Award Recipient
Master
Michael M. McCarthy
McCarthy Building Companies, Inc.
The "Master" award is a special honor given to an individual
who is able to maintain management excellence over a sustained period
of time. In addition, the "Master" generally holds a responsible
position within the community.
Michael
M. McCarthy |
As chairman of the McCarthy Building Companies, Mike McCarthy says
he is in one of the riskiest industries. Yet, for 30 years McCarthy
has persevered and leads the $2 billion diversified construction
company that has done work in 45 states and eight foreign countries.
The company has nine full-service offices, with more than 2,500
total employees.
Today, McCarthy Building Companies ranks as the 17th largest domestic
builder in the nation according to May 2001 Engineering News Record.
McCarthy's father founded the company in Michigan in 1864. In the
late 1960s, he took over and has been implementing the modern-McCarthy
strategy ever since.
The company specializes in many highly successful niches including
designing and building parking structures and healthcare facilities.
It took McCarthy three years to sell the first construction management
healthcare project outside of St. Louis. This effort resulted in
the company becoming a national pioneer in healthcare construction.
These days McCarthy spends much of his time traveling the country
to build client relationships and visit the firm's regional offices
to reinforce the value and vision of the company with staff members.
He is also a problem solver, ready to offer ideas and solutions
for the company's latest projects.
Some of those projects include the new Academy Awards facility in
Hollywood and the Center for Disease Control in Atlanta. The Space
Needle in Seattle and the National Institutes of Health are two
other high-profile projects in which McCarthy is involved.
"We are more than a construction company," McCarthy says. "We bring
a lot of value especially on the front-end. We get involved in the
design and planning phase and help clients decide how to shape their
projects."
McCarthy says it takes love of risk, a worthwhile idea, and a strong
belief in oneself to make it as an entrepreneur. "You have to expect
failure sometimes. Growth comes through pain and suffering," he
says. He adds that the company has tried many things that haven't
worked, but they learned from mistakes.
McCarthy says he still loves the challenges of his business. His
plans call for the company to be around for at least another 137
years.
Award Recipient
Financial Services
Deanna Daughhetee-Vinson and Ray Vinson
American Equity Mortgage
Deanna
Daughhetee-Vinson (left) and Ray Vinson
|
If you listen
to the radio, chances are you've heard one of Ray Vinson's memorable
commercials. Vinson's voice and the company's phone number, 878-9999,
are easily among the most recognized in St. Louis.
The ads are
apparently working and so is the company's successful formula
for providing mortgage loans to homeowners. American Equity Mortgage
now has 16 branches and makes mortgage loans in 10 states. Annual
loan volume exceeds $750 million and banks throughout the country
are knocking on the company's doors to lend them money.
After an
extensive background in working for others in various phases of
consumer finance, Vinson started American Equity Mortgage (AEM)
in 1992 with his wife Deanna Daughhetee-Vinson. They founded the
company on the belief that they could provide superior customer
service and create an outstanding work environment for employees.
Vinson says
entrepreneurs need, "deep down dedication and devotion to
succeed and a willingness to go through the hard times."
He adds, "One of the best things about being an entrepreneur
is the recognition you get from others who know youÕve
paid your dues and have worked really hard."
As a husband-wife
team, the duo complement one another. Vinson is primarily responsible
for all marketing efforts and creating name recognition, while
Daughhetee-Vinson develops the company's infrastructure. As a
CPA, Daughhetee-Vinson's accounting background provides the expertise
to manage the company's finances for long-term growth. She also
has a degree and experience in management information systems
and is currently in charge of a $1.5 million investment in new
technology that will allow the company to process 40 percent more
loans.
An example
of AEM's superior customer service practices was to insist that
title companies come to their offices for loan closings. This
was difficult at first since title companies did not typically
provide this service. AEM insisted and today this arrangement
is working well. Customers tell the Vinsons they appreciate not
having to go to two separate places to close their loans.
After eight years, Vinson still does the radio and TV commercials
for all markets, including writing and overseeing production.
He recalls getting a phone call from a voice analyst who told
him his voice needed a lot of help and he could work with him
to remove his "West Virginia twang." To that Vinson
replied, "I'm never one to argue with success. When you hear
my voice, you know it's American Equity Mortgage talking."
Award Recipient
Manufacturing/Consumer Products
Michael A. Richter
Children’s Factory
Michael
A. Richter |
Mike Richter calls himself a 58-year-old kid. He describes his career
as, “I don’t have a job. I get to make toys.”
Richter started the Children’s Factory in 1982 to focus on his ideas
for soft play equipment for children. Before starting his own company,
Richter was president of a local company that manufactured outdoor
playground and sports field equipment for 15 years.
Through this work, he saw the need for soft play equipment. “Children
are soft and like soft toys that are fun. I saw a need to make bright
colorful play equipment that was fun, safe and educational,” he
says.
The company was started out of Richter’s attic with $500 and a loan
on his house. His first designs were sewn in the back room of a
tavern in South St. Louis by the local church sewing circle. The
first year he lost money, but by the second year he broke even and
has been profitable ever since.
Children’s Factory now sells through a network of 500 dealers around
the world with partnerships in Great Britian, Germany, Italy, Hong
Kong and Israel. They recently added 50,000 square feet to their
plant in Union, Mo., and employ more than 100 people.
Last year, Richter was chosen as one of five national winners in
the Great American Toy Hunt sponsored by Haystack Toys of St. Louis.
That same toy winner, Jumbo Tumbos, was selected to be an Oppenheim
Gold Medal Toy winner for 2001, the most prestigious award in the
toy industry.
Richter has a passion for children and for designing toys. He and
his wife Barbara, who is a co-owner of the company and instrumental
in making the company a success, have five children and five grandchildren.
Two of their children are interracially adopted, and they have had
30 foster children in their home over the years. They have donated
more than $1 million worth of preschool equipment to local, national
and international agencies.
The Children’s Factory’s play products are found mostly at daycare
centers and in playgrounds. Richter says he is thrilled that children
around the world use his soft play equipment. “I still get excited
about the creative process and love coming up with a new idea and
bringing it to market. It’s fun to see our products used by so many.
In fact, I saw our equipment on the TV show “ER” when it had a scene
at a daycare center. That was a thrill.”
Award Recipient
Communications
Tim Rodgers and Tom Townsend
Rodgers Townsend
Tom Townsend
(seated) and Tim Rodgers
|
Tim Rodgers
and Tom Townsend have their own definitions of an entrepreneur.
“People who have the belief they can do something better with the
will and the guts to try. And regardless of how successful they
might be, they’re always restless, looking for a better way.”
They put their definition to work when they took a leap of faith
and left the security of D’Arcy Advertising to start their own advertising
agency in 1996. Townsend had been with the company 10 years and
had won numerous major creative awards and Rodgers had been with
D’Arcy for 20 years, having been named early in his career, at age
26, the youngest vice president in the history of D’Arcy.
The two felt the time was right to strike out on their own and they
borrowed a conference room with one desk. The company now occupies
two-and-one-half floors of office space in downtown St. Louis and
each employee has his own desk! Employee growth has jumped from
two people to 60 in the past four years. Furthermore, sales have
nearly tripled over the past three years. The agency has grown to
more than $70 million in less than five years of operation.
Today Rodgers Townsend creates marketing and advertising campaigns
for consumer and business-to-business products and services. Their
services include brand positioning, advertising, direct marketing,
media planning and buying, online/interactive marketing, corporate
identity and logo design, and collateral and sales tools.
Rodgers Townsend’s first big client was RightCHOICE Healthcare,
still a client today. Other clients include SBC, First Bank, Ameren
UE, the St. Louis Rams, St. Louis Children’s Hospital, Maritz and
Forest Park Forever.
In its six years of operation, Rodgers Townsend has achieved some
noteworthy accomplishments. For the second year in a row, the agency
won more first place ADDY awards (creative awards in the advertising
industry) than any other agency. Rodgers Townsend was also honored
with the “Spirit of St. Louis Award” by former Mayor Harmon for
donating more than $1 million in pro bono work for community organizations.
Their most recent coup is winning the advertising work for a major
brand from Silicon Valley—Microsoft’s Ultimate TV.
For Rodgers and Townsend, one of the best parts of owning their
own business is the pride and satisfaction of knowing that what
they believed would work, actually does. Conversely, they say that
with growth they must keep a constant watch not to lose sight of
why they started the company in the first place.
With an eye on the future, Rodgers and Townsend say they will continue
to build the company based on solid client relationships and by
attracting, stimulating and retaining the best people in the business
Award Recipient
Business Services
William W. Canfield
Talx Corporation
William
W. Canfield
|
Knowing who
your customers are and how to solve their problems is a key ingredient
to being a successful entrepreneur says William Canfield. As president
and CEO of TALX Corporation, he has done just that. The company
is the leading provider of electronic employee services for the
human resource, benefits and payroll markets. The company's primary
customers are Fortune 500 companies, large government agencies,
and other major employers.
Canfield
has been an entrepreneur since 1968, after working seven years
for IBM. He has started or purchased an interest in several computer-related
companies. Canfield was one of the founders of Financial Data
Systems, which was purchased by Citicorp in 1980.
He joined
TALX in 1986 and has been chairman since 1988. In October of 1996,
Canfield led the company as they completed an IPO and listed on
the NASDAQ stock exchange (TALX).
TALX just
completed a successful year with substantial revenue and earnings
increases in 2000. TALX ranked 19th among all stock issues in
percentage gain in 2000 with a 232 percent increase in stock price.
TALX features
two premier applications, The Work Number, which is America's
leader in automated employment and income verification, and a
comprehensive end-to-end benefits enrollment system.
The Work
Number automates the verification process by using the web and
interactive voice response technologies and combines payroll information
from various employers. This frees up employees at large companies
who can be kept busy answering queries from lenders and pre-employment
screeners verifying information. TALX, pronounced "talks,"
is a symbol for combining the use of voice and web technology
to automate this process. TALX estimates it has 80 percent of
the automated employment verification market.
Being and
becoming an entrepreneur takes courage Canfield says. "It
takes courage to step out and try something different. You have
to put your passion and energy first, and your livelihood second.
You have to start with a great idea and trust yourself."
Under the
direction of Canfield, TALX is well positioned for growth. In
a culture that embraces challenge and change, TALX has a strong
core business and the power of team-oriented employees to successfully
expand into the future.
Award Recipient
Construction
Robert Jones
The Jones Company
Robert
Jones
|
After building
15,000 new homes, Robert Jones says he is still energized by the
prospect of building new and innovative housing developments. "It's
still very exciting to find the right piece of ground, go through
the planning stages, and see the project come to fruition. I like
investing in new ideas and new projects."
Under Jones'
leadership, The Jones Company has been Missouri's largest homebuilder
by dollar volume for the past 14 years. Jones had a vision early
on to become the largest homebuilder in the St. Louis region.
He bought the company from his father in 1961, and started with
a single new home development with 27 lots. The company now generates
more than $200 million in annual revenue.
Jones says
building his company was not without risks. In order to overcome
larger and more established competitors, he took numerous financial
risks in an industry known for its volatility. But he was able
to overcome major obstacles by creating new home communities with
a wide range of prices and lifestyles. He has built a reputation
for customer satisfaction and product value that has resulted
in 30 percent repeat business and a 92 percent referral business
from his home-buying customers.
In the 1960s
and 1970s when St. Louis County was rapidly growing, Jones' strategy
to attract young families was to offer new homes in a variety
of price ranges and options, with extra amenities. This continues
today with the company's portfolio of five different home collections,
each one designed for a different stage in the life of a family.
To keep pricing competitive, The Jones Company owns the contracting
subsidiary that acquires materials and employs craftsmen.
Jones believes
that "knowing what people want before they want it"
is the key to creating value and customer satisfaction in a new
home. This approach began in the early days when Jones personally
attended every new home closing to determine what customers wanted
in their homes.
Today the
company conducts market research and focus groups to further understand
customers' needs. In response to today's homebuyer, The Jones
Company offers a special package to include wiring for surround-sound
home theaters, computer-ready telephone and TV outlets, high-speed
cable modems with Internet service, and digital cable.
The Jones
Company continues to expand throughout St. Louis and beyond. The
company recently entered the Metro East market in Illinois, and
has plans to build new homes in the City of St. Louis. Jones is
also involved in several master-planned communities including
WingHaven in O'Fallon, Mo. Outside the region, The Jones Company
entered the Nashville market in 1995 and has built 600 homes since.
The company plans to start operations this year in Indianapolis
and enter two additional Midwestern markets during the next five
years.
Jones has
led several successful efforts to improve community infrastructure
by building public support. His active involvement with the Metropolitan
Sewer District, Missouri Highway and Transportation Department,
Citizens for Clean County Water and the Special School District
helped open the west St. Louis County area for rapid development
and led to the voter approval of the Page Avenue Extension, among
other improvements.
Award Recipient
Real Estate
E. Stanley Kroenke and Michael Staenberg
THF Realty
Michael
Staenberg
|
Stan Kroenke
and Michael Staenberg first met in 1977. Their paths crossed when
Staenberg was able to put a McDonald’s in a location that Kroenke
believed no one could develop. Kroenke admired Staenberg’s determination
and the two became friends.
In 1991 they decided to become partners and conceived a development
company that created long-term value for a community, and would
own the centers it built. The company name reflects their philosophy.
“THF” stands for “To Have Fun,” and is a constant reminder to enjoy
the challenge of making their developments work.
In 10 years, THF has become the 11th largest privately-held retail
real estate developer in the nation with $1.4 billion in assets.
THF owns and operates a large portfolio of neighborhood and community
shopping centers, as well as several office buildings throughout
the country.
The company’s business principles have always remained the same:
build quality, build to own, promote tenant loyalty, and develop
centers that make sense for the community. THF’s property management
skills have earned community and tenant support with each project.
These are the reasons why THF revenues have grown from zero in 1991
to $100 million in 2001.
While THF currently has 70 properties in 20 states, Staenberg says
he is most proud of the one built in Chesterfield, Mo. “Chesterfield
Valley was considered unusable since it was in a floodplain. But
we saw an opportunity,” he says.
“To create this development, THF had to build levees, improve roads,
create extraordinary drainage systems, and design a center worthy
of the community. We brought major national tenants to the area
including Sam’s, Wal-Mart, Lowe’s, Babies R’ Us, and more. Today,
the Chesterfield Commons project is recognized as one of the country’s
most attractive and successful retail developments,” he adds. He
also says the development is only 40 to 50 percent complete and
much more is expected for the center.
Staenberg talks about the hard work and dedication required to become
a successful entrepreneur. “You have to take your vision and understand
how to make all the pieces fit together. You must be able to convince
small groups of people along the way to realize your vision as well.
And, you don’t always succeed the first time out. Sometimes failure
can breed success.” THF is in the real estate business for the long
term. The company is introducing new high-rise condominiums, along
with Class A office space, to St. Louis with The Plaza in Clayton.
In the next four years, THF plans to complete approximately 20 more
retail, industrial and office projects.
Award Recipient
Health Science/Medical Instruments & Supplies
George Richmond
Young Innovations, Inc.
George
Richmond
|
George Richmond
has developed a culture and business in which entrepreneurs thrive.
Young Innovations is a dental equipment and supply company with
sales of $60 million. As a major part of his company's growth strategy,
Richmond has successfully acquired a number of companies. But rather
than dissolve a new company, he brings them into his growing family
of entrepreneurs.
"I want them to join us as a partner, and provide them with the
thing I missed most as an entrepreneur-the ability to consult with
peers, to learn and to grow. I also want to provide them the capital
and expertise that a single entrepreneur may not have access to."
Richmond adds that several of the acquired companies are run as
separate divisions of Young Innovations by the original founders.
This strategy has worked exceedingly well for Richmond who purchased
the company from his mother in 1961 at the age of 28. The business
was originally founded by Dr. Young at the turn of the century,
and was known worldwide for superior products. But when Richmond
took over, his mother was in poor health and the company was in
trouble.
Since that time, Richmond has increased sales from $61,000 in 1961
to more than $51 million in 2000 and took the company public in
1997. The company's market value has increased from $35,000 in 1961
to more than $120 million today. When Young Innovations went public
three years ago, it had annual sales of $25 million, 120 employees
and three locations. Today, Young has annual sales at a run rate
of approximately $60 million, 250 employees and nine locations.
How did he do it? In addition to acquiring entrepreneurial companies,
part of his strategy was to create new and innovative products in
the dental equipment and supply market. Richmond realized dentists
were emphasizing preventive dentistry and he focused on developing
tools for that purpose. In 1968, Richmond introduced the Triple
Seale prophy angle, a cleaning tool for dentists that was clinically
superior. This product and the newer disposable version, are still
leading products today.
Richmond continues to lead the company to develop new products to
meet the needs of the dental industry and improve its customers'
oral healthcare. The company has added numerous products including
panoramic x-ray equipment, dental handpieces (drills), fluorides
and infection control products, orthodontic tools and brushes, flavored
examination gloves, and children's toothpastes and toothbrushes.
At the same time, Young has significantly expanded its customer
base and distribution channels.
Richmond is committed to improving public health through better
oral healthcare for people in the United States and beyond. The
company recently co-sponsored a symposium at the University of Louisville
to explore the ways preventative dentistry can enhance overall public
health.
Award Recipient
Health Science/Provider Care
Alan Henderson
RehabCare Group
Alan
Henderson
|
For Alan Henderson
the best part about being an entrepreneur is creating substance
out of a vision. That's what he did with RehabCare Group, the largest
contract rehabilitation and temporary medical staffing company in
the industry.
Today the company has a market value of $730 million in revenue
among four product lines. It also happens to be the top market producer
on the New York Stock Exchange.
RehabCare was originally a subcontractor for acute care hospitals
in the management and operation of inpatient rehabilitation units.
The company grew as a subsidiary of Comprehensive Care. Eventually,
RehabCare was spun off in 1991 and Henderson became CFO. In 1998
he became CEO and was faced with a huge challenge.
Henderson turned a potential disaster into an opportunity when the
Balanced Budget Act of 1997 changed the way Medicare paid for therapy
services in nursing homes and hospitals. This created a surplus
of therapists and RehabCare's services weren't in strong demand
and revenues sank. Henderson conducted a market analysis and came
up with the idea to "redeploy" the staff into temporary nurse staffing.
This move has led to a series of acquisitions in 1998 and 1999 that
have boosted the business.
RehabCare became public in July 1991, with $10 million in assets
and $40 million in annual revenues from a single product line-management
of inpatient rehabilitation units for acute care hospitals. In May
of 1998, Henderson became CEO at which time the company had $100
million in assets, $168 million in revenue, and a market value of
$226 million. Today, only three years later, the company has more
than $230 million in assets, more than $450 million in revenue and
a market value of $730 million.
RehabCare has received recognition in many arenas. As a publicly
traded company, it was named the number one performing stock on
the New York Stock Exchange in 2000. And for the past five years,
the company has been on Forbes magazine's list of the 200 Top Small
Companies in America.
Like many entrepreneurs, Henderson says he surrounds himself with
the best people when it comes to his staff. He describes his management
style as, "I like to have qualified people in place, give them the
resources they need, and then get out of the way."
Tne piece of advice Henderson gives to others starting a business
is, "It takes twice as long and costs twice as much."
He also cautions to have a fallback plan. He fondly recalls his
days as a "ski bum" in Utah where he lived for 10 years.
His fellow employees now own the ski operation where he once worked.
"I can always get my old job back as a ski lift operator if
I need it," he jokes.
Award Recipient
Support of Entrepreneurship
Donald Danforth Plant Science Center
The founding board members of the Donald Danforth Plant Science
Center were honored with the 2001 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of
The Year Award for Support of Entrepreneurship.
The award focused on the individuals who have been at the forefront
of bringing the institution to St. Louis. The founding board members
are: Dr. Richard L. Wallace, chancellor, University of Missouri-Columbia;
Dr. Peter Raven, director, Missouri Botanical Garden; Hendrik A.
Verfaillie, president and chief executive officer, Monsanto Company;
and Dr. Mark S. Wrighton, chancellor and professor of chemistry,
Washington University. In addition to the founding board members,
Roger N. Beachy, Ph.D., president; and William H. Danforth, M.D.,
chairman of the board, were honored.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is a public-private partnership
joining the Missouri Botanical Garden, Monsanto Company, University
of Missouri-Columbia, Washington University, Purdue University,
and the University of Illinois at Champaign-Urbana. The Danforth
Foundation and the State of Missouri provided additional support.
This fall, teams of scientists from around the world will move into
the 170,000-square-foot, state-of-the-art building where they will
take up the challenge of feeding the hungry, fighting disease, eliminating
pest problems and sustaining the earth's resources.
The Donald Danforth Plant Science Center is devoted to world class
research. The founders knew from the start that products developed
from such research offered an opportunity for our region to be a
leader in the next generation of businesses arising from the biologic
sciences. Thanks to leadership and hard work of Verfaillie, Drs.
Raven, Wallace and Wrighton, and a number of others, the Danforth
Center is now established. "The RCGA and many community leaders
are working to provide the necessary infrastructure for commercial
development flowing from the plant and other life sciences," says
William H. Danforth, chairman, Donald Danforth Plant Science Center.
The Center's goal is to facilitate the rapid development and commercialization
of promising technologies and products. The NIDUS Center, located
on the campus of the Danforth Center, is the region's first business
incubator focused exclusively on the life sciences industry. During
the next 15 years, it is expected to generate $1.5 billion for the
regional economy.
Award Finalist
The Standing Partnership
Cathy Dunkin
Cathy Dunkin "stood" on her principals when she and her sister formed
The Standing Partnership (TSP) in 1991 to create a place where public
relations professionals would enjoy working. Now the sole owner,
Dunkin has built TSP into the fourth largest PR firm in St. Louis,
with a staff of 20 and 2000 billings of more than $2 million. Her
vision for the firm extends to forming strategic public relations
partnerships with clients, while remaining committed to balancing
work with family life for the entire staff.
TSP's services include strategic communications planning, investor
relations, new product introductions, executive speech writing,
media relations programs and special events coordination. The firm
counts G.A. Sullivan, Monsanto, Solutia, and the RCGA among its
clients. TSP also is a member of Worldcom Public Relations Group,
the world's largest network of independently owned PR agencies.
Award Finalist
Allegiant Bank
Shaun Hayes
Shaun Hayes started Allegiant Bank in 1989 with the goal of building
a major bank in St. Louis focusing on customer service. Through
start-ups and acquisitions, Allegiant is now the seventh largest
bank in St. Louis with 23 branches and more than $1.1 billion in
assets. Allegiant employs more than 300 people and offers a full
range of commercial and retail banking products and services.
Under Hayes'
leadership, Allegiant has distinguished itself by providing exemplary
customer service with a homegrown feel. Customers are greeted
by name when entering the lobby. Commercial customers can take
advantage of the bank's courier service that allows them to do
their banking without leaving work. Allegiant's focus on small
business and commitment to service assures customers that the
bank will remain in the community for a long time.
Award Finalist
Brand Services, Inc.
John Monter
John Monter and his management team built Brand Services under the
basic tenet that the scaffolding business provided by Brand must
be the safest and most reliable. Today it is the largest supplier
of scaffolding services in North America. Monter acquired the company
in 1996 with a group of private investors, and now more than 5,500
Brand team members build scaffolding for a range of industrial and
commercial clients, operating from 37 divisions throughout the U.S.
and Canada. Company revenues have grown from $161 to $264 million,
and Brand has a 28 percent share of the market, estimated by Monter
to be a $1.7 billion industry.
Monter's accomplishments include acquiring eight additional scaffolding
companies, opening five new business units in new markets, increasing
revenues by 64 percent, and investing $75 million in new equipment.
Among the company's innovative approaches was the creation of Skyview
Staffing Services, which trains supplemental labor to accommodate
the seasonal demand for scaffold builders in tight labor markets
for both the company and its customers. Monter believes Skyview
can be built into a $50 million business by 2004 by offering customers
a valuable service that can be bundled with the company's core scaffolding
services.
Award Finalist
The Mash Group
Joseph Mash
The Mash Group designs and builds exhibits for trade shows, conventions,
museums, corporate meetings and special marketing events. Joseph
Mash started the company in 1984 with two employees and little financing.
The company has grown to 57 employees and $9 million in sales, today.
Clients include blue chip companies such as Monsanto, Anheuser-Busch,
Purina Mills, Mallinckrodt, United Van Lines and General Electric.
Mash has been instrumental in forming a labor cooperative along
with other companies in the same line of business, providing local
labor sources for clients at trade shows. He is also a member of
TEC, a mentoring organization of CEOs, to receive outside counsel
in operating his company.
Award Finalist
Conrad Properties
Bob Saur
Bob Saur founded Conrad Properties in 1976 with little financial
backing. In the company's 31-year history, Conrad Properties has
completed a wide range of real estate projects from luxury condos
and apartments to golf courses and office buildings, totaling more
than $260 million, all built in the St. Louis region.
The various projects reflect Saur's ability to conceive and develop
niche projects in the highly competitive real estate marketplace.
Saur has made his mark in the City of Clayton by building several
highly successful small luxury condominiums. The Claytonian, built
in 1992 as luxury apartments, was recently converted to condominiums
with the majority of units selling in less than one year. His company
recently built Clayton on the Park, a 23-story residential high-rise
featuring luxury apartments, hotel suites and numerous amenities.
Saur sees his business as delivering not just a building but a lifestyle.
Along those lines, he is currently building new projects including
several loft developments.
Award Finalist
O'Brien Corporation, Inc.
Robert O'Brien
At the age of 26, Robert O'Brien assumed control of O'Brien Corporation,
following the unexpected death of his father in 1985. He had been
working for the firm as a sales manager since 1981, but it was now
up to him to lead the company to future success. During his tenure
as president, O'Brien Corporation has grown from $2.5 million in
sales to more than $25 million in fiscal year 2000.
O'Brien Corporation was the first company to manufacture process
control accessories and high-purity piping. Process control accessories
provide protection from extreme temperatures and are used at power
plants, oil refineries, and chemical plants around the world.
O'Brien has been moving the company forward with new products, international
sales and acquisitions. In 1990, he began production on a new product
line, tubing bundles, which now comprise 45 percent of the company's
sales volume. He also opened a subsidiary in Belgium to serve the
international market. In 1999, he acquired Cardinal Systems of Houston.
Cardinal sales doubled during its first year as a subsidiary and
the overall sales for O'Brien Corporation increased 76 percent primarily
due to the acquisition.
Award Finalist
Pace
Properties
Robert Sherwood, Mark Sedgwick and Joseph Ciapciak
Pace Properties was founded in 1984 as a real estate investment
company. Co-founders Robert Sherwood and Mark Sedgwick had no significant
real estate management or brokerage experience, but found a niche
in purchasing "undervalued" retail properties and then
added value with re-modeling and re-merchandising. They eventually
acquired and redeveloped seven community centers.
Sherwood
and Sedgwick, along with Joseph Ciapciak, are managing directors
of the company, which owns approximately two million square feet
of Class A, community shopping centers throughout the Midwest
valued in excess of $120 million. Pace's three major business
areas today are property services including retail development,
management and leasing; corporate services; and investment. In
the St. Louis area, Pace is the only locally-based real estate
firm to provide pure tenant representation services to corporate
users.
Award Finalist
Rapid Development Services
Leon Gurevich
Leon Gurevich emmigrated to St. Louis from Russia at the age of
23 speaking very little English. Since his Russian engineering degree
was not applicable in the United States, he began his studies at
Washington University while working full time. Shortly before receiving
his degree, Gurevich was hired by Bussman Fuse. While there, he
pioneered five product lines, was awarded 20 patents, and developed
high-speed assembly lines.
In 1993,
he and Emanuill Grigg formed Rapid Development Services (RDS)
to provide innovative manufacturing solutions using the latest
technology. Within months of its inception, RDS was able to provide
Anheuser-Busch with a unique design for a hops lifter. The design
was so successful that Anheuser-Busch installed it in all of their
breweries and placed RDS on their preferred vendor list. RDS has
gone to do work for many other major corporations including Monsanto,
Johnson & Johnson and Mallinckrodt.
Today RDS
focuses on robotics as the core of its manufacturing solutions.
The company has implemented hundreds of complex, robotic assembly
and manufacturing solutions worldwide.
Award Finalist
Telcobuy.com
Jim Kavanaugh
Telcobuy.com is the premier business-to-business e-marketplace for
the telecommunications industry. The company specializes in providing
telecommunications infrastructure products and services to help
major service providers, like Verizon and SBC, rapidly build and
deploy their networks.
Jim Kavanaugh founded Telcobuy.com in 1999, after a successful 10-year
career with World Wide Technology. He recognized the value of providing
technology solutions to the billion dollar telecommunications industry
and tailored Telcobuy.com's services to provide a variety of product
offerings such as contract manufacturing, professional and consulting
services, and turnkey electronic procurement and logistics outsourcing
solutions.
Telcobuy.com's sales increased from $246 million in 1999 to $609
million in 2000.
Award Finalist
Tech Electronics, Inc.
James Canova
Jim Canova started Tech Electronics in 1963 at the age of 27. Using
his electrical engineering ability while honing his selling skills
at PTO meetings, Canova began installing public address systems
in the growing St. Louis County School District. He developed a
reputation as the person to rely on for intercoms, public address
and sound systems.
The company
has since expanded its services to include installing fire alarms,
security systems, healthcare communications equipment, telephone
systems and more. Tech Electronics has 200 employees, a fleet
of 50 trucks, remote locations and a St. Louis city campus of
six separate buildings-on the same site where he started the company
38 years ago.
Tech Electronics
has distinguished itself by providing 24-hour maintenance service
and by making sure employees have the latest technical training.
Canova has passed on his interest in technology and entrepreneurship
to his three children who hold management positions in the company.
His son, Kurt, was recently named president, while Canova is chairman
of the board.
Award Finalist
T.R.Hughes Inc.
Thomas R. Hughes
After 21 years with the St. Charles Police Department, Tom Hughes
left to start a homebuilding company. His primary purpose was to
develop land and provide high quality residential housing for the
St. Charles area. In 1993, he used credit cards for a down payment
on 77 acres of land in O'Fallon, Mo., and built a successful 250-house
residential community called Stable Ridge Estates.
In operation just eight years, his company has built everything
from affordable homes for first-time buyers, to elegant move-up
homes, as well as custom homes, condominiums, and office buildings.
With a focus on customer satisfaction and word-of-mouth advertising,
T.R. Hughes has increased its revenue by 25 percent over the last
two years. The company had 2000 net annual sales of more than $23.5
million. His company also ranked 178 on Inc. magazine's list of
fastest growing companies.
Hughes has
several projects that have recently been completed or are nearing
completion including two award-winning master-planned communities
in the St. Charles and St. Peters areas. He also is helping to
underwrite the new ballpark for the River City Rascals in St.
Charles.
Award Finalist
The Vandiver Group
Donna Vandiver
Capitalizing on her extensive background in public relations, Donna
Vandiver formed The Vandiver Group, a strategic planning, marketing,
training and public relations firm in 1993. Before she began her
company, Vandiver was director of public relations for Monsanto
Company where she was responsible for corporate image, reputation
management and media relations.
The Vandiver
Group's client list continues to grow each year. With her staff
of 19, The Vandiver Group has worked on such notable projects
as the Gateway Clean Air Program for ESP Missouri Department of
Natural Resources, as well as public outreach and media relations
for the MetroLink extension into St. Clair County.
The Vandiver
Group has won 19 awards for communications work during the past
two years. The company is the exclusive St. Louis member of Pinnacle
Worldwide, a leading international corporation of public relations
agencies with 60 offices around the world.
Award Finalist
Mitch Murch's Maintenance Management Co.
Timothy Murch
Tim Murch and his father Mitch formed Mitch Murch's Maintenance
Management (MMMM) in 1978. His father retired in 1993 and Tim has
since grown the company into the largest janitorial contractor in
St. Louis with revenue of $27 million. MMMM provides cleaning services
to office buildings, school districts, manufacturing and industrial
facilities, as well as to Busch Stadium. With 1,700 employees, the
company serves 200 accounts with more than 350 buildings throughout
Missouri, Illinois and Indiana.
Murch's philosophy
is to provide quality cleaning with built-in supervision overseen
by qualified managers. As an industry leader, he directed the
foundation of a group of 25 janitorial contractors from across
the country to create the National Service Alliance (NSA). NSA
members combine their resources to compete for regional and national
contracts.
In a market
where technology may not seem significant, MMMM has developed
an interactive way for its clients to participate in the on-site
evaluations of MMMM's work. Palm pilots are used to perform inspections
to allow instant delivery of results to clients and to MMMM's
headquarters.
Award Finalist
Cass Information Systems, Inc.
Larry Collett
As CEO for Cass Information Systems, Larry Collett presides over
the largest provider of freight and utility payment services in
North America, processing more than $8 billion annually. Cass' clients
are some of the largest in the nation, including more than 100 of
the Fortune 500. The company's banking subsidiary, Cass Commercial
Bank, focuses on relationships with privately held businesses and
churches.
Collett began
his career with Cass Information Systems in 1963 and was named
CEO in 1990. His long career with the company includes establishing
the first complete online interactive processing system in the
industry. Collett's skills as an entrepreneur expanded when he
created four business banking and technology units within the
company. The payment and information services of Cass, combined
with the financial services of its banking operation, provide
a one-stop solution for the markets the company serves.
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