What: Portable storage units made from recycled andrestored cargo containers
Who: Rich Whelan of Moveable Cubicle
Where: Raleigh, North Carolina
When: Started in 2000
When Rich Whelan lived in Arizona, he frequently noticed largecontainers behind retail stores. Upon moving to North Carolina in1999, Whelan, 40, noted that these same giant steel containers werepiling up on the shoreline near U.S. shipping ports.
Historic trade imbalances between the United States and othercountries caused the cargo-carrying cubes to stack up at ports,wasting space. This observation, paired with an eco-friendlyidea--to purchase retired crates from ports and then lease them,cleaned, painted and restored, to other businesses for theirtemporary storage needs--inspired Whelan to start his business.
"I wanted to build something on concrete, not sand,"Whelan says. Since the containers last between 20 and 30 years,Whelan knew they could be used many times over. After persuadinginvestors that his idea made sense from both a business and anenvironmental perspective, Whelan set out to become the globalleader in portable storage.
Today, Moveable Cubicle has more than 40 locations across thenation. The 20- and 40-foot-long storage units are used by theretail and construction industries, as well as by individuals andinstitutions, such as hospitals and churches.
In 2004, Moveable Cubicle grossed $4.8 million, and the companyexpects to grow by 70 percent in 2005. In addition to beingearth-friendly, the company is philanthropic, donating part of itsproceeds to children's charities. Whelan is proud of hisemployees and the company's all-around success, saying,"We are very good for the economy. We are good for the endcustomer. We are good for the country."
--Lori Kozlowski
New Brew
What: Single-serving coffee concentrate for makingon-the-go coffee
Who: Candy Palmer-Steele of Javette
Where: Atlanta
When: Started in 1999
When Candy Palmer-Steele's goddaughter went away to musiccamp for the summer, she remarked how much she would miss the localcoffee shops she frequented with her friends. That comment inspiredPalmer-Steele to send her a care package--with a twist.Palmer-Steele bought 100 percent Arabica beans, filtered waterthrough the grounds and squeezed out the concentrate a little at atime. Twelve hours and 16 ounces later, Palmer-Steele sent theconcentrate to her goddaughter in a glass bottle, with directionsto mix one table-spoon with hot water. "I mailed it off withmy fingers crossed," Palmer-Steele says of the firstincarnation of Javette.
Her goddaughter liked it--inspiring Palmer-Steele to turn heridea into a business. Wanting to perfect her product, she hiredseveral consultants and manufacturers and spent $30,000 on R&Dover four years. The end result: a 0.25-ounce single serving ofcoffee concentrate in pressure-resistant packaging that, when mixedwith hot water, provides gourmet coffee on the go.
The product soon gained popularity, thanks to word-of-mouth fromhappy customers and Palmer-Steele's sponsorships of localcharity races, such as the American Cancer Society's Relay ForLife. Today, the product can be found on Javette's website,and in one local gourmet-food store. Sales for 2004 surpassed$100,000 and should double this year.
A triathlon participant herself, Palmer-Steele, 49, has tackledJavette with the same drive she applies to all aspects of her life:"Anything that comes before me, I just set my sights and gofor it." Next up: Palmer-Steele hopes to get Javette on storeshelves nationwide.
--James Park
Meet Market
What: Networking events that facilitate short-and-sweetcontacts with fellow business professionals
Who: Melissa and Sonia English of 5 Minute Networking
Where: Newport Beach, California
When: Started in August 2004
At a speed-dating event last summer, Melissa English walked awaywith more business contacts for her sister Sonia's web designcompany than she did phone numbers for herself. At the same time,Sonia attended a business-networking event hosted by the localchamber of commerce and walked away with nothing. Sensing a perfectmatch between speed dating and networking mixers, the two sisterslaunched 5 Minute Networking. Their events give individualsfrom all industries the chance to meet 20 different professionals,one-on-one, in five-minute increments.
Their idea was an immediate hit-- the first 50-person event,held in Newport Beach in September 2004, filled to capacity withineight days of being announced. The company went national fourmonths later, holding 25 events in 13 cities across the U.S.Melissa and Sonia only host local events; outside event directorsare hired for events in other cities. "The response we getfrom events is absolutely phenomenal," says Melissa, 27,adding that they expect sales to jump from $300,000 in 2005 to $2million in 2006.
"One of the reasons I think people like 5 Minute Networkingis that it works for every personality type," says Sonia, 30,pointing out that many people don't like to initiateintroductions or waste time on small talk. "You have youroutgoing personality [type], like me, who wouldn't mind walkingup to a group of four people already talking at a networking mixer.And then you have your other personality type who goes to[networking] events all gung-ho, but ends up staring at their glassthe whole night, not interacting with anyone."
Now in the process of patenting the software they designed tooptimize their events, the sisters are also exploring franchisingthe concept and plan to publish a book with networking tips andstories about high-level professionals in January 2006.
--Sarah Peirce
Smoke of Genius
What: A website that sells inexpensive cigaraccessories
Who: Dave Sabot of CheapHumidors.com
Where: Miramar, Florida
When: Started in 1997
How much: $45
Dave Sabot, 32, a former internet marketer, knew nothing aboutcigars when he purchased his first humidor in 1997 to store somecigars he received as a gift. "I didn't even know what ahumidor was," Sabot says. A search online and in local cigarshops left him stunned. "Those things were selling for $200apiece! I was thinking to myself, How can a little wooden box costso much?"
It doesn't have to. Sabot finally bought one for just $45.After deciding to put it up for sale, Sabot took some pictures andposted them online. Soon, he had a check in the mail for $99-andorders for more humidors.
Before long, Sabot built his own website where he now sellshumidors, cigars and cigar accessories. He continued to work up thesupply chain and now buys his products from a wholesale distributorowned by a partner, allowing him to sell his products for much lessthan his competitors.
But Sabot's success isn't all about numbers: "Iquickly learned that the people buying from me weren't theseasoned veterans of cigar [smoking]-they were new to thehobby." So he started providing tons of free information onhis website "to really help the new guy out."
By teaching novices the same things he didn't know as arookie cigar enthu-siast, Sabot found his niche within a niche."Cigar smoking is a niche, and my niche is [marketing to] theguy that's brand-new to the whole thing," he says . Today,his $45 purchase has turned into a half-million-dollar businessthat expects sales to increase by 30 percent this year.
--Sarah Peirce
