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HOT PROSPECTS:
William Poovey (l.) and
Torin Pavia nabbed the
No. 2 spot on our list.
Want to know who
else made the cut?
We’re just getting
warmed up.
HOT
IT’S GETTING
2
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E N TR E P R E N E U R
E N TR E P R E N E U R
P H OTO © RO B E RT G A L L AG H E R
IN HERE
Don’t bother adjusting your thermostats:
It ’s Entrepreneur and D&B’s
9th Annual Hot 100 listing of
the fastest-growing new businesses.
J U N E 20 01
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1. COKeM International Ltd.
6. Euro Proteins Inc.
P LYMOUTH , MN
Chuck Bond
Began: February 2000 w/
5 employees; now 65 employees
Initial investment: $250K from
sale of previous company
2002 sales: $125.5M
2. Arbitech
L AGUNA B EACH , CA
www.arbitech.com
Distributor of computer
hardware/peripherals/software
Torin Pavia, William Poovey
Began: August 2000 w/
8 employees; now 26 employees
Initial investment: $500K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $61M
3. Trustin Technology LLC
I RVINE , CA
www.trustintechnology.com
Electronic component
procurement & liquidation
Wade Randall, Julie Randall,
Jason Barrette, Kim Fix
Began: January 2002 w/
5 employees; now 12 employees
Initial investment: $20K from
friends/family, private
investors, savings/personal
funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $17M
WALNUT, CA
www.winspecwest.com
Computer memory
manufacturer
Marco Fuxa, Martin H. Hofer,
Joachim P. Nemeth
Began: September 1999 w/0
employees; now 14 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
private investors
2002 sales: $42.99M
5. freightquote.com
OVERLAND PARK , KS
www.freightquote.com
Online freight comparisons
& bookings
Timothy Barton
Began: August 1998 w/
3 employees; now 238 employees
Initial investment: $15.7M from
private investors, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $46.2M
#18
8. Guardent
WALTHAM , MA
www.guardent.com
Security services
Maria A. Cirino, Daniel R. McCall,
David M. Samuels
Began: March 2000 w/0
employees; now 140 employees
Initial investment: $60M from
private investors
2002 sales: $20.2M
BALDWIN PARK , CA
www.cyberpowerpc.com
Computer sales
Stanley Ho, Eric Cheung,
Steven Chu
Began: February 1998 w/
4 employees; now 71 employees
Initial investment: $100K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $33.3M
10. Servatron Inc.
S POKANE , WA
www.servatron.com
Electronic contract manufacturing
Larry A. Panattoni, Keith Swenson,
Tod Byers, John Miskulin
Began: May 2000 w/
78 employees; now 130 employees
Initial investment: $3M from
private investors, savings/personal funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $17.4M
11. Dialmex LLC
M C A LLEN , TX
www.dialmex.net
Long-distance
telecommunications provider
Francisco Bunt, Alexandra Bunt,
Fernando Vieto, Juan Salazar,
Ricardo Bunt
Began: December 1998 w/0
employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $250K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $26.1M
12. Martin Capital
C LAYTON , GA
www.martincap.com
Real estate finance
& development
J. Ashley Martin
Began: April 2001 w/
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19. Global Pacific Produce Inc.
7. Transport Insurance Agency
WOODHAVEN , MI
www.4tia.com
Transportation insurance
Rick Gallegos, Eric Jaim
Began: October 2001 w/
2 employees; now 15 employees
Initial investment: $300K from
private investors
2002 sales: $9M
18. Lund & Manasse Advertising Ink
L AS V EGAS
Advertising agency
Jennifer Lund, Jill Manasse
Began: February 2001 w/
1 employee; now 12 employees
Initial investment: $0
2002 sales: $8.5M
WAPAKONETA , OH
www.europroteins.com
Milk proteins manufacturer,
distributor & marketer
Doug Kantner
Began: March 1999 w/
3 employees; now 16 employees
Initial investment: $25K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $31.99M
9. Cyberpower Inc.
4. Winspec
#22
1 employee; now 5 employees
Initial investment: $30K from
friends/family
2002 sales: $10.7M
13. Archibald’s Inc.
K ENNEWICK , WA
www.archibalds.biz
Pre-owned automotive sales
John C. Archibald, Daniel J.
Archibald
Began: June 2001 w/1 employee;
now 2 employees
Initial investment: $154K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $9.6M
14. Media Storm LLC
S OUTH N ORWALK , CT
Advertising agency
Tim Williams, Craig Woerz
Began: November 2001 w/0
employees; now 3 employees
Initial investment: $90K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $7M
15. Myrtle Beach Building Supply
CONWAY, SC
Retail building materials
Bobby J. Smith, Joe D. Jenkins,
Steven Tripp Nealy
Began: February 2002 w/
5 employees; now 16 employees
Initial investment: $1M from
savings/personal funds,
line of credit
2002 sales: $5.3M
16. CARS Protection Plus Inc.
M URRYSVILLE , PA
Limited warranties on used
vehicles; dealership software
Michael Tedesco, Fred R. Kohl
Began: September 1998 w/
6 employees; now 72 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $2o.4M
17. Austin Produce Inc.
AUSTIN , TX
www.austinproduce.com
Produce & gourmet foods
wholesaler
Daniel D. Davis
Began: November 1999 w/
50 employees; now 66 employees
Initial investment: $500K from
bank loan, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $13.3M
H ENDERSON , NV
www.globalpacificproduce.com
Exporter of fresh foods
Chris Kilvington
Began: January 2000 w/
1 employee; now 10 employees
Initial investment: $165K from
private investors, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $12.2M
20. M2 Logistics Inc.
D E P ERE , WI
Logistics management services
Michael Marden, Paul R. Anderson, Michael J. Sullivan
Began: November 2001 w/
1 employee; now 7 employees
Initial investment: $500K from
private investors, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $4.5M
21. Falcon Solutions
A LPHARETTA , GA
www.falconsolutions.com
Electronics distributor
Doug Braun, Jason Murphy, Brad
Boulet Waldrop, Kris Krohn
Began: January 2001 w/
6 employees; now 17 employees
Initial investment: $400K from
friends/family
2002 sales: $7.7M
22. AHD International LLC
ATLANTA
www.ahdintl.com
Distributor of nutritional
ingredients
John Post Alkire
Began: June 1998 w/0
employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $100K from
private investors
2002 sales: $17.3M
23. GNU-Co Inc.
C HARLOTTE , NC
www.gnu-co.com
Lumber trader
Blair W. Gaynor, Carolyn Gaynor
Began: September 1999 w/4
employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $300K from
friends/family, bank loan
2002 sales: $12.2M
24. DT Enterprise Group LLC
P OMPANO B EACH , FL
www.diabetictraders.com
Medical supply wholesaler
Timothy Stocksdale
Began: May 2000 w/1 employee;
now 6 employees
Initial investment: $60K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $9.2M
25. Access Diabetic Supply LLC
P OMPANO B EACH , FL
www.diabeticsupply.com
Mail-order diabetic supplies
David A. Wallace
Began: March 2000 w/1 employee;
now 50 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $9.3M
26. Recmediation Inc.
S OUTH R IVER , NJ
www.recmediation.com
Demolition & environmental
remediation services
Van Lewis, Damon Kozul
Began: June 2000 w/5 employees;
now 75 employees
Initial investment: $100K from
friends/family, credit cards,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $7.1M
32. International Delivery Solutions LLC
C UDAHY, WI
www.idstrac.com
International mail consolidator
Jim Winterle
Began: May 1999 w/6 employees;
now 42 employees
Initial investment: $10K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $10.8M
33. Infrastructure Systems Inc.
O RLEANS, IN
www.infrastructuresystems.com
Water & waste water
systems installation
Greg L. Noble, Robert M. Stalker,
G. Grant Noble, Jonathan R. Stalker,
Ivan E. Smith, Jonathan R. Collins
Began: January 1999 w/
5 employees; now 34 employees
Initial investment: $500K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $11.2M
27. The Perishable Specialist Inc.
M IAMI
www.theperishablespecialist.com
Customs broker specializing in
perishable goods
Frank A. Ramos, Ana M. Ramos
Began: January 2002 w/4 employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $100K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $3.1M
28. Midwest Diagnostic Management LLC
M OKENA , IL
www.mdmonline.org
Diagnostic scheduling service
Kevin P. Tremblay
Began: June 2000 w/3 employees;
now 67 employees
Initial investment: $400K from
private investors
2002 sales: $7.6M
29. i Mortgage Services LLC
P ITTSBURGH
www.imortgageservices.com
Residential real estate
appraisal/title management
Brian Uffelman, Shawn McCall,
Edward Chezosky
Began: April 2000 w/4 employees;
now 60 employees
Initial investment: $290K from
private investors
2002 sales: $8.1M
30. TCM Computer Training Support
M IAMI
www.mcsemiami.com
Computer training, sales & repair
Ghana Oboh
Began: June 2001 w/8 employees;
now 9 employees
Initial investment: $10K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $2.95M
31. Food Management Associates Inc.
YORBA L INDA , CA
Food service contract management
Richard Warmolts
Began: July 2001 w/1 employee;
now 83 employees
Initial investment: $400K from
friends/family, line of credit, home
refinancing, brokerage accounts
2002 sales: $4.4M
#34
34. Intercept Interactive Inc.
N EW YORK C ITY
www.interceptinteractive.com
Internet advertising,
marketing & sales
Michael Cassidy
Began: March 2001 w/0
employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $0
2002 sales: $5.1M
35. RE/MAX 2000
G ILBERT, AZ
www.azremax2000.com
Real estate
Robert C. Kline
Began: March 2000 w/
2 employees; now 155 employees
Initial investment: $175K from
friends/family
2002 sales: $7.9M
36. Statera Inc.
G REENWOOD V ILLAGE , CO
www.statera.com
IT consulting & Web services
Brad Weydert, Carl Fitch
Began: February 2001 w/
2 employees; now 55 employees
Initial investment: $400K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $5.2M
37. Environmental Enterprise Group Inc.
N ORTH C HARLESTON , SC
www.eeginc.net
Environmental remediation
J.N. Kevin Tunstall, William C.
Warner, Earl R. Dearhart, Richard
A. Albers
Began: May 2000 w/2 employees;
now 40 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
savings/personal funds,
line of credit
2002 sales: $6.4M
38. BetterBuilt & Associates Inc.
TRACY, CA
www.getbb.com
Residential reroofing, windows &
gutters
James Silva, Dann Heath
Began: March 2000 w/
4 employees; now 80 employees
Initial investment: $40K from
bank loan, credit cards,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $7.4M
39. L & R Racing Inc.
B RUNSWICK , OH
www.drrinc.com
Recreational vehicle sales
Lou DeCuzzi, Robert DeCuzzi
Began: April 2001 w/8 employees;
now 30 employees
Initial investment: $500K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.5M
40. Hallmark Companies
L AS V EGAS
www.hallmarktrading.com
Truck & trailer sales, service,
parts & leasing
Steve J. Alexander, Shelby R. Seiter
Began: January 2000 w/
1 employee; now 72 employees
Initial investment: $150K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $7.7M
41. Careba Power Engineers LLC
N EEDHAM , MA
www.carebapower.com
Power engineering
Larry Sullivan, Nizum Ghantous,
John Davenport
Began: May 2001 w/0 employees;
now 23 employees
Initial investment: $800K from
private investors
2002 sales: $4M
42. Clay Development & Construction Inc.
Initial investment: $27K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.6M
45. EmbroidMe
W EST PALM B EACH , FL
www.embroidme.com
Embroidery, screen printing &
advertising-specialty retail store
Ray Titus
Began: April 2000 w/4 employees;
now 25 employees
Initial investment: $750K from
friends/family, savings/personal
funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $6.8M
46. Network Architechs Corp.
A LBUQUERQUE , NM
www.netarch.com
Internetworking services
Michael S. French, Ted Bonnell,
Klaus Mueller
Began: January 1998 w/
2 employees; now 19 employees
Initial investment: $50K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $12.2M
47. Frontier Steel Company Inc.
CANONSBURG , PA
www.frontiersteel.com
Steel distribution & processing
John M. Matig, John D. Godwin,
Michael J. Hancock
Began: May 1999 w/2 employees;
now 14 employees
Initial investment: $70K from savings/personal funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $8.8M
48. MediaWhiz Inc.
N EW YORK C ITY
www.mediawhiz.com
Online advertising agency
Jason Cohen
Began: October 2001 w/
1 employee; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $0
2002 sales: $2.98M
H OUSTON
www.claydevelopment.com
Industrial office/warehouse
design & construction
Robert H. Clay, Albert W. Clay III
Began: July 1998 w/0 employees;
now 9 employees
Initial investment: $0
2002 sales: $10.1M
43. Advance Med LLC
AUSTIN , TX
www.advancemed.org
Medical staffing of AlliedHealth
professionals
Erick Barnett, John Clements,
Kaine Smith
Began: September 2001 w/0
employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $100K from savings/personal funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $3.4M
44. Kitchens Direct of Sarasota
SARASOTA , FL
www.kitchensdirectofsarasota.com
Cabinet & countertop retail sales
& installation
Tony J. Zanoni, Karl Susmann,
Edward J. Powers
Began: March 2001 w/1 employee;
now 30 employees
#43
49. Highland Real Estate of Aurora Inc.
AURORA , IL
Real estate
Chris Pennington, John Schoppe
Began: July 2002 w/16 employees;
now 20 employees
Initial investment: $100K from
private investors, credit cards, line
of credit
2002 sales: $1.2M
50. IT Xpress Inc.
ROCHESTER , NY
www.itxpressinc.com
Computer parts wholesaler
Douglas Dillon, Brian Hammond,
Louise Nolan
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60
Began: January 2002 w/
3 employees; now 7 employees
Initial investment: $30K from
friends/family, credit cards
2002 sales: $2.3M
Began: February 2001 w/
3 employees; now 102 employees
Initial investment: $250K from
friends/family, bank loan, private
investors, savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.2M
51. Watermasters Restoration
F ORT WORTH , TX
www.watermasters.net
Water & fire mitigation &
reconstruction services
Chris Cartwright, James Berry
Began: September 2000 w/
2 employees; now 14 employees
Initial investment: $10K equipment loan from a bank
2002 sales: $5.3M
57. CorTrans Logistics LLC
N ORCROSS, GA
www.cortrans.com
Transportation
William R. Cortez
Began: February 1999 w/
2 employees; now 15 employees
Initial investment: $100K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $8.2M
58. The Flooring Zone Inc.
#59
B RUNSWICK , GA
www.theflooringzone.com
Retail floor coverings
Jimmy S. Lee
Began: August 2000 w/
4 employees; now 12 employees
Initial investment: $300K from
bank loan, private investors,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $5.1M
59. RKW Logistics LLC
52. Access Litigation Support Services
WASHINGTON , DC
www.accesslitigation.com
Reprographic services
George Khoury, Jeannette Khoury
Began: March 2002 w/
7 employees; now 50 employees
Initial investment: $225K from savings/personal funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $1.9M
53. High Tech Electric LLC
S IOUX C ITY, IA
Electrical contracting
Mark C. Pottebaum, Roger
Dahlstrom
Began: July 2001 w/0 employees;
now 54 employees
Initial investment: $90K from
bank loan, savings/personal
funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $3.4M
54. Insys Consulting Services Inc.
C LARK , NJ
Technology consulting
& professional services
Linda Magnusson-Rosario
Began: April 2000 w/4 employees;
now 45 employees
Initial investment: $1.5M from
private investors
2002 sales: $6.2M
55. Ironclad Performance Wear
LOS A NGELES
www.iclad.com
Gloves for construction
& industrial safety
Ed Jaeger
Began: September 1999 w/
1 employee; now 24 employees
Initial investment: $1.3M from
friends/family, private investors
2002 sales: $7.2M
56. RE/MAX Legends
A LTA LOMA , CA
Real estate services
Jodi Lee
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S MYRNA , GA
Third-party logistics
Michael Roberts, Chad Oginz,
William K. Whitner
Began: April 2002 w/3 employees;
now 16 employees
Initial investment: $60K from
credit cards, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $1.5M
60. Soccour Solutions LP
P LANO, TX
www.soccour.com
Hardware & software integrator
Brooks K. Byerly, Michael E. Willard,
Matthew C. Genung
Began: May 2001 w/0
employees; now 1 employee
Initial investment: $45K from
credit cards, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $3.3M
61. Sitelines LLC
ST. LOUIS
www.sitelinesllc.com
General contracting
& construction management
Kelly Kenter
Began: February 2000 w/0
employees; now 3 employees
Initial investment: $1.5K from
credit cards
2002 sales: $5.7M
62. Intertech Trading Corp.
M IAMI
www.intertech-trading.com
Computer wholesaler & exporter
Edgardo A. Insignares,
Karine M. Grinke
Began: July 1998 w/5 employees;
now 13 employees
Initial investment: $150K from
friends/family
2002 sales: $8.7M
63. Universal Custom Display
E LK G ROVE , CA
www.universalcustomdisplay.com
Manufacturer of retail store
fixtures/POP displays
Dan Hayes, Jeanne Hayes, Chuck
Dickinson, Don Almeida
Began: June 1999 w/0 employees;
now 90 employees
Initial investment: $100K from credit
cards, savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $6.9M
64. Selton Steel LLC
COLLIERVILLE , TN
www.seltonsteel.com
Steel goods
Elton North
Began: September 2000 w/
1 employee; now 3 employees
Initial investment: $1.5K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.5M
65. American Century Mortgage Ltd.
M ASON , OH
www.americancenturymtg.com
Mortgage brokerage
James E. Clark, Rick G. Browning
Began: August 2000 w/
4 employees; now 48 employees
Initial investment: $75K from bank
loan, savings/personal funds,
line of credit
2002 sales: $4.6M
66. Neumann Enterprises
N ASHOTAH , WI
Conservation residential
development
Mark W. Neumann
Began: January 1999 w/
1 employee; now 3 employees
Initial investment: $5K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $7.3M
#65
Began: March 2000 w/0
employees; now 14 employees
Initial investment: $3K from credit
cards, savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.9M
70. Zone Mechanical
H ICKORY H ILLS, IL
www.zonemechanical.com
Commercial refrigeration/HVAC
Daniel Palubiak, Frank Petrosino
Began: April 2001 w/5 employees;
now 18 employees
Initial investment: $175K from
bank loan, private investors
2002 sales: $3M
P UYALLUP, WA
Bank courier service
H. David Cornelison
Began: March 2002 w/
3 employees; now 6 employees
Initial investment: $70K from bank
loan, line of credit
2002 sales: $1.5M
68. Anystream Inc.
STERLING , VA
www.anystream.com
Software
Geoff Allen, Steve Geyer, Alan
Gardner, Rod McElrath
Began: April 2000 w/0 employees;
now 30 employees
Initial investment: $4.1M from
private investors
2002 sales: $4.8M
69. Lumarc Computer Corporation
ROCHESTER , NY
www.lumarc.com
IT hardware reseller
Louis C. Germain
77. Rocksolid Granit USA Inc.
M IRA LOMA , CA
www.rocksolidgranit.com
Granite refacing system
Bob Smith, Colin Mackenzie
Began: March 2001 w/
6 employees; now
20 employees
Initial investment: $200K
from private investors
2002 sales: $2.8M
71. CaseStack Inc.
LOS A NGELES
www.casestack.com
Logistics outsourcing
Daniel Sanker
Began: August 1999 w/0
employees; now 35 employees
Initial investment: $5.1M from
friends/family, private investors,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $5.9M
G RAND H AVEN , MI
www.sandblasting.com
Sandblasting equipment
manufacturer
Dan DePottey
Began: April 2001 w/19 employees;
now 22 employees
Initial investment: $1.4M from
bank loan, savings/personal
funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $2.97M
73. PGI Group Inc.
B ENICIA , CA
www.diamondservices.net
Design & construction of cellsites
for cellphones
Eric K. Uhrenholt
Began: November 1998 w/0
employees; now 42 employees
Initial investment: $0
2002 sales: $6.9M
C HICAGO
www.nwfsi.com
Mortgage, insurance, investment
& tax services
Jacob Francois
Began: September 2001 w/
4 employees; now 9 employees
Initial investment: $54K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $2.2M
75. Panther Technologies Inc.
M EDFORD, NJ
www.panthertech.com
Environmental construction
Peter J. Palko, John Twomey,
Timothy Kessler, Robert Foley
Began: February 2000 w/0
employees; now 35 employees
Initial investment: $80K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.7M
76. ExtenData Solutions LLC
E NGLEWOOD, CO
www.extendata.com
Mobility applications services
Steven L. Sager
82. New York Semiconductor
FARMINGDALE , NY
www.newyorksemi.com
Microchip reseller/distributor
William A. LoPresto
Began: January 2002 w/
1 employee; now 11 employees
Initial investment: $80K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $1.2M
83. Emerald Financial Group LLC
I NDEPENDENCE , OH
www.efgmortgages.com
Mortgage brokerage
Gary C. Weinhauer,
Jason R. Chatal
Began: May 2001 w/0
employees; now 36 employees
Initial investment: $25K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $2.4M
84. Mirifex Systems LLC
#74
72. Econoline Abrasive Products Inc.
74. Nationwide Financial Services Int’l.
67. B.E.C.S. Inc.
Began: February 2002 w/
1 employee; now 9 employees
Initial investment: $400K from
private investors
2002 sales: $1.4M
78. Concentric Marketing
C HARLOTTE , NC
www.getconcentric.com
Consumer packaged goods
marketing
Bob Shaw, Frank Rizzo,
Tricia Snead
Began: September 2000 w/
5 employees; now 19 employees
Initial investment: $350K from
private investors
2002 sales: $3.6M
79. Bi State Home Improvement Corp.
M OLINE , IL
www.bistatecorp.com
Home improvement/light
construction
Michael Lamb, Ken Lamb, Kirk
Amerine, Gary Maulden
Began: December 2000 w/
6 employees; now 30 employees
Initial investment: $0
2002 sales: $3.2M
80. Time Logistics Inc.
COLUMBIA , TN
www.timelogisticsinc.com
Freight broker
Laura M. Shorette
Began: August 2001 w/
2 employees; now 7 employees
Initial investment: $50K from
bank loan, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $2.1M
81. Diversified Products Mfg. LLC
O ROVILLE , CA
www.diversifiedproductsmfg.
com
Manufacturer
John Rowe, Wayne Rowe, Jack
Christy
Began: January 2002 w/
4 employees; now 24 employees
Initial investment: $3K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $1.5M
STRONGSVILLE , OH
www.mirifex.com
Management & information
technology consulting
William A. Nemeth, Mark A.
Totten, Dennis Langdon
Began: October 1999 w/
3 employees; now 80 employees
Initial investment: $500K from
friends/family, private investors,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $4.4M
85. 4 Star Electronics
SAN C LEMENTE , CA
www.4starelectronics.com
Electronics distributor
Duane Wilson, Josh Wilson,
Jake Wilson
Began: June 2001 w/
3 employees; now 8 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $2.2M
86. Mobility Depot LLC
BATON ROUGE , LA
www.themobilitydepot.com
Durable medical
equipment retailer
Keith Menville, Christina
Menville
Began: January 2001 w/0
employees; now 9 employees
Initial investment: $120K from
bank loan, credit cards, savings/personal funds,
line of credit
2002 sales: $2.8M
87. Atlantic Bearing Services LLC
M IAMI
www.atlantic-bearing.com
Bearing & power transmission
distributor
Alejandro Pardinas, Alvaro Ortega
Began: April 1999 w/
2 employees; now 12 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
friends/family, private investors
2002 sales: $5.1M
Steven Casey, Donald Holzworth
Began: September 2001 w/
2 employees; now 9 employees
Initial investment: $1.2M from
friends/family, private investors,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $1.8M
96. LG&P In-Store Agency
89. Pinnacle Health Care
SAN A NTONIO
www.pinnaclehealthsa.com
Home infusion pharmacies
Jim Murray
Began: February 1999 w/
2 employees; now 45 employees
Initial investment: $160K from
private investors
2002 sales: $5.3M
90. Swordfish Technologies LLC
A DDISON , TX
www.swordfish-tech.com
IT services & systems integration
Greg White
Began: December 2001 w/
1 employee; now 14 employees
Initial investment: $200K from
private investors, savings/
personal funds
2002 sales: $1.4M
91. Maambe Inc.
TALLAHASSEE , FL
Convenience store/gasoline sales
Dixit Patel, Amisha Patel
Began: June 1998 w/1 employee;
now 17 employees
Initial investment: $150K from
friends/family, bank loan,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $5.9M
92. Haidar Inc.
C RYSTAL L AKE , IL
www.haidar-inc.com
Manufacturers’services
Chris Jorge, Flavia Jorge
Began: September 2001 w/
2 employees; now 8 employees
Initial investment: $120K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $1.7M
D URHAM , NC
www.expressionanalysis.com
Microarray processing & data
analysis
M ONTVALE , NJ
www.lginstore.com
In-store marketing agency
David F. Lloyd, Robert L. Gerstner
Began: October 2001 w/
2 employees; now 4 employees
Initial investment: $90K from
credit cards, savings/personal
funds
2002 sales: $1.5M
97. Thoroughbred Technologies LLC
LOUISVILLE , KY
www.thoroughbredtechnologies.
com
Inkjet remanufacturer
J. Mark Appleberry, Tim D.
Appleberry
Began: July 2000 w/
2 employees; now 55 employees
Initial investment: $2M from
friends/family, bank loan,
private investors, credit cards,
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $2.97M
98. IO Integration Inc.
SAN F RANCISCO
www.iointegration.com
Systems integrator
Eric Rewitzer, Mike Holt, Brian
Anderson, Nige Oswald
Began: December 2001 w/0
employees; now 4 employees
Initial investment: $150K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $1.2M
93. Atomic Toys LLC
SAN D IEGO
www.atomictoys.com
Toy design, manufacturing
& distribution
Chance Roth
Began: September 1999 w/
1 employee; now 7 employees
Initial investment: $300K from
private investors
2002 sales: $4.1M
94. Bayshore Marine Inc.
SAN J OSE , CA
www.bayshore-marine.com
Boat dealership
Kevin J. Buehner, Paul J. Stricker
Began: March 2000 w/
4 employees; now 9 employees
Initial investment: $465K from
savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $3.3M
95. Toner Machining Technologies
88. Expression Analysis Inc.
Began: January 2002 w/
1 employee; now 21 employees
Initial investment: $300K from
bank loan, savings/personal
funds, line of credit
2002 sales: $1.2M
M ORGANTON , NC
www.tonermachining.com
Machine design & construction/contract machining
Jim Toner, Iris Toner
#99
99. Pallets & More Inc.
COLUMBUS, OH
www.pallets-and-more.com
Pallet & container brokerage
Tina Montgomery
Began: March 2001 w/
1 employee; now 3 employees
Initial investment: $20K from
private investors, savings/
personal funds, line of credit,
SBA financing
2002 sales: $2.1M
100. Melo’s Gas & Gear Inc.
BAKERSFIELD, CA
Welding & industrial supplies
David Melo
Began: July 1999 w/5 employees;
now 16 employees
Initial investment: $400K from
bank loan, savings/personal funds
2002 sales: $3.9M
J U N E 20 03 ■
62
W
hile our economy may
SECOND TIME’S A CHARM: As
humble as Chuck Bond may be,
he’s got something to brag about
as the hottest company around
for the second year in a row.
seem to be in a holding
pattern,signs of change
are evident in this year’s Hot 100 list.
Our 9th Annual Hot 100 listing of
America’s fastest-growing new
entrepreneurial companies is compiled with assistance from D&B, the
ARBITECH
leading provider of global business
information and technology solutions.What’s changed since last year?
A
This year’s hottest industry is business services: 25 of the 100 companies listed fall into this category.
P h o to © R o b e rt G a l l ag h e r
Within business services, a couple of
subcategories stand out: There are
nine companies providing logistics
services (such as freight-handling,
trucking and transportation) and six
providing marketing and advertising services.
Home-related products and services—from construction to homeimprovement products and services—declined from 27 companies
last year to 14 this year. Tech businesses have made a slight
COKeM
comeback, up from 13 companies last year to 19 this year.
lightning really does strike twice in this case.
(However, telecom dropped from six companies last year to
H
two this year.) And health care seems to be up-and-coming,
growing from two companies last year to five this year.
Speaking of things that are going up, this year’s Hot 100
companies reported total sales of $923.5 million for 2002, a
sizable increase over $673.7 million for 2001. And while the
average 2002 Hot 100 company started with $391,100 in capital, this year’s launched with an average of $565,000.
But some things haven’t changed: 37 of the companies on
this year’s list were on last year’s Hot 100. In fact, our top
Read on to see how these sizzling success stories happened—
and be sure to open the gatefold for a look at our complete
listing.
62
■
E N TR E P R E N E U R
e did it again. chuck bond, founder and
owner of COKeM International Ltd., has
taken the top spot in the Hot 100 for the
second year in a row. With 2002 sales of
about $125.5 million, up from $77.8 million
in 2001, the value-added Plymouth, Minnesota, video
game and home-entertainment software marketing
company is really cooking. Those sales figures represent a heady rise from the company’s start in 2000
with $250,000 out of Bond’s own pocket. What’s more,
Bond expects COKeM to reach sales of $150 million
in 2003.
While COKeM’s sales have skyrocketed in recent
years, the number of employees has stayed steady at
65. “I’d rather have fewer people and pay them more
than have more people and pay them less,” explains
Bond, 47. Something else that hasn’t changed about
the company is the cloak of privacy COKeM employs.
Search the Web for “COKeM,” and you’ll hardly
find a peep out of them. That humble attitude stems
directly from Bond’s personal down-to-earth, noneed-to-brag approach to his business. “I don’t buy a
P h o to © S a l S ko g
company has held the No. 1 seat for the second year in a row.
bright, canary yellow new truck. I buy a black about d&b: It provides the information, tools and expertise to help you
one. It’s still a truck,” he says.
One reason for COKeM’s remarkable growth make confident decisions. D&B Small Business Solutions (SBS) offers a suite of
and success over the past year lies in pur- online products designed to help small-business owners better manage
chasing large amounts of product and then creatively repackaging or building customized their businesses. SBS tools use D&B information to help you find profitable
sets of games and software for customers such new customers, manage vendors more efficiently, run instant online credit
as Best Buy, Sam’s Club and Wal-Mart. The
COKeM team works to keep all their products checks, monitor your own business credit and access valuable industry
at low prices—“under the ATM-machine $20 bill,” information. For more information about D&B SBS, visit www.dnb.com/
as Bond puts it. Those low price points, in combination with the strength of the video game smallbusiness.
market, help protect COKeM from the whims
of an up-and-down economy.
When we spoke with COKeM last year, they were
about to embark on a major bank financing expedition. life’s a beach for these successful entrepreneurs.
It turned out to be one of their greatest challenges in
2002. Eight months of intense work finally landed them
“board meeting”at laguna beach,californiathe cash infusion they sought. “Cash is king,” Bond
based computer commodities trading comexplains. “It enables you to play at that next level.” They
pany Arbitech is more likely to include the
are also looking into expanding their “playground” by
Pacific Ocean and surfboards than a big
offering video games or computer software at places
table and office chairs.
like children’s hair salons and other nontraditional loCo-founders Torin Pavia, 31, and William Poovey, 32,
cations. Further growth in Puerto Rico, Mexico and Cana- really know how to have fun. Lunches for all 26 employda is on the list as well.
ees are catered every day, the group often surfs together,
Bond’s favorite advice for other entrepreneurs is not and an annual corporate retreat sends everyone off to loveto set any limits for themselves and not to fear failure. ly locales like Puerto Vallarta. Arbitech has the opposite
With COKeM, he brings those valuable pieces of problem most businesses do: “I have to call people and tell
advice to life. “We’d rather not react; we’d rather be them to go home at my company,” says Pavia.
the leader,” he says. “We don’t mind taking chances.
Pavia and Poovey also know how to get down to busiOccasionally, we take an arrow, but that’s what pio- ness. Arbitech doubled its 2001 sales by hitting the
neers do.”
—Amanda C. Kooser $60 million mark last year. They’ve come in at No. 2 on
our Hot 100 list for the second year in
a row. They’re shooting for $90 million
this year and are already well on track.
Founded in 2000 with $500,000 from
the founders’ savings, Arbitech is blazing its way as a less expensive alternative to big computer products distributors such as Ingram Micro and Tech
Data. Most people don’t think of computer memory being a commodity like
corn, but Arbitech does. “We take a securities and commodities approach.
It’s very much like Merrill Lynch or
PaineWebber,” explains Pavia. “Why
reinvent the wheel?” Their sales floor
looks a lot like the floor of the New York
Stock Exchange. This way of conducting business helps them offer computer
products at low prices to mostly small
resellers across the country. “We sell
HP cheaper than HP sells HP,” Pavia
boasts.
Integrity is a way of life at Arbitech.
SURF’S UP:
Its marketplace has long been tainted
Torin Pavia (l.)
by used and counterfeit goods and shady
and William
businesses, a fact that spurred the comPoovey give new
pany’s slogan: “Bringing integrity to
meaning to the
the channel.” Judging by its growth
term “board
and the increasing number of small
meeting.”
resellers that rely on the company as a
lifeline, Arbitech is doing just that. Looking ahead to the company’s healthy future, all we can say is, the surf is most
definitely up.
—A.C.K.
J U N E 20 03 ■
63
CONCENTRIC
MARKETING
ACCESS DIABETIC SUPPLY
having high expectations and
focusing on goals helped this
company stay centered.
anaging long-term illness is an unfortunate but real aspect of many people’s lives.
For Access Diabetic Supply’s co-founders,
Montgomery Byers Jr., 34; David Wallace,
36; and Timothy Stocksdale, 34, offering
mail order medical supplies to the 17 million Americans
who are afflicted with diabetes caused their business
to skyrocket from its first-year sales of $400,000 in 2000
to projected sales of $25 million in 2003. Banking on a
profitable niche market, Access Diabetic Supply’s cofounders are controlling its growth while laying the
groundwork for its continued expansion and success.
As former executives at specialty chemicals and materials company W.R. Grace & Co., where they handled
health-care acquisitions, Byers, Wallace and Stocksdale
knew that investing heavily in technology and automation—something most of their competitors have been slow
to do—would be key to moving ahead of the competition
as well as managing growth. Because Access Diabetic Supply employs a direct-billing process where Medicare and
insurance companies are billed electronically, the company is a virtually paperless operation.
a health-care company reaches out to the masses.
M
■
E N TR E P R E N E U R
P h o to © We i n m i l l e r I n c .
64
P h o to C o u rt e s y: A c c e s s D i a b e t i c S u p p ly
T
he three co-founders of
Concentric Marketing in
Charlotte, North Carolina,
are the first to admit they
started their company at
the worst possible time. It was in
September 2000, the beginning of
the economic downturn, that Robert
Shaw, 39; Tricia Snead, 34; and Frank
Rizzo, 36, opened the doors of their
marketing agency.
“We’ve never allowed the
economy to be an excuse,” says Shaw.
“I’m by nature a hypercompetitive
individual who sets unreasonable
goals.” Not that unreasonable, considering the fact that Concentric
Marketing went from five employees at start-up to 19 employees toTO EACH HIS (OR
day, and sales of $267,000 their first
HER) OWN: Using
year to a projected $8.8 million in
their individual
2003. This year, the company came
talents helped Robert
in at No. 78 on our Hot 100 list.
Shaw, Tricia Snead and
Although the three co-founders
Frank Rizzo (l. to r.)
struggled in the beginning stages,
build a Hot 100-worthy
their business exploded as they
company.
started to land huge accounts such
as Coca-Cola and Sonic Automotive.
Hiring the best people for the job has been an imporNot only does Concentric Marketing extensively
tant factor in achieving success, according to the part- screen and interview prospects to make certain they’re
ners. Says Shaw, “The extra two weeks you take to find as driven and competitive as the founders, but they also
the right person pays off times 100 in the long run.”
structure the company to play on everyone’s strengths.
For instance, Shaw is the company’s visionary and strategic marketing guru, Snead
making the cut: This is how it all begins.Culling from its massive data- is the creative force and Rizzo is the fibase, D&B provides Entrepreneur with an initial list of fast-growing compa- nancial mind.
One of the biggest challenges arising
nies. Entrepreneur mails each firm on the list a form that the entrepreneurs from fast growth has been communication
must complete and submit along with current financial statements.We then between the three partners. “As the company grows, yelling over the cube is not
measure the company’s sales growth from the date of inception, listing the a good way to function,” explains Snead.
“When we started experiencing this huge
businesses in growth order.
explosion in growth, it was time to put the
For a business to be considered for this year’s Hot 100 list, it must meet right people in place and make sure the
processes were in place before the agency
all the following criteria:
got too big for us to wrap our arms around—
•The founder is actively involved in daily operations and has a control- and that’s what we’re [still] doing.”
That process includes maintaining a deliling interest in the business.
cate balance between being happy with
•The business was founded no earlier than 1998.
their growth and striving for more. The expansion strategy, Shaw explains, “is to al•Annual sales for 2002 exceeded $1 million.
low people to catch their breath a little bit
To be considered for our Hot 100 list next year, your firm must be regis- and feel great about what they’ve accomtered with D&B and have current information on file. You can also fill out a plished, and still keep that burning desire
and ambition going to never feel satisfied.”
form by logging on to www.entrepreneur.com/hot100/2004.
With plans to grow the company more than
100
percent in the next year, Concentric MarD&B’s research was conducted by the D&B Analytical Services Group;
keting’s founders seem to have the burning
Entrepreneur’s research was conducted by Maggie Iskander.
desire part down.
—Nichole L. Torres
The No. 25 company on
the Hot 100 list, Access DiaONLINE EXCLUSIVE
betic Supply is now determined to “overemphasize”
Want to find out more about the
customer service. Flooded
companies that ranked at the
with calls and enrollment
top of our Hot 100 list? Read
prospects as they increase
some of their profiles at www.
advertising, the company is
entrepreneur.com/hot100.
meeting the challenge by
creating a 7-to-10-day turnaround time for enrolling
new prospects. The co-founders will also bulk up their
staff from 50 employees to 150 by year’s end. Luckily, South
Florida’s cluster of health-care firms has presented a pool
of well-trained specialists for the company to wade through.
The Pompano Beach, Florida-based firm continues
to grow its diabetic supplies division as well as its recently added respiratory pharmacy division. Distributing
respiratory medications and supplies to those suffering
from asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, Access Diabetic Supply’s most recent target market includes
30 million potential new clients. “It really is our platform to be one of the top three players in our business,”
declares Wallace. “The investment’s made, and that’s the
direction we’re heading.”
—April Y. Pennington ■
FIELD OF GOLD:
Montgomery Byers Jr.,
David Wallace and
Timothy Stocksdale
(l. to r.) are reaping the
benefits of a growing
health-care field.
J U N E 20 03 ■
65