Now in its 13th year, our annual Small Business Awards highlight companies or entrepreneurs that are exceeding, excelling, and enlightening the free enterprise space. The winners will be announced at the Black Enterprise Entrepreneurs Conference + Expo, hosted by General Motors, May 14-17, in Charlotte, North Carolina, and will be featured in an upcoming issue of BE.
EMERGING COMPANY OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
This award recognizes businesses that have poised themselves for growth by carving out a special niche or by adopting creative marketing techniques.
Aten Solutions Inc.
TYPE OF BUSINESS Clinical trials and research
CEO/PRESIDENT Leah Brown
LOCATION Cary, NC
www.atensolutions.com
There’s no room for error. Just ask Leah Brown. Her company, Aten Solutions Inc., oversees clinical trials for global biotech and pharmaceutical companies as well as academic and governmental research centers. Launched in 2004, the company, which specializes in clinical research, clinical data management, statistical programming, and biostatistics, is steadily carving out a place in the nearly $650 billion global pharmaceutical market. Revenues in 2007 were $3.2 million. With a current staff of 61 handling various clinical trails, Brown, 44, anticipates 2008 to be an even bigger year for her enterprise, projecting $7 million by year-end. The company’s clients include Merck, GlaxoSmithKline, and Johnson & Johnson, among others.
Spectra L.L.C.
TYPE OF BUSINESS Automotive manufacturing and engineering
CO-CHAIRMEN/CO-FOUNDERS Michael & Carlton Guthrie
LOCATION Detroit
www.detroitchassis.com
Brothers Carlton and Michael Guthrie are the consummate serial entrepreneurs. The two once headed Trumark Inc., a Lansing, Michigan-based metal stamping company that once ranked among the BE 100S. That company was sold in 2001. Now, the duo is poised to re-enter the list with another company. Spectra L.L.C., a holding company formed in 2002, assembles and modifies motor home chassis, other recreational vehicles, and hybrid and electric vehicles for automakers including Ford and Mercedes-Benz. One operating company performs process engineering (streamlining assembly lines) for clients such as Procter & Gamble. The company reported revenues of roughly $20 million in 2007.
Sundial Group
TYPE OF BUSINESS Fragrance and body products
CEO/FOUNDER Richelieu Dennis
PRESIDENT/COO Nyema Tubman
PARTNER/CHIEF BRANDING OFFICER Emmet Dennis
LOCATION Amityville, NY
www.sundialbrands.com
With more than 50 employees, Richelieu Dennis, Nyema Tubman, and Emmet Dennis have transformed Sundial into the go-to source for culturally authentic organic skin and haircare products, which they create, manufacture, and distribute. With more than 16 years in business, the $10 million enterprise sports a client list that includes some of the biggest names in retail such as Macy’s, J.C. Penney, and Target.
In 2000, they opened their flagship store, Nubian Heritage, in Brooklyn, New York, and later opened a second location in Harlem. Sundial also owns a 50,000-square-foot manufacturing facility in Amityville, New York. Remembering their African roots, the entrepreneurs purchase raw materials directly from women cooperatives and farmers in Africa.
BUSINESS INNOVATOR OF THE YEAR NOMINEES
This award recognizes companies that have set trends and broken new ground in a particular industry.
Robin Wilson Home
TYPE OF BUSINESS Renovation, project management and design firm
CEO/PRESIDENT Robin Wilson
LOCATION New York City
www.robinwilsonhome.com
Design and lifestyle expert Robin Wilson is right at home within her industry, which is why she had no problem cleaning it up. Wilson revolutionized the design industry by implementing a more efficient process for homeowners.
Launched in 2000, Robin Wilson Home, a New York City-based design firm, brings its efficiency expertise to clients through project management-the core of the company. Besides identifying overinflated estimates and holding contractors accountable, the firm works with the clients to pre-plan projects as well as uses a customized Web-based construction management software. With four full-time employees, Wilson aims for profits of more than $1 million by year-end.
In addition, the 37-year-old also offers consumers The Nest Store (www.the neststore.com), an online marketplace offering eco-friendly and eco-healthy signature furniture pieces and home décor, made from a variety of materials including concrete, organic cotton, and mango wood. Though launched in January, the site already averages 9,000 hits per month. Wilson hopes to see the Nest Store’s sales grow to at least $250,000 for its first year.
Inspired By Media Group Inc.
TYPE OF BUSINESS Faith-based products and services
PRESIDENT/CEO Ron Belk
LOCATION North Hollywood, CA
www.inspiredby.com
Ron Belk and his team oversaw an ambitious undertaking-making the Bible come alive. With the help of nearly 400 of the most celebrated black actors, actresses, musicians, media personalities, and clergy, Inspired By Media Group produced a fully dramatized audio recording of the Today’s New International Version (TNIV) of the Bible.
Created in partnership with Zondervan Books, one of the biggest names in Christian publishing, Inspired By…The Bible Experience offers listeners an eloquent, spiritual journey with the help of Denzel Washington, Angela Bassett, and Cuba Gooding Jr., among others, who lent their voices to the project. Besides offering both the Old and New Testaments on CDs, The Bible Experience is available in a MP3 version, on pre-loaded iPods or as a downloadable files.
The 10-employee company saw sales of $12 million in 2007 and anticipates $18 million for 2008 from The Bible Experience alone, which is already the No. 1 selling audio Bible in history. Belk, 37, has plans to reach a wider audience in the years ahead by launching The Bible Experience in several forms including a collection of digitally animated stories, a video game, and a rendition of the project with notable Hispanic celebrities.
Nerjyzed Entertainment Inc.
TYPE OF BUSINESS Digital entertainment, media development and publishing
PRESIDENT/CEO Jacqueline Beauchamp
LOCATION Baton Rouge, LA
www.nerjyzed.com
Thanks
Feeling a need to address the lack of video games featuring black colleges, Beauchamp, 45, and three colleagues raised the $8 million needed for startup capital to launch the company. The Black College Football Xperience enjoys considerable success in the home PC gaming sector. Revenues for 2007 were $2 million. Nerjyzed Entertainment is positioning Black College Football Xperience as a unique game on the market. Its subsidiaries include Nerjyzed Game Studios, Nerjyzed Film Studio, and N-ER-Sound Music Production. The company projects 2008 revenues will surpass $10 million due to Beauchamp’s opening up the playing field with not only the video game’s system compatibility, but also other projects such as a documentary highlighting the legacy of HBCUs.
RISING STAR AWARD NOMINEES
This award recognizes individuals, ages 21-35 whose outstanding skills, professionalism, and perseverance have established them as future business leaders.
Snobby Productions
TYPE OF BUSINESS Interior design
PRESIDENT/CEO Kelly Pryor
PRESIDENT/CEO Mila Santiago Jones
LOCATION Altadena, CA
www.snobbyproductions.com
According to Kelly Pryor and Mila San
tiago Jones, it’s OK to be a bit of a snob. The duo’s Altadena, California-based interior design firm, Snobby Productions, offers the everyday professional sophisticated style at reasonable rates.
The company, launched in 2005, maintains a chic and diverse clientele and handles projects of varying tastes and budgets. Notable clientele include NFL star Chris McAllister and former Spice Girl Mel B., among others. Overseeing everything from idea to implementation, Santiago Jones, 28, and Pryor, 27, take on interior and exterior painting, flooring, remodeling, and design.
While revenues in 2006 stood solid at $200,000, year-end 2007 proved to be even better, with revenues of more than $600,000. The two keep overhead low by advocating for the best prices for their clients as well as being unafraid to roll up their sleeves and work alongside contractors. They anticipate surpassing $800,000 in 2008 because of such ventures as the launch of their own decorative, custom pillow line. In 2007, Snobby Productions was selected as one of the best interior design firms in Los Angeles by online directory Citysearch.
Artyce Designs
TYPE OF BUSINESS Shoe manufacturer and distributor
PRESIDENT/CEO Candra Palmer
LOCATION Los Angeles
www.artycedesigns.com
All that glitters isn’t gold, but it may be Swarovski crystals. Los Angeles-based Artyce Designs is solidifying its place in the niche market of customized women’s shoes and offering women the ultimate say in what goes on their feet. The unique experience allow clients the opportunity to “build” their shoes, selecting height, material, embellishments, and comfort. Sizes range from 6 to 13 and custom tailoring is provided to ensure a perfect fit.
Chicago native Candra Palmer founded Artyce in 2002 and since then, the three-employee company has seen steady growth. In 2007, revenues reached $350,000. Palmer projects that revenues for 2008 will near the $500,000 mark as the company gains more media exposure and, ultimately, additional clients and partnerships. The company has partnerships with area hotels to offer Artyce Designs’ “bridal shower shoe party package” among their event hosting menus. With plans to launch franchise stores around the country, Palmer is proving her mettle as both a designer and entrepreneur-taking this niche market over one step at a time.
Lucid Enterprises L.L.C.
TYPE OF BUSINESS Beverage manufacturer & distributor
PRESIDENT Derek Halliman
LOCATION Atlanta
www.misth2o.com
Though it isn’t the fountain of youth, Mist H2O is definitely a refreshing new venture.
A product of Lucid Enterprises L.L.C., which manufactures bottled water for private companies as well as residential and retail markets, Mist H2O is bottled spring water harvested from Tennessee’s English Mountain Springs. Founded by 34-year-old Derick Halliman in 1997, the company’s revenues in 2007 were $820,000.
Halliman ensures that Mist H2O stands out from the competition by focusing not only on taste, but on appearance. Designed by Halliman himself, the bottle is a sleek casing of heavy-grade, European glass. This year, Mist H2O Premium Spring Water was awarded a gold medal in the People’s Choice for Package Design category at the 18th annual Berkeley Springs International Water Tasting event. The company anticipates surpassing the million-dollar mark in 2008, with projections of $1.4 million by year-end. Lucid Enterprises’ latest product is Blast 2 Fitness Water, which is scheduled to launch in this year. Though the company began by selling five-gallon water bottles and filtration systems, Lucid is striking out on its own to make itself a quenching distinction in the beverage market.
TEENPRENEUR AWARD NOMINEES
This award recognizes entrepreneurs age 18 and under who serve as role models and are committed to advancing the rich tradition of black business achievement.
Rizon Esthetics
TYPE OF BUSINESS Clothing
CEO/PRESIDENT Derron O. Scott Jr.
LOCATION Upper Marlboro, MD
www.RizonEsthetics.com
Derron O. Scott Jr. is a walking billboard, showcasing the clothes that have taken him from high schooler to entrepreneur. The 17-year-old’s company, Rizon Esthetics, offers clothing and shoes geared toward what Scott calls the “young urban trendsetters.” Founded with the help of his mother in 2004, Scott designs apparel (shirts, shoes, and hats) using a fusion of colorful freestyle art and screen-print designs. Scott’s mother serves as manager, but he also has an event coordinator, a business coach, as well as creative and marketing teams.
In addition to developing new products, Scott meets with store owners, handles bookkeeping, and updates the company’s blog.
Lizzy’s Lines
TYPE OF BUSINESS Greeting Cards
CEO/PRESIDENT Sara “Lizzy B” Solomon
LOCATION Nashville
Sara “Lizzy B” Solomon is on a mission to help others. Her company, Lizzy’s Lines, makes greeting, note cards, and calendars that depict children with special needs living life to the fullest. The 14-year-old, who has cerebral palsy, knows the importance of seeing positive images of people just like her.
Since starting Lizzy’s Lines in 2004 with the help of her mother, sister, and friends, the young advocate’s labor of love has seen steady growth. Revenues in 2007 were $1,800 and projected earnings for 2008 are $2,000. Local educational/training facilities and supply companies focusing on those with special needs are among Lizzy’s Lines’ clients. Solomon’s products, which she conceptualizes herself and designs with the help of an artist, depict kids and teens playfully interacting with others in everyday activities. Shopping, going to the movies, and enjoying birthday parties, these are just some of the scenes Solomon portrays in her product line, proving that kids with special needs are more alike than different.
Passive Devices
TYPE OF BUSINESS Technology
CEO/PRESIDENT Krystyn Heath
LOCATION Fremont, CA
www.snooptunes.com
Kristyn Heath is all about sharing. With funding from her father, the 17-year-old created NoeStringAttached, a portable music-sharing device. Attachable to any music source using frequency modulation (FM), the device allows users to transmit and receive music wirelessly within a 10- to 40-foot radius. NoeStringAttached also allows users to listen to music stored on their portable players from a car stereo system.
The teen’s Fremont, California-based company, Passive Devices, originated in 2006 and distributes the product under the brand SnoopTunes, meaning users can “snoop” in on peers’ “tunes.” The company’s revenues for 2007 were $30,000, and Heath expects 2008 revenues to near $100,000. Heath works directly with engineers regarding product development and features. Heath has been a Girl Scout for six years, and the Girl Scouts Heart of Central California branch sells the NoeStringAttached devices in its store- just one of the ways Heath gets her clever invention to the masses.
In selecting the award nominees, a committee of BLACK ENTERPRISE editors and conference coordinators pored over hundreds of business plans and nomination forms. Once preliminary nominees were selected, BE’s research department conducted further due diligence to determine the strongest candidates. For information on the 2009 Small Business Awards or to nominate a business or entrepreneur, go to blackenterprise.com.