www.olivermanufacturing.com
Snapshot: For over 80 years, Oliver has
broken ground as a leading provider of
durable, effective and reliable equipment
for separating dry materials by weight. The
Otero-based company has served global
seed, nut, coffee, recycling, lumber and
mining industries since 1930 with its line of
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refined gravity separators, de-stoners, precision sizers and bed dryers. Its projected revenue growth for 2013 is set at 31 percent.
Leadership: Brian Burney – president,
CEO and great grandson of founder Oliver
Steele – joined the company in 2004.
Work Force: The manufacturing business
is set to hit 75 full-time employees in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: In Oliver’s first generation, the founder developed equipment, revolutionizing seed and grain processing. With
each transition from generation to generation
there have been further improvements.
Tech Edge: Today’s Voyager and MaxiCap Platinum products are the first fully
automated, fully integrated gravity separators on the market.
Company Culture: Oliver has been a
family business since its establishment.
Across three generations, a collaborative
team-oriented approach has helped get
things done quickly in an ever-changing,
globally competitive market.
One World Labs LLC
Snapshot: One World Labs (OWL) abides
by a “safety first” style, specializing in cyber
security testing, risk assessment and remediation of physical and digital security for
corporations and government agencies. In
the growing digital area, the company is
forecast to experience 153 percent revenue
growth in 2013.
Leadership: Jay Weber took over as CEO
of OWL in 2011.
Work Force: The Denver-based IT
experts are projected to experience an 82
percent employee spike, from 11 full time
workers to 20 by year’s end.
Big Break: Chris Roberts is a world-class
security specialist with striking technical
skills. However, he was unconvinced that his
tech savvy would translate into building a
thriving business. Luckily, he had the foresight to call upon Weber’s entrepreneurial
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know-how. The two raised the necessary
funds to jumpstart OWL and have since
doubled their revenue annually.
Community Involvement: OWL is a
member of Hackers for Charity, a nonprofit
that leverages the skills of tech pros to solve
challenges nonprofits face.
Tech Edge: OWL has developed counterintelligence software, which proactively
monitors the Web and other potentially
malicious channels to identify and mitigate
threats to companies before damage is done.
Oogavé
www.oogave.com
Snapshot: The brainchild of Stephen
“Esteban” Anson has evolved into an allnatural, organic soda, sweetened purely with
agave nectar. Flavors include mandarin key
lime, watermelon cream, strawberry rhubarb and more. The company experienced
28 percent revenue growth in 2012 and is
slated to nearly triple that in 2013.
Leadership: Gannon Merrell, president
and CFO, founded Oogavé in 2009.
Pivotal Moment: The idea for Oogavé
first came to Anson while overseeing his
small, natural foods restaurant, Wholly
Tomato in downtown Denver. From his
fresh baked breads to his handcrafted dressings, nothing artificial or commercial made
it past the culinary wiz. Bothered by the lack
of choice and quality in soft drink selections,
he turned to agave nectar. After months of
mixology and countless taste-tests, Anson
began serving Oogavé fizzy drinks in his restaurant on April 13, 2005.
Tech Edge: Oogavé bottles its beverages
in-house, allowing for more control of the
manufacturing process from start to finish.
Additionally, beginning in April, Oogavé
began distributing LOCA, a full-flavor,
low-calorie variety made with all-natural
ingredients.
Company Culture: With a shorts and
T-shirt style and pets with an open RSVP
policy around the office, the scene is set
for a calm, cool, collected company environment. Oogavé’s laid-back philosophy
embraces the individuality, creativity and
stress-free lifestyle its employees seek.
PEAK Resources Inc.
www.peakresources.com
Snapshot: By tailoring technology to its
end users’ needs, PEAK Resources is able to
blend virtualization, server and storage consolidation, business resiliency, cloud and IT
optimization for small startups to Fortune
100 clients. The company’s revenue was up
by 17 percent in 2012.
Leadership: Since 1991, founder Vince
DeRose has served as company president.
Pivotal Moment: The most recent economic downturn put an undeniable strain on
PEAK’s business and coverage models. As a
result, the company developed tighter management to maintain profitability. Since recovering, the company has become more flexible,
prepared to take on the cloud-computing era.
Community Involvement: In an effort
to support the educational needs of the
Denver community, PEAK is currently in
its third year of its Resources Scholarship
for Technology with KIPP Colorado program, awarding up to $6,000 for graduating
seniors who intend to pursue technologybased degrees.
Tech Edge: PEAK’s Technology Center
serves as a showcase, housing the latest technology for clients to check out.
Populus LLC
www.populusllc.com
Snapshot: Founded in 2007, the Boulderbased utility company provides energy
efficiency implementation for utilities and
governments. Noteworthy clients include
Xcel Energy, the City and County of
Denver, Boudler and Longmont. Populus
has achieved more than 3,000 percent revenue growth since 2009.
Leadership: Laura Hutchings joined
Populus as its CEO in May 2009.
Work Force: Populus anticipates 35 fulltime employees to make up its team by the
end of 2013.
Big Break: After laying the groundwork with
a few, small government contracts, Populus
was awarded a $3.8 million multi-year contract to administer a community-scale residential energy efficiency program throughout
Boulder County in 2009. The contract afforded Populus the opportunity for rapid growth
and validated its scalable delivery model.
Community Involvement: In 2012, team
members jumped on the “Movember” bandwagon, competing to grow the most impressive facial hair. Populus supported the employee-led initiative by matching the fundraising
efforts to aid prostate cancer research.
Company Culture: Populus has pioneered a new implementation model for
residential energy efficiency that puts
“People First, Buildings Second.” By taking the role of “Energy Advisor,” Populus
endeavors to establish relationships of
trust with home owners.
Peterson and Craig Reeves, took a leap of
faith and mortgaged their homes and assets
to form a company in 2004, PreciseCast
became more than just talk. Two years
thereafter, they realized only a small portion
of their customers drove the vast majority
of profit. As a result they opted to diversify
their audience, capitalizing on the niche
prototype development market.
Tech Edge: Translating customer designs
into manufacturable products requires the
expertise of PCPE’s team of full-time electrical
and mechanical engineers. These team members develop and implement processes from
initial concept to the manufacturing phase.
Company Culture: PCPE employees take
pride and ownership of each project they
complete. Due to a swiftly flowing stream of
challenges and commitments, pride, loyalty
and camaraderie are natural by-products that
define the PreciseCast dynamic.
Precision Media
Solutions LLC
www.precisionav.net
Precise Cast Prototypes
& Engineering
www.precisecast.com
Snapshot: PreciseCast is a manufacturing
and engineering company out of Adams
County that provides prototype and lowvolume castings and machined parts to
companies including John Deere, LockheedMartin, Bose and L3 Communication.
Revenues for the 9-year-old company are
projected to increase by 28 percent in 2013.
Leadership: Brett Peak, the president of
PreciseCast, assumed the position in 2011.
Big Break: When three guys, Peak, Patrick
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Snapshot: By combining innovative technology and creative design, Precision Media
– founded in 2004 – provides safety, comfort,
convenience and entertainment in homes and
offices with electronic system solutions.
Leadership: Brian Richards has been
President and CEO since 2004, when the
Jefferson County company was founded.
Work force: Employee growth for 2012
reached 29 percent and is set to increase by
an additional 22 percent in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: The IT business largely
relies on client recommendations to pursue
new business. For instance, shortly after
completing a large-scale residential lighting
project, the structure Precision had constructed failed in one of the neighborhood
homes, leaving the home owner unable to
turn off any lights. In fulfilling its duties, the
Precision team fixed the inoperative system
at 2 a.m. that very night. Three months
following the incident, the client referred
Precision for a $300,000 project after telling
a friend the story.
Community Involvement: By creating easy-to-use electronic environments for
schools, city governments, nonprofits and
training centers, Precision contributes to learning experiences and information sharing.
Company Culture: Many Precision
employees have shared their hope to keep
their career at the IT company in its entirety.
ProLink Solutions
www.prolinksolutions.com
TM
SOLUTIONS
Snapshot: A decade ago, the financial
services field experienced frequent disconnections, dead-ends and barriers. With the
development of the ProLink framework,
the Denver-based company has successfully
implemented software solutions, serving a
variety of enterprise-level companies across
the globe, currently processing 25 percent of
all U.S. commercial mortgage transactions.
Leadership: In 2000, Shawn McKenna
founded ProLink and has served as CEO since.
Work force: With a substantial spike in
employee growth projected for 2013, ProLink
anticipates jumping from 30 to 50 employees.
Pivotal Moment: After perfecting its platform, in 2007 ProLink refocused on the lowincome housing market, a segment in need
of transparency and compliance. With their
enterprise-level applications, the computer
pros were able to establish themselves in the
industry as regulations and reporting was
completed with unwavering guidelines.
Tech Edge: With the creation of
SmartDox, data from Microsoft Word and
Excel can be exported into and out of the
application, saving customers hours of wasted effort and eliminating redundancies.
Company Culture: Boasting a work-hard,
play-hard, family-first environment proves
that ProLink values its employees, resulting
in a less than 2 percent turnover rate.
Quick Left Inc.
www.quickleft.com
Snapshot: Quick Left develops custom
Web and mobile applications out of Boulder
County for startups and established businesses alike. The company largely attributes
growth in the past three years to being one
of the only software shops of its kind with
engineers skilled in advanced languages.
This year Quick Left is projected to increase
its revenue by 79 percent.
Leadership: CEO Ingrid Alongi co-founded the Web engineering company in 2009.
Work Force: Between this and last year,
Quick Left is set to grow its work force by
40 percent.
Pivotal Moment: Though the decision
to move the company to its current Pearl
Street location cost a pretty penny, the relocation allowed Quick Left to dramatically
boost its employees and put the headquarters on the map as one of the most frequented business sites in the industry.
Community Involvement: In addition to
sponsoring various education efforts, Quick
Left supports the Boulder Nordic Junior
Race Team and Colorado’s Women’s
Cycling Project.
Company Culture: Quick Left – a
WorldBlue certified business, reserved for 50
companies worldwide for promoting democracy in the workplace – empowers its employees
to be groundbreakers within the organization
by offering monthly leadership training from
improv classes to hiring consultants.
RavenBrick LLC
www.ravenbrick.com
Snapshot: RavenBrick is a clean technology company out of Denver that manufactures patented window filters, which change
tints with temperature, saving up to
30 percent more energy than competitors’
varieties. Revenue growth for 2013 is projected at 129 percent.
Leadership: CEO Alex Burney and
CTO Wil McCarthy co-founded the company in 2006.
Work Force: This year, the manufacturing
business is set to experience a 157 percent
increase in full-time employees.
Big Break: In mid-2007, McCarthy dismantled a standard calculator and put the display
in an old coffee cup with boiling water. The
display changed color and the company’s patented smart window technology was born.
Tech Edge: The “secret sauce” around
RavenBrick is McCarthy’s experience as an
aerospace engineer. He expects his applications to be faster, smaller, smarter and more
efficient. With optimism and know-how,
RavenBrick believes it has a winning recipe.
Company Culture: Self-described as
“Animal House meets Weird Science,” all
but three of the high-spirited, confident staff
members are engineers, primarily under 30
years old.
Rocky Mountain Reagents Inc.
www.rmreagents.com
Snapshot: Started in 1951 with a simple
strategy focused on superior service, Rocky
Mountain Reagents (RMR) operates as a
manufacturer of laboratory test solutions
for industries including food, wastewater
treatment, education and aerospace. In
2012, the company experienced 12 percent
revenue growth, with additional 16 percent
projected for this year.
Leadership: President and owner Phyllis
Sordelet started with the company in 1988.
Work Force: Upon last year’s end, RMR
was up 10 full-time and 12 part-time
employees, equating to 16 FTE workers on
the team. This year that number is set to
increase by 28 percent.
Pivotal Moment: In 2001, RMR
acquired First Service Supply, doubling its
sales and opening new project lines, break-
ing down industry barriers.
Tech Edge: RMR has redesigned lab
products and packaging to be user-friendly
for fieldwork. The Jefferson County based
company has also helped develop experiments that enable college students to perform science labs at home.
Company Culture: When on the hunt for
new talent, the RMR team seeks likeminded
people who appreciate the Colorado lifestyle.
SAFEbuilt
www.safebuilt.com
Snapshot: From the Northern Front
Range, SAFEbuilt provides contract building
department services such as inspections, plan
reviews, code enforcement and administration
to local governments nationwide. The company has experienced 36 percent growth in
the last year and is slated for an additional 13
percent revenue increase in 2013.
Leadership: President and CEO Mike
McCurdie got on board at SAFEbuilt in
1999, just seven years after the company
was started.
Work Force: Last year, the construction
business grew its employee base by more
than 50 percent, while this year, an additional 26 FTE employees are expected to
join the team.
Pivotal Moment: In an attempt to appeal
to client requests and shifts in the market,
SAFEbuilt began providing services outside
its original core business, smaller towns
and cities. In a substantial departure from
the company’s historic focus on single service, projects such as work for the City of
Centennial required that SAFEbuilt scale
its service model to fit larger communities,
allowing the business to remain relevant.
Community Involvement: In May 2008,
a mile-wide tornado tore through the Town
of Windsor, one of SAFEbuilt’s clients. Due
to pre-existing professional relationships, the
team was able to draw inspectors statewide
to perform assessments on the 850 damaged houses and waived $130,000 in permit
fees to get residents back in the comfort of
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homes expediently.
Tech Edge: As mobile technology has
become increasingly ubiquitous, SAFEbuilt
has pushed devices into the field. Inspectors
are provided smartphones and iPads that
allow them to stay connected, entering
data in real-time from the field, rather than
delayed information submission and sharing
with contractors.
Sky Blue Builders LLC
www.skybluebuilders.com
Snapshot: The Denver-based general contracting and construction management firm
concentrates on commercial tenant finish
and infrastructure. Last year, the company
increased revenues by 275 percent.
Leadership: Mowa Haile, CEO and president, founded the company in 2007.
Work Force: After a 300 percent increase
in employees last year, Sky Blue is projected
to add another nine FTE workers in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: Sky Blue Builders (SBB)
was originally a general contracting firm
specializing in high-end custom home renovations. In 2008, the company transitioned
to the public sector, seeing a decline in the
private market. The federal market now
makes up nearly 50 percent of the company’s revenues.
Community Involvement: The SBB
team has employed high school and college students from Goodwill and the Bridge
Project to teach business etiquette for future
job preparation.
Company Culture: With a “beyond
benefits” attitude, SBB encourages
performance-based incentives, continued
education, mentoring and creative programs to foster accountability.
SpireMedia
www.spiremedia.com
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Snapshot: Stationed in Denver,
SpireMedia develops Web and mobile applications for clients including, Dell, Rent-ACenter, Toys ‘R’ Us and evening talk show
host David Letterman. In 2013, Spire is set
to experience 25 percent revenue growth.
Leadership: CEO and Founder Michael
Gellman started the company in 1998.
Work Force: Last year, Spire hired
roughly 10 new FTE employees. This year
the staff is expected to increase by another
35 percent.
Big Break: Before the iPhone and Android
were universal, Spire predicted mobile
apps would blossom in a big way. Thus,
the research and development department
investigated the potential of the technology,
and by the time the public’s collective hand
was glued to its smartphone, the information technology organization was ready to
jump into the action, leading to lucrative
partnerships with AT&T and others.
Community Involvement: Spire is a
major supporter of the Rocky Mountain
MicroFinance Institute, a nonprofit that
provides learning, lending and coaching
opportunities to low-income entrepreneurs.
Company Culture: Because the media
group considers its people the No. 1 asset
and operating with a system of checks and
balances, Google-esque perks such as nap
rooms, dog friendly office space, food, beer
and flex time have become the rule, rather
than the exception.
employees by 35 percent this year, equating
to 111 full-time employees.
Big Break: Shehan and Swoboda demonstrated their agility, adapting ahead of the
curve with SpotXchange and a willingness
to take risks to create a real-time online
video advertising marketplace. With the
launch of SkipIt – a service that allows consumers to control the Web video ad experience with the opportunity to avoid video ads
– SpotXchange addressed the issue of high
abandonment rates online and made it fair
for publishers, consumers and advertisers.
Community Involvement: SpotXchange
hosts several events annually to promote
women in technology. As a founding member of the NCWIT Entreprenerial Alliance,
the team works to recruit and retain more
women in tech-related industries.
Tech Edge: Each year since its onset,
SpotXchange has launched industry-first
innovations, like real-time bidding for video
advertising and ad skipping technology.
Most recently, the company made it possible for clients to automatically bid on ad
impressions in real-time and drive efficiencies, thereby reeling in the full revenue
potential of a video.
SpotXchange
Snapshot: Denver-based TaxOps drives
value through custom tax solutions, fixed-fee
pricing and year-round delivery. TaxOps
primarily works with software, technology, oil
and gas, manufacturing and service industries.
Leadership: Founder and CEO Brian
Amann began TaxOps in 2003.
Work Force: Increasing its work force by
43 percent, the accounting firm plans to
grow its employee base by another 25 percent this year.
Pivotal Moment: In its beginning, the
opportunity to put theory into practice came
when a major client demanded an uncommon fixed-fee structure that required a specific scope, efficient engagement and tech
www.spotxchange.com
Snapshot: SpotXchange connects premium publishers with countless advertisers,
agencies, trading desks and ad networks,
reaching 110 million unique visitors monthly in more than 40 countries.
Leadership: Michael Shehan, president
and CEO, along with COO and CFO Steve
Swoboda, co-founded the company and
assumed their roles in 2007.
Work Force: The advertising and public
relations company estimates increasing its
TaxOps
www.taxops.com
savvy. Yet, the overwhelming success of the
deal led to the value-based philosophy the
firm maintains today.
Community Involvement: The firm
recently launched TaxOps Foundation,
focusing on funding soft skill education and
development for accounting and tax students to work on their communication, project management, technology and problemsolving skills.
Company Culture: TaxOps boasts a
casual work environment, retaining the benefits of a big firm, but eliminating the stuffiness that fails to add real value. Without
time sheets, office hours or an official dress
code, the paperless environment is flexible
all the way around.
The Fort Collins Brewery
www.fortcollinsbrewery.com
Snapshot: Riding the wave of statewide
success in the brewery business, the Larimer
County Fort Collins Brewery creates and
sells its wide variety of ales and lagers while
operating Gravity 1020 Modern Tavern, a
full-service restaurant that combines the art
of beer and food.
Leadership: The husband-wife and
president-VP team of Tom and Jan Peters
bought the brew business in 2004.
Work Force: With 42 FTE employees at
year’s end in 2012, Fort Collins Brewery is projected to increase its staff by 5 percent in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: The initial design of the
restaurant would have left it to be operated by
an outside management group, rather than
the brew team itself. But unable to lease the
space with doubt surrounding the untested
concept of a restaurant within a full-production brewery, Gravity 1020 was ambitiously
opened to rave reviews in the spring of 2010.
Tech Edge: From the automated brew
house and packaging line to the introduction
of software created just for the production of
craft beer, Fort Collins Brewery has attempted
to remain at least one step ahead of the game.
Company Culture: The family-owned
and operated brewery and restaurant has
led to the foundation of a brew team, rather
than merely a brew master, to maximize
production and engage each individual.
Additionally, by hosting the communitysupported agriculture program (CSA) the
brewery supports local jobs, healthy eating
and an integrated appreciation of community and pride among co-workers.
TrackVia
www.trackvia.com
Snapshot: Founded in 2006, TrackVia
provides a fast and simple way for business people lacking tech-savvy to design
and build custom applications to track and
streamline their work.
Leadership: CEO Pete Khanna joined
TrackVia in 2011.
Work Force: Last year, the IT company
jumped from 10 to 32 full-time employees.
This year, the hope is to reach roughly 54.
Big Break: Before TrackVia was officially
established, co-founder Matt McAdams
worked as an independent consultant and
was tasked by Denver’s RTD to develop a
system to manage various lightrail construction projects. After successful completion, he
realized that other organizations may need
similar tech products to manage complex
designs and large amounts of data, and
opted to kickstart TrackVia.
Tech Edge: TrackVia’s big idea is “the
consumerization of IT,” to help ordinary professionals build their businesses without necessarily becoming experts in technical codes and
software. With a flexible back-end database
and simple front-end user experiences delivered to customers, individuals are able to build
robust applications in roughly a week and for
20 percent of the sticker price.
Company Culture: Despite humble
beginnings, TrackVia provides each
employee an annual $500 “passion scholarship,” to pursue a personal hobby, organizational donation, or other interest. Many
employees use the financial backing to aid
local or national charities at their discretion.
Tradavo Inc.
www.tradavo.com
Snapshot: By redesigning retail stores and
programs, Tradavo optimizes the shopping
experience. In 2012 the company improved its
revenue by 24 percent and is set to increase by
an additional 16 percent this year.
Leadership: Bobby Martyna is Tradavo’s
president and CEO.
Work Force: Tradavo ramped up its work
force to 17 FTE employees in 2012 and is
set to surpass 20 this year.
Big Break: During initial conversations with
prospective retailers, it became apparent that
there was a need in the market for suppliers to
service buyers’ purchasing levels. While most
were, at the time, using local wholesale clubs,
Tradavo developed the first version of its
online ordering platform in six weeks.
Community Involvement: Because the
Tradavo team receives samples of food products, sundries and convenience items from distributors, the surplus of items is paid forward
and donated to local food banks and churches.
Tech Edge: With sound, highly flexible
technology, Tradavo’s “endless warehouse”
of unlimited items can be distributed from
hundreds of locations, and delivered within
days to customers’ product requests.
Trueffect
www.trueffect.com
Snapshot: Since 2002, Broomfield-based
TruEffect has provided online advertisers
with its patented technology intended to
improve the performance of their display
ads across the web and various devices.
In 2012, the advertisers experienced 122
percent revenue growth and are projecting
another 116 percent increase this year.
Leadership: Last year Finn Faldi took his
role as CEO.
Work Force: TruEffect intends to get up
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to roughly 86 full-time employees by this
year’s end.
Pivotal Moment: When TruEffect lost its
only customer in 2005, the company took a new
direction, developing its First-Party ad technology that has become its main differentiator.
Community Involvement: The team participates in Bike to Work Day and was awarded for its involvement the last two years.
Company Culture: Boasting a unique
international culture, technological expertise
is recruited from foreign countries and from
coast to coast at TruEffect.
Zen Planner
www.zenplanner.com
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Snapshot: Based out of Douglas County,
Zen Planner provides member management
software to fitness-based businesses, with
end-to-end solutions including: prospect
management, website integration, schedule
and membership management, billing and
reporting. Last year the computer systems
design business reported 178 percent revenue growth.
Leadership: CEO Jeffrey Gardner joined
the company in 2011 after teaming up with
founder Ben Pate.
Work Force: After a spike of 220 percent
full-time employee growth last year, Zen
Planner is poised to increase by 81 percent
in 2013.
Pivotal Moment: Headquarters were officially moved to Colorado in August 2011.
Since raising the necessary capital, Zen
Planner has grown by 400 percent, revenue
per customer has increased by 25 percent,
and the number of industries served has
more than doubled.
Community Involvement: With a
philanthropic initiative to promote healthy
lifestyles, particularly in children, Zen
Planner foregoes profit to provide services
cost-free to organizations whose mission is
to empower youth with values of hard work,
dedication and responsibility through athletic training and fitness education.
Tech Edge: By combining financial software, workout tracking tools, belt ranking
software, mobile apps, lead management
tools and email automation programs,
Zen Planner has become a one-stop,
customer-centric shop for its fitness business clients.
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COLORADO COMPANIES TO WATCH • 2013 FINALISTS
It is the innovation and growth of second stage companies that Fuel the Economic Fire for Colorado. In addition to the 50 Winners, we
Congratulate these 2013 Finalists!
FINALIST
CITY
AdamWorks
Advertising Production Resources
Asteris Inc.
Atlas Advertising
Axion Health
Bethel Party Rentals
Bison Innovative Products
booj
Bradsby Group
Campus Publishers
Cheribundi
Cloud Elements
Colorado WaterJet Company
Commerce Kitchen
Continental Sausage
Craters & Freighters Franchise Company
DBAK
dcb Construction Company Inc.
Gallagher Transport International Inc.
GBprotect Inc.
Henry & Mike LLC
HomeSphere Homewatch CareGivers International
Hope Hummus
Hustle Paintball Inc.
Ingather Research & Sensory Innovations
Integrity Electrical Solutions
jumpnrope
Just Associates Inc.
Metro State Fire Inc.
MobileDay
Mountain Media
New West Technologies LLC Parascript LLC
PayReel Inc.
PCS Mobile
Peach Street Distillers
Pie Consulting & Engineering
Plink
Prescient
Redland
Rocky Mountain Mechanical Systems Inc.
RPC Manufacturing Solutions LLC
Safe Systems Inc.
Sedulous Foods
seOverflow
Serpentix Conveyor Corporation
Silver Bullet Water Treatment LLC
SkyWerx Industries LLC
SmarterChaos.com
Sounds True
SSB Consulting Group LLC
Surefire Medical Inc.
Sweet Action Ice Cream
Swiftpage
TapInfluence
UrgentRx
Volume 9 Inc.
Western Aero Services Inc.
CentennialArapahoe
DenverDenver
Monument
El Paso
DenverDenver
DenverDenver
Glenwood Springs Garfield
DenverDenver
LakewoodJefferson
DenverDenver
BoulderBoulder
BoulderBoulder
CentennialArapahoe
BerthoudWeld
DenverDenver
DenverAdams
GoldenJefferson
EnglewoodArapahoe
DenverAdams
DenverDenver
EnglewoodArapahoe
Glenwood Springs
Garfield
LakewoodJefferson
Greenwood Village
Arapahoe
BoulderBoulder
BroomfieldBroomfield
LakewoodJefferson
EnglewoodArapahoe
LouisvilleBoulder
CentennialArapahoe
SheridanJefferson
BoulderBoulder
BoulderBoulder
Englewood Arapahoe
LongmontBoulder
GoldenJefferson
DenverDenver
PalisadeMesa
ArvadaJefferson
DenverDenver
DenverDenver
LittletonArapahoe
DenverDenver
DenverAdams
LouisvilleBoulder
CentennialArapahoe
DenverDenver
WestminsterJefferson
DenverDenver
Pagosa Springs
Archuleta
Castle Rock
Douglas
LouisvilleBoulder
Greenwood Village
Arapahoe
WestminsterAdams
DenverDenver
EnglewoodArapahoe
BoulderBoulder
DenverDenver
DenverDenver
DenverAdams
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COUNTY