#41: Careba Power Engineers LLC First-year challenges didn't stop this company from making it on our Hot 100 list.

By Steve Cooper

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Company: Careba PowerEngineers LLC, a Needham, Massachusetts, power engineeringfirm
Founders: Larry Sullivan, NizomGhantous & John Davenport, 54, 56 & 42
Began: June 2001
2001 Sales: $2.1 million

Why did you start thisbusiness?
Larry Sullivan: I no longer wanted to work where we were andthought the market was ripe for a power engineering venture.

Careba Power Engineers LLCDo you haveany interesting start-up anecdotes?
John Davenport: Who else would start a business and, in thefirst six months of operation, have September 11 and the Enronfiasco? Sullivan: We would, we would.

When did you feel you madeit?
Sullivan: When we landed a major power engineeringassignment last November with an EPC contractor in the Midwest.

What business philosophy do you liveby?
Sullivan: Perform with an intense sense ofurgency--immediately convey bad news as well as good (to clientsand our employees). Do and be the very best that we can to ourclients and employees and their needs.

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