Success Stories

Picture of Robert James

Adversity often breeds opportunity, and Robert James took full advantage of just such a situation in 1997 when he bought back the company his father William had started, but sold to an investor seven years earlier.  Initially founded in 1969 as Aeroflow Industries, the company focused on manufacturing  oil free air compressors.  By 1990, the market had been saturated by discounted oil-free compressors and the company was sold.

Sensing an impending dramatic shift in the market, Robert bought back the company when he saw future potential.  Renamed Hycomp, Robert immediately expanded company product lines to include production of air boosters and gas compressors, with an emphasis on nitrogen compressors.

After the company moved to new facilities in 2004 with the aid of an SBA 504 loan, Hycomp continued to expand, growing from an initial 3 employees in 1997 to 55 employees today.  A major component of the company’s expansion has been its penetration into international... Read More

 

Steamrolling to Success

When the Bevans family, of St. George, opened a small retail copy and printing shop 20 years ago, they probably had little inkling of what their modest operation would eventually become.

Two decades later, son, Josh Bevans and his wife Stephanie, now the owners, are managing Steamroller Copies, the original company and a newer sister company, Design To Print.  With over 70 total employees, the two companies are evidence that what may appear to be a routine small business can be expanded into something much more significant over time.

“Our business is printing, but we don’t view ourselves as printers,” says Josh.  “We view ourselves as marketing partners.  Our goal is to help companies make money.  Our motto is: Help companies succeed – if they succeed, we succeed.”

Indeed, the companies have had some unique clients with demanding projects.  In 2002, Design To Print won a contract to create... Read More

DPS Skis

DPS Skis

1549 South 1100 East

Salt Lake City, Utah

801-953-1448

 

Lying face up in the deep Argentine powder of Las Leñas, Stephan Drake thought there has got to be a better way to ski. Disappointed in the commercially available snow skis, this epiphanic moment began a sixteen year journey of creativity and experimentation which resulted in an entirely new material and design for skis.

Today, Drake is the Founder and President of DPS Skis. This Utah Company is the only manufacturer of pure carbon fiber skis in the world. The company’s innovation and dedication to skiing has resulted in market success and double digit growth. Drake employs ten people in the Wasatch Valley with plans to increase that to 14 next years. The company manufactures its signature premium skis in Ogden with plans to open a new facility in Downtown Salt Lake City. “We want our Salt Lake facility to be a part of the DPS brand,” says Drake. “We envision a place where... Read More

US Translation

 As a 6-year old, David Utrilla had no idea his early entrepreneurial career as a street vendor would eventually take him half-a-world away from his native Peru to America.  Yet, 18 years later in 1994, David realized that unless he escaped the political turmoil and terrorism in Peru, his future would be very limited.

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