John Lines: Adding Value in Auction Innovation

by RaeAnne Marsh

Supply chain end-of-life for one business may be just the beginning for another, and John Lines’ Phoenix-based Surplus Asset Management helps make that connection as businesses remodel or close. “We sell a grocery store chain, and that allows little mom-and-pop bakeries or pizza or grocery stores to open up for a huge savings over new equipment,” says Lines, founder and CEO of … [More]

Daniel Lieberman, M.D.: Creating a Shorter Route to Relieving Pain

by RaeAnne Marsh

A notable feature in surgeon Daniel Lieberman’s recently opened Phoenix Spine Surgery Center gives visual manifestation to his innovative approach to healthcare: It’s the patient experience delineated in a clearly marked path in the tile floor. As one visitor expressed it to him, “This makes you feel like the whole thing is under control, and that allows you to really … [More]

Brian Cassidy: Developing Niche Market Expertise 

by Alison Stanton

As one of the principals of architecture firm CCBG Architects, Inc., Brian Cassidy stays busy working on a variety of different projects. A passion of his now is adaptive reuse of old structures in the heart of Downtown Phoenix, and the firm is a leader in the movement to take old buildings that are still architecturally sound and transform them to a new purpose into something … [More]

Blue Sky Pest Control: Building Strength from Small Decisions 

by Alexandra Lyon

The creepy-crawlies of the Arizona desert are no match for Curtis Whalen and Nathan Woolf, owners of Blue Sky Pest Control. The Phoenix-based company has experienced aggressive growth since opening its first office in the Phoenix metropolitan area in 2003, and now has more than 65 employees and a second location in Gilbert. This growth advanced even during the economic … [More]

Erik Olsson’s Growth Strategy: Character

by Alison Stanton

To Erik Olsson, when he came on board with Mobile Mini, Inc. two years ago as president and CEO, the company seemed somewhat complacent in its success. “It was a little bit of a sleeping giant, although it was a great business in itself and had done well for many years. But even though it had been public for 20 years, the company had always been run by the family of the … [More]

Trish McCarty: Innovating Education

by Alison Stanton

As founder and CEO of StarShine Academy, a K-12 charter school in Phoenix, Trish McCarty feels strongly that her most important customers are the students, some of whom are just 5 years old. “Our main customers are our children, and the second-most important customers are our teachers,” she says. McCarty was inspired to open StarShine Academy in 2002 because she was deeply … [More]

Eric Roudi: Seeing the People Side of Commercial Cleaning 

by Mike Saucier

Eric Roudi realized in the early 1980s something that others at the time had not: The cleaning business is really a people business. It’s a people business in the sense that clients who own commercial buildings have needs and requests they’d like to convey to someone they know and trust. It’s also a people business in terms of how Roudi recruits those who will interact with … [More]

Marie Sullivan: Leading AWEE by Positive Example

by Alison Stanton

When Marie Sullivan became president and CEO of Arizona Women’s Education & Employment (AWEE) in 1997, the nonprofit organization’s funding was holding steady in the $400,000 range. “Today it fluctuates between $2.9 million and $4.5 million,” Sullivan says. Referring to nonprofits as “curious beasts” that have to rely on a lot of sources for their funding and … [More]

Robb M. Corwin: Making Happenings Happen

by Alison Stanton

When football fans arrive for Super Bowl XLIX at University of Phoenix Stadium in Glendale on Sunday, February 1, 2015, they will experience firsthand the hard work exhibited by the team of dedicated associates from Pride Group, LLC. CEO Robb M. Corwin says his company will provide a variety of services that day, from parking and traffic control to cash management. In order … [More]

Drew Alcazar: Cars in the Spotlight

by RaeAnne Marsh

The move in October to 30,000 square feet of office in Scottsdale underscores the success of CEO Drew Alcazar’s philosophy for the Russo and Steele collector automobile auctions, which was to concentrate on creating a close-knit, emotional environment for collector car enthusiasts. “It was 2001. We weren’t sure if there was enough value to an environment strictly devoted to the … [More]