Pete Davis, 33. President and CEO,
Impact Management
Services, Southfield.
Revenue: $2.8 million,
Employees: 12.
Even though his advice wasn’t followed, Pete Davis says he was ready to take the call. “A client decided to hold their own job fair, and by the end of the morning they said they were about to get kicked out of the hotel (as a large crowd had formed),” recalls Davis, president and CEO of Impact Management Services, a customized staffing solutions firm in Southfield. “There really is a process for holding a job fair, and if you’re not selective enough, you’re wasting people’s time. Plus, the HR department just gets overwhelmed.” Employee-staffing firms — a leading indicator of the overall economy — are offering more positions of late. For Davis, that means more jobs in skilled and engineering trades such as machine operators, pipefitters, and electricians. “We don’t advertise a great deal; rather, we research potential employees and really look for people who are very focused on self-improvement,” he says. After a recent merger, Davis says revenue in 2010 should top $7.5 million. —R.J. King
|
Ryan LaFontaine, 33. General Manager,
LaFontaine Automotive
Group, Highland Township.
New Car Sales/Leases:
$265 million,
Employees: 550.
Ryan LaFontaine missed only one week of work while he was receiving treatment for Hodgkin’s lymphoma in early 2008. “I’m the one everyone comes to when they have a problem,” says LaFontaine, general manager of LaFontaine Automotive Group in Highland Township. “So one of the hardest things for me was gathering everyone together to let them know what was going on with my treatment. I remember my hair was falling out (due to radiation therapy), so I had my head shaved.” Throughout the ordeal, LaFontaine continued to oversee the development of a $15-million dealership in Highland Township. The project, which opened two years ago, includes numerous energy-saving features such as a $600,000 geothermal heating and cooling system. With his cancer in full remission, LaFontaine says he has never looked back. “You have to maintain a positive attitude,” he says. “There’s nothing good that comes from negativity.” —R.J. King
|
Sam LaGrasso, 39. President, United Lawnscape Inc.,
Washington Township.
Revenue: $15.0 million,
Employees: 250.
Sometimes it’s better to join forces with a fervent competitor rather than continue to fight for market share. During high school, Salvatore “Sam” LaGrasso and John Wernis were running competing landscape firms. But after graduating in 1997, the pair decided to pool their talents. “We were big competitors, but I thought we could grow faster if we worked together,” says LaGrasso, president of United Lawnscape Inc. in Washington Township. “A partnership is like a marriage. The more you put into it, the better shot you have of success.” Expanding quickly into landscape construction, while preserving a maintenance division, LaGrasso says the company began to take on larger clients like Detroit Metropolitan Airport, Michigan, and various municipalities. “Our goal is to keep focusing on Michigan, but to continue to grow outside the state.” —R.J. King
|
Scott P. Frush, 39. Assistant Vice President
for Investments and
Wealth Management,
Huntington Investment Co.,
Birmingham.
Revenue: $90 million,
Employees: 400.
Scott Frush has always wanted to educate others on how to handle their money — so much so, he has written five books on various investment strategies on his way to becoming a leading authority on asset allocation policy and portfolio optimization. “It’s very rewarding when someone tells me that one of my books made a difference for them,” says Frush, assistant vice president for investments and wealth management for Huntington Investment Co. in Birmingham, a subsidiary of Huntington Bank. He’s also authored three other “fun books” on trivia. He says anyone can be successful by building on his or her accomplishments. “Doors open when you have small successes; you just have to build on them,” he says. He also advises people to stay focused and dedicated. “When I was writing my books, I would come home, turn off the TV, not take phone calls … and when I was on deadline, I pretty much gave up sleep.” —John S. Schultz
|
Scott Seabolt, 39. Partner,
Foley & Lardner,
Detroit.
Revenue: NA.
Employees: 65.
Scott Seabolt specializes in business-to-business disputes and government enforcement cases at the law office of Foley & Lardner in Detroit. In an industry not necessarily known for innovation, he has developed budgeting tools that allow clients to better calculate the cost of litigation. “If your case has an exposure of $1 million, but it’s going to cost you $1 million to litigate, does that really make sense?” he asks. “Having an understanding up front with the client, so they can make informed decisions, is important.” In addition to his day job, Seabolt serves as interim CEO of Think Detroit PAL, which provides athletic and leadership programs for 10,000-12,000 Detroit youth each year. “Our focus is on the kids in the city of Detroit,” he says. “Whether it’s leadership, teamwork, or diversity, they can all be found in athletic endeavor.” —Tom Beaman
|
Sean Fossee, 36. Vice President,
Residential Home Health,
Madison Heights.
Revenue: NA,
Employees: 450.
At the end of most workdays, Sean Fossee grabs a notepad and creates a list of personal improvements for the future, which he often shares with his business development teams in the Detroit and Chicago regions. “I don’t believe in complacency,” says Fossee, vice president of Residential Home Health in Madison Heights, which last year served 10,000 home care patients in Michigan. “Whether it’s work, a hobby, or golf, I’m always striving to get better.” When Fossee joined Residential Home Health in 2005, the company had 50 employees serving the tri-county metro Detroit region. Today, the company’s geographic reach spans state lines, with a combined workforce of 450 people. “Everyone here is a team player, and I think that’s what makes an average company great,” Fossee says. “You can’t assume growth will come naturally. I use my passion and enthusiasm to inspire patients, their medical teams, and our employees.” —R.J. King
|
Steve Cosgrove, 39. Vice President,
Sales and Marketing
Nexlink Communications,
Auburn Hills.
Revenue: NA,
Employees: 170.
If you’ve ever bought a pre-paid cell phone at a party store, or needed to replace a phone that fell into the lake, chances are you’ve encountered a Nexlink Communications product. In response to rising demand for remanufactured wireless devices from service carriers, insurance providers, and retailers, Steve Cosgrove and Jeff Messano established the Auburn Hills-based Nexlink with $300,000 in startup funding. “We’ll buy 1,000 to 30,000 phones at a time, typically all used,” Cosgrove says. “We test everything electronically, fix them if they’re broken, fully remanufacture them … and re-sell them.” All the work is done at a Nexlink facility in Minnesota. “We’re very proud to be in the United States, and we do 100 percent of our work here,” Cosgrove says. —Tom Beaman
|
Steve Rybicki, 34. Vice President and
General Manager,
Infinity and Ovation Yacht Charters, St. Clair. Shores
Bookings: 210 events (2010), Employees: 100.
Seeking to replace a drop in corporate sales at Infinity and Ovation Yacht Charters, Steve Rybicki says the company is on pace to host 210 events on the Detroit River this year, up from 120 events in 2009. After restructuring the company’s marketing plan last winter, Rybicki, vice president and general manager of the St. Clair Shores-based company, was able to boost bookings for weddings, proms, and fundraisers. “We almost doubled our business (from 2009), plus we’re drawing more people on our slower nights at the beginning of the week,” he says. With a touring season that stretches from April to October, Rybicki says he uses the winter months to fine-tune the company’s operations. “We research constantly to stay ahead of the trends, we redo our menus, and we put together new food station concepts,” he says. “In addition, our ability to dock in St. Clair Shores and downtown Detroit has helped us a great deal.” —R.J. King
|
Tawny Thieu, 30. Co-owner/Owner,
Liquid Salon/Pink Pump,
Bloomfield Hills.
Revenue: $2.5 million,
Employees: 40.
Even though Tawny Thieu co-owns Liquid Salon in Bloomfield Hills, she doesn’t work as a hair stylist. “I’ve worked in salons since I was in school, but it was always on the management side,” she says. After opening the salon in 2005 with her brother-in-law, Timothy Upchurch, Thieu — who also loves fashion — opened Pink Pump shoe stores in Ann Arbor, Birmingham, Bloomfield Hills, and Royal Oak. “I have a Pink Pump clothing line, so I travel quite a bit to visit the manufacturers and the vendors,” she says. “I want to be sure we offer fashionable items at affordable prices.” Next year, Thieu plans to open a Pink Pump store in Atlanta or Chicago, or both. She also plans to offer franchise opportunities. “I’m looking to be in major downtown areas because our stores have more of a boutique image,” she says. —R.J. King
|
Willie E. Brake, 36. President and CEO,
All About Technology
Inc., Detroit.
Revenue: $270,000,
Employees: 8.
Even though Willie E. Brake started out working for large companies like Ford, Chrysler, and Kmart, something was missing. A computer expert, Brake says many of his fellow employees were looking for advice on how to set up and maintain websites, as well as troubleshoot digital problems. “I started out (in 2001) doing computer repairs, and it evolved from there into sales and consulting,” says Brake, president and CEO of All About Technology Inc. in Detroit. Having served around 6,000 clients, Brake says he maintains detailed records of each customer. “The recordkeeping just boosts our efficiency, plus I use it to spot trends,” he says. A case in point: Brake noticed more customers were looking to recycle their used computers rather than discard them at a landfill. “That’s opened a new line of business where we refurbish computers and resell them,” he says.—R.J. King
|
Email
Print
Comments are moderated for appropriate language.