
Putting the “enter” in enterprise
“Just when we decided to grow the company, the economy crashed,” Otis says. “So we created a new plan: ‘Let’s Survive.’ The idea was to hunker down, keep overhead low and ...

Distilling a vintage corporate culture
Terry Cekola’s recipe for growth: An inclusive culture where employees are passionate about making customers and suppliers successful.

Primed for growth: nLogic
A rising star among government contractors, nLogic is helping design defense systems that protect the United States from foreign missile threats and space shuttles that will take astronauts to Mars and ...

Built for speed: SportCrafters
SportCrafters Inc. aims to be the dominant global manufacturer of cycling training equipment by 2018 — and is well on its way. The Granger, Ind.-based manufacturer has developed a proprietary technology ...

Changing an industry stereotype: Nolan Security
Jonathan Nolan wants to raise the profile of private security officers. “There’s a perception that security guards are wannabe cops or jerks who have suddenly gotten a taste of authority and ...

A sweet tooth for entrepreneurship: Cocoa Dolce Artisan Chocolates
At age 50, following careers in speech pathology, communications and sales, Beth Tully discovered that her real passion was chocolate.

Keeping it real for model railroaders: SoundTraxx
An electronic design engineer and model train enthusiast, Steve Dominguez began creating light and sound systems for his trains in the late 1980s.

Taking a bite out of the mouthguard market: Akervall Technologies
Mies van der Rohe’s aphorism that “less is more” applies not only to architecture, but also mouthguards — at least it does for Akervall Technologies, which has created lightweight mouthguards that ...

Giving more – and giving back – is MGB’s blueprint for growth
Green construction and luxury homes might sound like an oxymoron — but not to Stephen Ellis and Grant Castilow.

Making meals – and entrepreneurship – child’s play: Constructive Eating
Based in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Constructive Eating makes children’s tableware so engaging that even fussy eaters will eat their vegetables without whining. The company debuted with construction-themed products, such as a ...