Phase 5: For entrepreneurs, by entrepreneurs
Although our mission of “championing the entrepreneurial spirit” has remained consistent throughout the years, how we execute that mission has changed…
Hearing the unheard: A different type of leadership
We often hear second-stage business owners express frustration over constantly needing to tell employees what to do rather than seeing them take initiative and solve problems without prompting. Granted, having proactive employees is partly due to hiring — getting the right people on the bus and in the right seats. Yet I also believe that the ability to listen plays…
Martin Specialty Coatings: Investing in talent and technology
Innovation is a core value for Martin Specialty Coatings, one that has enabled the Shreveport, Louisiana-based company to triple its size in the past few years, exceeding $20 million in annual revenue and 100 full-time employees.
Safe Bites: Allergy friendly and chef inspired
Driven by the belief that everyone deserves access to healthy meals, Innovation Food Service (IFS) provides nutritious, high-quality meals to schools, childcare centers, senior living facilities and businesses. Founded in 2002 by Thomas Lane, a trained chef, the Twinsburg, Ohio-based company has been growing steadily since its inception. Last year alone it served 7,000 daily lunches to schools in northeast…
LorAnn Oils: First in flavor
Founded in 1962, LorAnn Oils has evolved from a small supplier of essential oils into a thriving second-stage company with $23 million in annual revenue.
Better burns: Altering the timing and sequence of prescribed fire
Researchers from Grand Valley State University (GVSU) have been conducting a multi-year study to see how seasonal timing and sequence of prescribed burns may affect restored prairies. This marks the first research in the Great Lakes region to investigate multiple rounds of seasonal burns and compare repetitive fire treatments with alternating ones. “Land managers typically conduct prescribed burns in the…
JEM Tech Group
Jami Moore is the president and second-generation owner of JEM Tech Group in Clinton Township, Michigan, which specializes in power and cooling within data centers and other mission-critical IT spaces. Moore’s father, James Edward Miller, started the company in 1979, and Moore joined in 2000, taking over when her father retired in 2001. Since then, Moore’s two sisters have joined the family business, and during the past two decades JEM has not only quadrupled its annual sales and number of employees, but also opened an office in New York. Moore attributes JEM’s growth to great customer relationships, referrals, her dedicated team and a never-ending commitment to knowing her industry’s future path.
Engineering a successful culture
By Dan Ducoté The secret to building a successful business is having a culture that’s crystal clear and embraced by all your employees. It’s how we started Enginuity Global in 2018 — and were able to grow from a team of four to more than 100 employees within five years. It’s how we plan to grow Big Rock Leaders. A…
Encore CO2: Advancing sustainable manufacturing
Packing a punch on both environmental and economic fronts, Encore CO2 is commercializing technology that recycles carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions into valuable new products.
Outlook on Leadership with Dan Hampu
In this session of “Outlook on Leadership,” Dan Hampu, president and CEO of Burton D. Morgan Foundation, discusses his organization’s mission, the striking similarities between our respective founders, Burt Morgan and Ed Lowe — and how our two organizations are working together to serve entrepreneurs in the second-stage space.