Mark Marmo
President
Deep Well Services
When hydraulic fracturing attracted the oil and gas industry to the Marcellus and Utica shale plays in western Pennsylvania, much of the talent and investment came from traditional energy industry locations outside of the region.
President Mark Marmo and his partners at Deep Well Services figured that it was costly to bring in specialized piping and drilling equipment, presenting an opportunity for a local company that could prove it was just as competent.
Revenue has quadrupled since the company was founded in 2011, and more than 60 percent of employees are from Pennsylvania or West Virginia.
That growth also can be attributed to Marmo’s focus on listening to customers and becoming a technological leader in the industry.
Deep Well Services recently unveiled a unique, custom-made snubbing unit with features developed based on customer needs. Snubbers are used to cushion vibrations caused by drilling, and the company’s portable model is the most technically advanced in the field.
Kraig McEwen
CEO
Aesynt Inc.
Kraig McEwen completely transformed Aesynt Inc., formerly McKesson Automation, since being appointed to lead the company as CEO in November 2011.
Realizing it couldn’t grow as quickly as desired while part of McKesson Corp. he took Aesynt private to better serve customers and employees while maintaining a leadership position in the health care market.
A senior leadership team marketed Aesynt to private investors and within five months Francisco Partners acquired the automation business, and then supported McEwen in his bid to acquire Health Robotics, a leading global supplier of automated technology for intravenous medication preparation, compounding and dispensing.
Aesynt has launched more new products in the past 12 months than in the previous four combined. Included among these was new enterprise inventory management system software, InsyteTM. All of the new products were designed to reduce medication costs for health systems while increasing quality.
The company has 54 patents and has aggressive annual goals for patent submission.
Sam McWilliams
Managing partner
SMC Consulting LLC
Managing Partner Sam McWilliams started SMC Consulting LLC in 1999 with a few sub-consultants. Today, the firm has grown into a full-service interior design business that services clients in the U.S., Canada and the United Kingdom.
The company offers a comprehensive menu of services and innovative solutions that provide measurable results. In addition to its private sector work, SMC Consulting offers public sector services marketed to government at the county, state and federal levels.
McWilliams has a passion to create exceptional work and make an impact on her industry. She is very selective when it comes to hiring designers, and seeks out candidates who share her passion and work ethic.
While focused on developing new talent, McWilliams also oversees all work at SMC Consulting — not a single document leaves the office without receiving her stamp of approval. Although others might delegate some responsibilities, McWilliams wants to ensure that the company’s work continues to be exceptional.
Rosemary Mendel
Executive director
Tickets for Kids Charities
With only five full-time employees and a part-time assistant, Executive Director Rosemary Mendel oversees a program that has distributed more than 1.6 million free and discounted tickets valued at $40 million to in-need and at-risk children in western Pennsylvania and throughout the U.S.
Tickets are acquired through a donor network, and then distributed through social services agencies such as the YMCA, Big Brothers Big Sisters and Boys & Girls Clubs.
In 2013 alone, Tickets for Kids Charities distributed 106,993 tickets valued at more than $2.8 million, and partnered with 2,742 social service agencies.
The program provides underserved, low-income children and their families access to cultural resources in their communities. Potential donors are asked to imagine their childhoods without going to the circus, attending a ballgame or experiencing a concert. These childhood milestones are out of reach for a percentage of the population without the program.
Since joining the organization in 2013, Mendel has helped generate an impressive list of first-funders and donors.
Catherine V. Mott
Founder and CEO
Blue Tree Capital Group LLC
Founder and CEO Catherine V. Mott created Blue Tree Capital Group LLC to attract funding, create jobs and give back to the community. The company manages Blue Tree Allied Angels, a private investor group focused on area startup organizations, and the Blue Tree Venture Fund, started in 2014 to provide “follow on” capital for early-stage businesses.
BTAA, formed in 2003, was recognized by INC in 2009 as a top 50 angel investor network, and has invested about $30 million in 46 companies, creating hundreds of new jobs for the region.
The new venture fund has raised about $10 million, with another $20 million in the works. The fund will target 12 to 15 companies for investment.
Mott formerly served as board chairman of the Angel Capital Association and the Angel Resource Institute, focusing on best practices, professional development and public policy issues.
She also hosted a Leaders’ Conference to introduce colleagues to the many investment opportunities in western Pennsylvania.
