Free Newsletter
Search Results for
Made in Colorado: Merfs condiments, Becky's Buttons
Merfs Condiments When Kelly Schexnaildre moved from Louisiana to Denver in 2010, she concocted hot sauce as a hobby. “I just ate a lot of hot sauce growing up,” she says of her passion for fiery foods. Schexnaildre turned pro in early 2014, naming the company for her basset hound, and now makes five kinds of hot sauces[...]
Growth industry
First of all, let’s get one thing straight: Hemp is not marijuana, and it can’t get you high. Dozens of countries grow industrial hemp for its seeds, stalk and fibers – employing hundreds of thousands and bringing in truckloads of revenue. Until last year, planting it anywhere in the U.S. was prohibited. But the passage of [...]
Made in Colorado 2015: Take 3
Finishing Professionals (Denver) finishingpros.com Who: Founded in 1976, Finishing Pros is the state’s only ISO 9001:2008 metal finisher certified by the National Association for Defense and Aerospace Contractors (NADCAP). Michael Webb took the reins as president in mid-2014 to help the growing company make the jump from a [...]
Tech startup: WUF
WÜF / Where: Boulder / Web: www.getwuf.com / founded: 2013 Initial Lightbulb: WÜF co-founder and CEO Sean Kelly grew up with dogs and invisible fences. Now he’s looking to take the concept into the 21st century. After getting an MBA from Thunderbird School of Global Management in Phoenix, Kelly was spurred to sta[...]
Success in the ring of life
I stood in the ring at the Colorado World Tae Kwon Do State Championship, facing my opponent, who happened to be eight years younger than me, my mind racing around in an attempt to remember the training I had received to succeed in this moment. One particular memory led to a victory medal: When your opponent stands before you, [...]
Made in Colorado 2015
As far as gerunds go, manufacturing is a pretty broad one. In Colorado alone, it encompasses robotic welding, machining and plating parts of all kinds, fermenting grains, distilling mash, cutting, sewing, carving, curds, whey, you name it. The origin of the word says it all: Manufacturing is derived from the Latin manu factum: made [...]
Top five small-business spring cleaning tips
Spring time in Colorado means many things, high country snowmelt – a joy for raft and kayak enthusiasts, ice-free roads – for the cycling enthusiasts, and of course the always anticipated (or dreaded) spring cleaning. If you’re a small business owner, it’s likely you’ve accumulated as much clutter as De[...]
Hi-tech from sheep to shop
The process for creating weatherproof outerwear hasn’t changed for close to 40 years, according to Voormi co-founder Dustin English. Three separate layers – a base, a face textile and a rubber-glove-like waterproof membrane – are glued together, resulting in a laminated construction referred to as a “sandwich.[...]
So much to learn
If you’re seeking options and opportunities for successful self-employment, the May 30 “Un-Job Fair” is an event not to be missed! Colorado Free University is hosting its sixth annual, workshops and speaker-driven presentation complete with national presenters and authors who specialize in self-employment and entrepreneurial[...]
Tracking customer loyalty to resort towns
Studies show on average, 70 percent of travel to Colorado resort towns is not for business; it’s for fun. That’s where discretionary spending and visitor decisions come into play. Where to stay? Where to eat? What are the must-sees? Resort and tourism managers hope most visitors will have positive, memorable experiences [...]
Regional Report: Southwest Colorado
Southwest Colorado conjures images of Durango or Telluride for the skier types. Economic development leaders and local business executives don’t mind those associations, as long as they bring recognition to the lesser-populated portion of the state. In the nine closest counties, the total year-round population is roughly 107,00[...]
JAB: Bridging the digital divide
With more than 750 employees and annual revenues topping $100 million, JAB Wireless Inc. might be the biggest Colorado company you’ve never heard of. Founded in 2006, the Englewood-based firm has become the largest fixed-wireless broadband service provider in the country, with more than 175,000 customers in 15 states, inc[...]
Snow sports' 'Smallest Big Store'
Christy Sports’ product line is just one linchpin in the Lakewood-based company’s steady expansion that now spans more than five decades. During that time the snow-sports retailer has weathered recessions, industry consolidation, the emergence of e-commerce, and competition from big-box stores and multi-sport giant[...]
Beyond Farms & Ranches
It’s old news that Colorado is beef country. In fact, a 2012 Census of Agriculture report put the state at No. 5 in U.S. ranking of beef production and in the Top 10 for a category that includes sheep and goats, wheat, potatoes and carrots. But Tom Lipetzky thinks what is most impressive is the innovation that brings to fruit[...]
Specialty foods: Going to market
Specialty food company owner Clay Meers had a hankering for hot sauce his whole life. “I’ve been eating green chilies as long as I can remember,” said Meers, who grew up in New Mexico and now calls Northern Colorado home. When Meers and his wife, Tamara, were dating, she carried a bottle of hot sauce in[...]
Best Companies to Work For 2014
Why are we so interested in catching a glimpse of the inner workings of other professional environments? Can it really be that much better to spend your 9-5 at office A than office B? Work is work after all, right? Not quite. And while Ping-Pong tables, kegerators and competitive compensation hold special places in 21st century p[...]
The Economist: Businesses are hiring…
My column last issue that touched on (un)employment spurred a lot of commentary, all from people challenged to fill open positions. Perhaps it’s that the unemployed are too busy job hunting to read ColoradoBiz. One man described at length the trouble of finding qualified workers. When he posts a job, he told me, he receives re[...]
Rundles wrap up: Hot or not –
This is an exciting time to be living in Colorado, as there is an obvious economic boom underway, manifest mostly in visible construction, and it is truly something to behold. And this isn’t just some idle observation: I have been witnessing the booms and busts of our fair state and its capital city up-close for nearly 40 [...]
CEOs of the Year 2014
Photos By Jeff Nelson Nine years ago, a group of about 75 architects, engineers, contractors and developers gathered in LoDo to answer a call for potential developers capable of spearheading an urban project of nearly unprecedented scope, complexity and stakeholder interest: redeveloping – reinventing, really – t[...]
A startup state of mind
With the right dose of technology, experience and ambition, entrepreneurs can set up shop just about anywhere nowadays. Still, one thing hasn’t changed. “Creating companies from nothing is hard – period,” said Brad Feld, co-founder and managing director of Boulder-based Foundry Group LLC, a venture capital firm that in[...]
