At your service
St. Louis Business Journal
June 25, 2010
By Greg Edwards
Home-grown help
Cloud Commerce, a St. Louis-based Internet-based computing provider that launched in July2009, just inked a deal with another local cloud services provider, DataServe, to expand itsportfolio of services to include document management. Cloud Commerce founder Greg Altinprojects second-year revenue of $1.2 million, up from $300,000 this year. "We cherry-pickproviders from around the country, and most are in Silicon Valley," he said. "We're excitedto have one in St. Louis."
Stern Brothers & Co.
Plaza Executive Suites, owned by Michael Staenberg and Stan Kroenke, is offering free meeting space to nonprofits in St. Louis at its office and meeting complex in Chesterfield. Get this: It's not just a room, table and chairs. It includes the same concierge service paying clients get -- receptionist services, copying, computer software support and staff, Wi-Fi, private phones and coffee and tea. It's first come, first served. Conservatively, it's a $32,500 donation to St. Louis if it's only used once a week for 50 weeks. Kelly Puglisi (right) is general manager.
Good places to work
Three St. Louis companies were among 40 nationwide on Inc. magazine's 2010 Top Small Company Workplaces, based on their treatment of employees. Ginger Bay Salon & Spa, with $4.3 million in revenue and 62 employees, and Tarlton, with $121 million in revenue and 275 employees, were winners, and The Booksource, with $35.5 million in revenue and 172 employees, was a finalist. The CEOs are Laura Ortmann at Ginger Bay, Tracy Hart at Tarlton, and Sanford Jaffe at Booksource.
No camouflage
The Dana Brown Charitable Trust welcomed three new board members, Katherine Siddens, Angela Pearson and Ann Warren, all U.S. Bank vice presidents. The bank is co-trustee of the trust, which distributes $3 million to $4 million to nonprofits every year, with Lela Rice, who was administrative assistant for many years to the late St. Louis coffee king Dana Brown. It's a net addition of two to the board, as U.S. Bank's Ann Wells ends her term.
Spreading out
Investment banking firm Stern Brothers & Co. has opened its ninth and 10th offices, in Seattle and Detroit. The firm is headed by Pepe Prince Finn, chairman, and husband Terry Finn, president and chief executive. Revenue totaled $10 million at Stern last year and is projected at $12 million this year.
Howdy, pardner
Marketing Matters owner Scott Miller and his vice president of client services, Nate Davidson, have invested $110,000 in a new digital firm, Evolve: Earth Sciences, to become partners with its president, Derek Mabie. (Mabie was the lead singer of The Cause rock band in a previous life.) Evolve's search engine and social website expertise complements Marketing Matter's more traditional print and broadcast advertising services, Miller said. Marketing Matters has annual revenue in excess of $12 million; Evolve projects $1.2 million.
Summer fun
An NBC "Today" show segment recently featured three games developed by Around the Table in Eureka. "Buddy Talk," "Family Talk" and "Camp Talk" are among six games created by owner Beth Daniels, with help from daughter Kate, who is almost 11. "They can be life savers on long trips," Daniels said, "and avoid the dreaded, 'Are we there yet?'" Sales totaled $110,000 last year and already have surpassed that this year.
