Entrepreneurship Among Women Veterans
The United States is home to more than 2 million women veterans—and this number is on the rise. In 2000, women veterans made up just four percent of the veteran population, but that figure is predicted to make a dramatic leap to 18 percent by 2040, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Maricopa Economic Development Alliance
Maricopa, Arizona is enjoying remarkable growth as newcomers are drawn to the community’s economic opportunity, exceptional diversity, quality of life, and affordability, which make the city an attractive alternative to nearby Phoenix. Since 2000, Maricopa’s population has skyrocketed from approximately 1,200 people to 75,000. Just two decades ago, “We were nothing but farmland,” says Christian Price, the former Maricopa mayor and current President and CEO of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance (MEDA).
Universal Technologies
Universal Technologies is a woman-owned IT consulting firm focused on servicing the government sector, primarily in New York City. The company provides projects, personnel, and solutions to deliver well-designed, well-managed, secure, and stable infrastructure and computing environments. This wide range of services and products covers everything from individual jobs to enterprise-wide solutions.
Bell and Howell
Technology-enabled field services company Bell and Howell services a wide range of automation equipment for multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and markets across North America. We spoke to the company a year ago, reporting on how the Durham, North Carolina-based business helps customers increase efficiency and reduce operational costs through its comprehensive solutions in retail, grocery, pharmacy click-and-collect, automation, and production mail. This month, we sat down with senior executive and grocery commerce expert James Hermanowski to learn more about the company’s work to fight food insecurity through food bank technology.
City of Craig, Colorado
Nestled among canyons, rivers, and forests, Craig, Colorado, is a nature lover’s dream. “We have so many natural amenities to offer,” says Economic Development Manager Shannon Scott.
City of Converse, Texas
Converse, Texas continues to grow and thrive. Since Business in Focus profiled the San Antonio suburb in 2015, the community’s prime location, affordable living, and convenient amenities have kept drawing new residents—and the city can accommodate them all.
City of La Porte, Texas
The City of La Porte is a hidden treasure nestled along Galveston Bay. The slower pace of life in this friendly, tight-knit community feels light years away from nearby Houston. “You truly don’t realize you’re fifteen miles from downtown Houston, the fourth largest city in the nation,” says Assistant City Manager Matt Daeumer. “We’re a gem on Galveston Bay that people don’t know about. And we like it that way because it’s a quiet and comfortable place to live.”
Logistics & Transportation Association of North America (LTNA)
The Logistics & Transportation Association of North America (LTNA) is a member-driven networking organization for individuals, non-profit clubs, associations, and corporations in any branch of the transportation, logistics, and supply chain management industry throughout the United States and Canada. The goal of the Collinsville, Illinois-based organization is to promote and support the people who make supply chain logistics work.
Lanau Industries
Martin Rondeau founded Lanau Industries in his hometown, Saint-Gabriel-de-Brandon, Quebec. The concept took off when Mr. Rondeau and his small team designed and built his first truck body in his humble welding shop and recognized that he was onto something. That dump body still runs to this day, nearly two decades later.
Bell and Howell
Technology-enabled field services company Bell and Howell services a wide range of automation equipment for multiple original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) and markets across North America. We spoke to the company a year ago, reporting on how the Durham, North Carolina-based business helps customers increase efficiency and reduce operational costs through its comprehensive solutions in retail, grocery, pharmacy click-and-collect, automation, and production mail. This month, we sat down with senior executive and grocery commerce expert James Hermanowski to learn more about the company’s work to fight food insecurity through food bank technology.
IOA Healthcare Furniture
IOA Healthcare Furniture has roots that go back to the mid-1920s when Gigi Delmestri launched a furniture business in northern Italy. “He inherited a company that was making horse-drawn steel ploughs for agricultural use, and when the tractor finally came around to Italy, he had a workforce of about seventy people, and he didn’t want to have to shut down,” says Gigi’s great-grandson and IOA’s Executive Vice President Matthew Delmestri. To save the jobs on which his rural village depended, Gigi reinvented his company as a steel furniture manufacturer.
Special-T
Special-T delivers Grade-A tables at Grade-C prices through innovation, supply chain best practices, and a customer-first attitude. The company’s story began twenty years ago when Loren Rozeboom recognized an opportunity. As a furniture dealer, he saw a need for a budget table base, and as the father of a son struggling with addiction, he saw the need to give a second chance to people who had completed rehabilitation and were seeking employment.
Walgre Transport
Walgre Transport is an asset-based, full-truckload and less-than-truckload logistics service provider specializing in dry-van services, refrigerated services, hazardous materials services, and heated services. Launched in 2014 by two brothers, the Ontario-based family business has grown quickly to serve not only Canada but the United States as well. Today, the company boasts 210 trucks and multiple terminals throughout both countries.
Town of Enfield, Connecticut
Home to 42,000 people and over 3,000 businesses, Enfield, Connecticut is the hub of the Hartford-Springfield interstate area. “It is the largest commercial and economic base for this north central region,” says Town Manager Ellen Zoppo-Sassu.
Artizan Finishings
Artizan Finishings specializes in the installation of Exterior Insulation and Finish System (EIFS), architectural moldings, stone veneer, and cornice molding. As genuine craftsmen with years of knowledge under their belt, the team makes it their mission to provide quality work and takes great pride in their stellar customer service.
Arizona Association for Economic Development
Arizona has a remarkable track record when it comes to economic development. In fact, the International Economic Development Council (IEDC) recently named the Greater Phoenix Economic Council the top economic development organization in the entire world. “We’ve got top notch talent,” says Arizona Association for Economic Development (AAED) Executive Director Carrie Kelly.
City of Tempe, AZ
Tempe is an oasis in the Arizona desert. Known for its unexpected lake, this community of 190,000 also stands out for its livability, innovation, and welcoming spirit, creating a destination for leading-edge industries and people looking for a place to call home.
Cochise County Economic Development
Cochise County, Arizona delivers a generous range of growth and development opportunities due to its low taxes, affordable commercial space, land availability, low cost of living, quality healthcare and education, convenient access to railways and Interstate 10, and an educated, bilingual workforce. Nestled high in the mountains, this rural community of 125,447 people enjoys a mild climate and a wealth of outdoor activities and destinations within a stunning western landscape, from hiking and mountain biking to water sports in Parker Canyon Lake, to vineyards and community festivals.
Allen Parish’s Leatherwood Museum
The Leatherwood Museum is a quaint, small-town treasure nestled in Louisiana’s Cajun country along the Myths and Legends Byway, a scenic drive based on true stories, ghosts, and tall tales. Visitors who meander along the region’s back roads will enjoy an authentic glimpse into the unique culture and heritage of Allen Parish.
Leck Waste Services
Leck Waste Services has been family-owned-and-operated since 1971. Launched by a determined, entrepreneurial-minded father and son team, the once humble startup now boasts 86 employees and 60 trucks operating daily throughout a sizable portion of Pennsylvania. The company provides a full suite of residential, commercial, and municipal services as well as complete compactor services, portable toilets, and shredding services.
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Entrepreneurship Among Women Veterans
The United States is home to more than 2 million women veterans—and this number is on the rise. In 2000, women veterans made up just four percent of the veteran population, but that figure is predicted to make a dramatic leap to 18 percent by 2040, according to the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.
Red Deer County, Alberta
With a population of almost 20,000 (and growing), Red Deer County offers a unique composition of urban and rural, village and country, industry and agriculture. The region pays homage to its existing industries and its agricultural foundation while keeping its sights set on the future.
Maricopa Economic Development Alliance
Maricopa, Arizona is enjoying remarkable growth as newcomers are drawn to the community’s economic opportunity, exceptional diversity, quality of life, and affordability, which make the city an attractive alternative to nearby Phoenix. Since 2000, Maricopa’s population has skyrocketed from approximately 1,200 people to 75,000. Just two decades ago, “We were nothing but farmland,” says Christian Price, the former Maricopa mayor and current President and CEO of the Maricopa Economic Development Alliance (MEDA).
IWCD
Construction is an ever-changing industry, and the businesses that not only survive but also thrive have the willingness to adapt. British Columbia-based Island West Coast Developments Ltd. (IWCD) is one of those companies.
ASI, A Division of Thermal Technologies
Taking great pride in workmanship is a top priority for ASI, a company with more than 35 years of experience in specialized drying, curing, and cooling solutions for both the U.S. and overseas.
Vector Controls and Automation Group
Vector Controls and Automation Group (Vector CAG) is an established representative, distributor, service and solution partner for several manufacturers. The company was born on March 6, 2013 from a concept that took two years to fully realize after President and Managing Partner Jared Boudreaux, having worked for Endress+Hauser, working with their leadership and consultants to consolidate representatives in the market and geography.
