“Any vehicle that has a phone number on it is potentially valuable to a company like ours,” says Rob Donat, founder and CEO of fleet tracking company GPS Insight, which provides sophisticated tracking solutions that help companies with fleets add value to their operation — more efficient dispatch and routing being one of many advantages. When he moved to Scottsdale from … [More]
Jeffrey Martin: Creating an Industry for Natural, Renewable Rubber
Fifteen years ago, Jeffrey Martin co-founded the Yulex Corporation with Dan Swiger after learning about a technology licensed from the United States Department of Agriculture to extract natural rubber latex from the guayule plant. Yulex’s mission is “to protect and improve the planet and its people by providing pure and improved plant-based products, which promote the … [More]
John Lines: Adding Value in Auction Innovation
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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
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]
Mike Nealy: Leading by Example
In May, Mike Nealy was named executive director of the Fiesta Bowl. Prior to accepting this position, Nealy had spent eight years with the Phoenix Coyotes NHL franchise and Gila River Arena. As president and chief operating officer for the Phoenix Coyotes, Nealy helped the organization achieve record-breaking sales. Mike Nealy and the Fiesta Bowl Nealy oversees the … [More]
R. Craig Coppola: Focus on Developing Talent
Through his 38 years in commercial real estate, Lee & Associates Arizona founding principal R. Craig Coppola has discovered a very important key to success: maintaining a constant and consistent focus on building a great team. “I call myself a collector of unique abilities,” Coppola says. “Everyone has a unique ability, and on our team, each person has one that is different … [More]
Lisa Urias – It’s All About Team
Lisa Urias founded Urias Communications to address an underserved need for strategic marketing and PR with a multicultural focus. Now a local and national award-winning marketing, community and public relations agency, Urias Communications specializes in the multicultural markets of the U.S. Southwest, with concentration on the Hispanic market.Urias’ first challenge came after … [More]
Chas Roberts A/C & Plumbing: Changing and Adapting for 70-plus Years
In 1942, Chas and Alice Roberts founded Chas Roberts Air Conditioning Inc. in Phoenix. Sissie Roberts Shank, current president and CEO and granddaughter of the original owners, says her grandfather handled the repairs while her grandmother stayed in the office and answered the phones. “My grandfather was one of those men who could fix anything. Over time, they hired my uncle, … [More]
Jared Smith: Going the Extra Mile in Service
For Jared Smith, president of Bluemedia, the phrase “make it perfect” is much more than just his company’s motto. It’s a personal mantra he and his employees live and breathe 24/7/365. It’s this commitment to perfection and always going the extra mile for their clients that have helped make Bluemedia one of the top large-format signage companies in the nation. “This has been a … [More]
Dr. Audrey C. Menard: Keeping Command of Campus
As the new Head of School for Rancho Solano Preparatory School, Audrey C. Menard, Ed.D., credits delegating and collaborating as two keys to her success. She does this, she explains, by creating teams of employees with various strengths to handle different responsibilities. Also, by remembering that she runs a business — albeit one that emphasizes creating outstanding students … [More]
