Brief Profiles of Inc. 500 Companies

A collection of 27 short articles about companies from the 1998 Inc. 500.

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12
Grandfather Clause
A MARRIAGE OF CONVENIENCE

As the president of Southland Corp. in 1927, Jodie Thompson oversaw the largest chain of icehouses in Texas. One day an employee nicknamed "Uncle Johnny" Green suggested to Thompson that his icehouses stock milk and other perishables. The experiment led to the modern-day 7-Eleven. Today Jodie's grandson Jere Thompson is CEO of his own "convenience store" in Dallas: CapRock Communications, which offers one-stop shopping for Internet and telephone services.

14
Niche Picking
BALANCE OF POWER

Balance Bar isn't the only energy-bar company to make this list--just the fastest growing. Clif Bar (#152) is a two-time winner. The folks at You Are What You Eat (#441) knew a good thing when they saw--er, tasted it. After distributing both the Balance Bar and Clif Bar for years, You Are What You Eat came out with its own product in 1997.

26
Background Check
HEART ATTACK

As the founder of Great White North Distribution Services, Robert Shenefelt has spent the past seven years helping U.S. companies sell their products north of the border. His marriage, meanwhile, headed south. Shenefelt went to a therapist, who attuned him to the communication gaps in his relationship. Shenefelt quickly realized he wasn't the only entrepreneur who needed help on the home front. Indeed, a total of 39 of this year's Inc. 500 CEOs have gotten divorced in the process of growing their companies. But Shenefelt turned his personal tragedy into, well, another start-up: the Place to Be refers individuals--including company owners--to counseling services.

39
Niche Picking
BIGGER THAN CHAI?

"Femme Phenom" sounds like a sports headline describing the gold-medal efforts of a 12-year-old gymnast. But to Kirk Perron, CEO of Jamba Juice, a 100-store chain of juice bars, it's nothing less than a trademarked title. The drink--a frothy mix of folic acid, fruit, frozen yogurt, and other ingredients--boasts "superior female nutrition." Don't laugh. Among Jamba Juice's early investors: Starbucks CEO Howard Schultz.

74
Quirky Perks
DEAR JOHN

David Woo, CEO of the Automatic Answer, sets high standards for his salespeople, but he lets them name the reward. When John Gurden hit his target of $125,000 in sales in one month, he asked the company to designate a "John Day" in his honor. Woo was happy to indulge him. "John Day" banners adorned the offices, and the staff answered the phone, "It is a good morning at the Automatic Answer, where today we are celebrating John Day." Woo even gave Gurden his office for the day. Later, at a catered lunch in his honor, the salesman was presented with a special photo album that let him take John Day with him forever.

84
Darkest Hour
INDECENT EXPOSURE

Most entrepreneurs would kill for an appearance on national television, but in William Converse's case, it nearly killed him. When his Alpine Industries was still a start-up, Inside Edition aired an investigation into claims that Alpine's air purifiers actually polluted the air. Ouch. Sales took a quick plummet, and the state attorney general launched an investigation. Converse countered by going on radio talk shows and beefing up training for his independent sales reps, some of whom, he admits, made inflated product claims. Today the air has cleared, so to speak, and sales are back up.

106
Background Check
THE BEST DEFENSE

When Defense Daily recently published a list of the world's 40 most influential people in the defense, aerospace, and national-security arena, only two women made it. One was Arrowhead Space & Telecommunications CEO Mary Ann Elliott. The other: Madeleine Albright. Now Elliott has her long-term sights on a government appointment--preferably in the cabinet.

108
Niche Picking
IN GOOD COMPANY

It's no accident that Jackson Lan locates his 17 computer stores in close proximity to big retailers like CompUSA and Computer City. The CEO of PC Club, which markets its own line of custom PCs, says it's part of his "accompaniment strategy" to give computer shoppers more variety. If customers can't find something in his store, he refers them to the CompUSA across the parking lot. The approach, he says, has created positive buzz about his customer service, and many he sends to the competition return and bring friends. Plus, being located next to the big boys keeps him on his toes. "If we can make money next to them, we can make money anywhere else."

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