Winner
Information Technology
It didn’t take Matthew Hill long in life to find his passion for cutting-edge technology and entrepreneurship.
Hill founded Liquid Web, Inc. in the back bedroom of his parents’ house as a teenager in 1997. It was actually his third venture — the result of the frustration and poor experiences he had with his previous Web-hosting providers.
As the company’s CEO, Hill had a vision for how big the Internet would become, and he used his newest venture to take advantage of the developing medium.
True to his chosen profession, Hill takes a technical approach to taking risks. In a very tech-savvy and engineering-heavy manner, company decisions are based on analysis of logical scenarios. Hill takes risks by mapping out a strategy that allows him to adjust to changing conditions.
Two of the biggest risks facing Liquid Web right now are the result of innovation and energy costs. To address the innovation risk, he recently opened a Scottsdale office to tap into the talent pool in the area. The new location will help support Liquid Web’s venture into cloud computing products.
Currently, Liquid Web services firms located in North America, South America and the Middle East. While Hill continues to service the small operators that are reminiscent of his early days, he now focuses his business on two vertical silos: small and medium-sized business services and solutions for Web enterprises. The approach has worked well so far. The narrower business models Hill attracts provide the bulk of cash flow and helped to contribute to an average of 60 percent year-over-year growth through 2008.
As Hill sees it, there is still plenty of room for growth. Web activity is still increasing and he is currently working to optimize his current customer base, potentially eyeing mergers and acquisitions if the right opportunity comes along.
How to reach: Liquid Web, Inc., (800) 580-4985 or www.liquidweb.com
