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Features
Launch PadPage 3 of 4
Avram Niebling '10 and Mark Sanford '09
Company: Community Connect
Location: Central NH
Founded: 2011
Website: http://www.communityconnect.us
Email: communityconnect.us@gmail.com
 Avram Niebling '10 |
 Mark Sanford '09 |
According to Avram, Community Connect was founded to address a number of growing demographic trends:
- New Hampshire has a distinctly aging population that is going to need more and more help to maintain their standard of living. Most folks would like to stay in their homes as long as possible and will need assistance to do so.
- There are many unemployed/underemployed individuals who are struggling to fit into a rapidly changing job market and/or in need of supplementary income.
- Individuals in the sandwich generation--those who take care of their kids and their parents--are becoming increasingly taxed, raising stress and decreasing productivity at work. Community Connect allows people to take an occasional break from their caregiving responsibilities.
- Interest in community involvement is growing, and, if harnessed properly, can be used to solve some of the obstacles we face as a society, include providing our aging population with the necessary assistance to maintain their standard of living.
Tim McCarthy '00
Company: Wentworth Technology
Location: Saco, ME
Website: www.wentworthtechnology.com
Email: timmccarthy@wentworthtechnology.com
About: I am a founder of a new start up company, Wentworth Technology based up in Saco Maine. We are solving some of the major issues fast food companies face in the Drive-thru including sound quality, clarity, durability of equipment, and ease of use of product. Some companies in the market do 70% of their business through the drive thru window, so every second saved counts. Previously I spent ten years with a local telecom hardware company. I left on my ten year anniversary to enjoy a year of my "first retirement" and start a new company along with four others during the second year. While building the company I bartended nights at Pocos in Portsmouth with DJ Haskins '99, '05G. We did an exhaustive market research project to really find out what the customers were looking for and designed our product from a clean sheet of paper. We received our funding from back in November of 2010 and have begun to ship products. Customer response has been fantastic, and we are already hitting our forecast numbers and closing 80% of the companies we have met with.
Chris Eberhard '00
Company: Time Flys Clothing
Location: N.H.
Website: http://timeflysclothing.com/
Email: info@timeflysclothing.com
About: Time Flys Clothing is a family-oriented clothing company designed with fun in mind. The creativity behind the designs comes to NH from the whiteboards of South Korea. Chris Eberhard, founder of T.F.C, was an English teacher in South Korea for two years. In order to break down language barriers, Chris found that simple yet creative line drawings got his student's attention and brought fun to the classroom. "Having the attention of your students and watching their vocabulary grow is more rewarding than words can tell," said CEO Chris Teacher! Although there are many clothing companies, Time Flys Clothing focuses on bringing families together through the art of expression. For example, the apple tree design, which is featured in Parenting NH Magazine, is perfect to wear for a day out with the family at any of NH's beautiful apple farms. If you find joy and happiness in family gatherings, barbecues, pool parties, play dates, road trips, campfires, and all that life has to offer, then check them out because we all know that "Time Flys" when we are having fun!
Tim Doyle '04
Company: Twovét
Location: N.H.
Website: http://thetwovet.com/
Email: help@thetwovet.com
About: Over the last few years, my girlfriend and I always fought about the number of comforters needed on our bed. She thought it was too hot in the room and I thought it was too cold. It's slightly embarrassing to admit that I was the colder one. More often than not, females are the colder of the two. Likewise, my girlfriend was very picky about the way the bed looked, given she was studying interior design. Apparently, having three extra multi-colored twin comforters on one side of the bed, is not "aesthetically pleasing".
After the disagreements, I figured there must be a solution for this. After searching the internet in some detail for a comforter with two different thicknesses, I came up empty. From that point on, I was determined to create a comforter that provided comfort for couples with different warmth tolerances. The Twovét™ is a down alternative comforter designed with a warm (thick) side and cool (thin) side to satisfy different sleeping preferences. The name Twovet(TM) is the combination of the words "two" and "duvet".
Additional information can be found on our website.
James "Skip" Burns '04 and Tim McMahon '03
Company: GapSmart!
Location: Merrimack, N.H.
Website: www.gapsmart.com
Email: jskipburns@gapsmart.com and tmcmahon12@gmail.com
About: "I've never let school interfere with my education." So said Mark Twain—who would have been a great candidate for a gap year program. People typically embark on gap year programs after high school and before college, but finding the right program can be a challenge. Former AmeriCorps volunteers Burns and McMahon started GapSmart! to provide consulting and counseling to high school students and their families interested in applying for a gap year program. "People take gap years for a variety of reasons," says Burns, who calls himself "a proud gapper." "Most want to recharge and refocus before attending college or graduate school. But many also use it to find direction in life and in their academic path." Whatever their reasons, nearly every gap year participant gains a broader world perspective.
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Company: Cartier Consulting, LLC
Location: Farmington, NH
Website: cartierconsulting.com
Email: dan.cartier@cartierconsulting.com
About: "Cartier Consulting, an independently-owned business serving the greater Rochester, NH area, strives to deliver exceptional products and services at an affordable price," says Dan Cartier, who started his own computer, networking and web design company. "It is our philosophy that satisfied customers help us grow through returning business and word-of-mouth referrals. Large retailers and even 'authorized' computer manufacturer service centers typically charge what they do for repairs because of their overhead costs," he explains. "Cartier Consulting doesn't have the overhead costs that the large companies do, so we are able to pass these savings on to our customers."
Favorite entrepreneurial quote: "Success is a journey, not a destination."
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Company: Essex Horticulture
Location: Beverly, MA
Website: www.essexhorticulture.com
Email: zachary@essexhorticulture.com
About: Zachary Navarro studied horticulture and english at the University of New Hampshire while working at Clark Farm in Danvers during college. His academic studies, as well as their practical application, sparked his love for sustainable and natural horticultural practices. After graduation, Zachary worked as the Horticultural Designer for an urban realty company in Boston. His endeavors later lead him to the position of Grounds Restoration Manager in his hometown of Danvers at the historical Glen Magna Farms estate. After many inquiries by friends, families and visitors of the estate as to private caretaking and horticultural work, Zachary decided to form Essex Horticulture, and carry out his vision of creating vibrant outdoor living spaces that reflect its owner and welcome its guests.
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Company: B2B Konsult
Website: www.b2bkonsult.com
Email: bkonney@b2bkonsult.com
About: B2B Konsult is a full-service boutique PR company, offering existing and prospective clients a range of services tailored to meet individual needs. In partnering with B2B Konsult, an overlying objective is to optimize communication strategy through brand management tactics. Areas of expertise include Public Relations (release strategy and media contact engagement); Research and Analytics (media and data analysis, Competitive Intelligence); and assessment and implementation of PR, Research, and Analytic software tools. B2B Konsult has experience working with clients in a variety of industries, from consumer goods and retail, to finance and pharmaceuticals. Companies interested in discovering how to heighten their competitive edge and strengthen their ROI, are encouraged to contact B2B Konsult for a free consultation. Agency fees are not welcome; enthusiastic clients, ready to see actionable results, are.
David Rudolf '05, '06G
Company: Tactical Republic
Founded: 2010
Location: San Francisco
Website: tacticalrepublic.com
Email: davidmrudolf@gmail.com
About: Attention, outdoors enthusiasts! Tactical Republic is an internet advertising company for the outdoors, hunting and shooting sports industry. An ad network selling internet advertising to large brands and e-commerce businesses, Tactical Republic reaches 5 million consumers and serves close to 100 million ads each month. "We now have over 30 recurring advertising clients," says Rudolf, "including well-known brands like Nikon and Sturm Ruger, and we work with more than 85 internet publishers." The company expects over 1 billion online ad impressions this year. "Thanks to our growth we've been able to fund the acquisition of several large internet communities," says Rudolph, "and we expect to acquire several more this year." In addition to advertising, the company also plans to launch a daily deal site (similar to groupon & livingsocial) for the outdoors industry.
Brian Davidson '06
Company: Rockland IT Solutions
Location: Pembroke, Mass.
Website: www.rocklandits.com
Email: bdavidson@rocklandits.com
About: Rockland IT Solutions started exactly where many other successful businesses begin—in the basement. Eventually, Davidson and his uncle, who founded the company with him, moved out of their basement location and into a small office. Today, they have a 40,000-square foot facility, employ about a dozen people and have become an industry leader in the refurbished data storage market. "The vision of Rockland IT Solutions came about when we recognized that the strong demand for refurbished second hand storage solutions was not being met," says Davidson.
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Company: Integrated Fitness of Dover
Founded: 2010
Location: Dover, N.H.
Website: ifitnessnh.com
Email: jon.arnold@ifitnessnh.com
About: A former paratrooper in the 82nd Airborne Division, Arnold was in top physical condition during his years on active duty. Once he left the service, though, he hit a low point. " I let go of the high fitness standards I set for myself," he says. Inspired by his wife, he eventually got back into shape and today he's a certified personal trainer helping others to reach their fitness goals. "My business partner Lyndi Sargent and I offer one-on-one personal training, nutrition consulting, massage therapy, small group training and specialized classes like boot camp, biggest loser, etc. We work with more than 40 people each week." Arnold also runs corporate wellness programs, recently completing a "Biggest Loser" wellness program with Turbocam International in Barrington. "Due to our growth," he says, "we are currently looking for other certified personal trainers interested in expanding their training business."
Helpful UNH courses: Nutrition 401 is a great one!
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Company: Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance Co.
Founded: 2005
Location: Portsmouth, N.H., and Durham, N.H.
Website: www.portsmouthatlantic.com
Email: jmerwin@portsmouthatlanticins.com
About: Merwin passed his property and casualty insurance licensing exam in the summer of 2005, when he was still an undergrad. And then, without wasting a moment, he opened a franchise office for an agency called Insurance Express. "After securing funding through my mother's bank, I rented office space in Laconia, hired one full time employee and paid for business expenses for about two years while I grew the business," says Merwin, who attended classes at UNH in Durham while operating the business full time. After graduating, Merwin formed his own, independent agency, Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. "Since our beginning in 2005, we have expanded into one of the fastest growing insurance agencies in the state," says Merwin. "We have seven employees, offer all lines of insurance (auto and home, life, health, commercial, and financial service), and serve about 1,500 clients." The company, a paperless agency since the beginning, is the first insurance agency in the state to join the Green Alliance (www.greenalliance.biz) and the first to use soy-based ink. "Our goal is to continue to be the "greenest" insurance agency in NH," says Merwin.
Helpful UNH courses: "Although I graduated with a Bachelors of Liberal Arts in Communication, with a minor in Philosophy, I learned many lessons while at UNH that have carried over into the way we do business," says Merwin. "It's extremely important to me to support local businesses, give back to the community and to have as little impact on the environment as possible. These principles are the foundation of Portsmouth Atlantic Insurance. All of the business decisions I've made since I opened for business in 2005 were done with consideration to these principles."
Favorite entrepreneurial quote: "The golden rule for every business man is this: Put yourself in your customer's place."
Photo: Merwin (seated) and associates: Louis Dineen (standing), personal lines sales representative, and Audrey Fischbein, personal lines sales producer.
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