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Steve Booher selected as Northern Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year® 6/30/2000
Fast-growing company finds productivity is key
October 8, 2007
By Benjamin Weller
Star correspondent
Sometimes the saying "time is money" gets translated in the service sector to "the more time we take, the more money we make."
Steve Booher, owner and president of Productive Resources, in Columbus, Ind., has seen companies go that route. He is taking a different track, though. In doing so, Booher has built Productive Resources into one of the country's fastest-growing companies and now is doing design work for some of the biggest names in agriculture, construction and defense.
With about 100 employees and 2006 revenues of $8.9 million, Productive Resources this year ranked at No. 1,997 on Inc. Magazine's list of the 5,000 fastest-growing private companies in the U.S.
Booher expects that growth to continue. The company's goal, he said, is to increase revenues at a rate of 10 percent to 20 percent a year and expand its employee base to 300 within three years.
Productive Resources provides a number of services to its clients, which have included Cummins, Rolls-Royce and John Deere.
A company may approach Booher with a problem, and his cadre of engineers will build a concept model of the solution. In addition, they may provide the client with computer-aided drawings, or produce the technical manuals and parts books for a product.
"We can design it, engineer it, build the first one and ship back a finished product," he said.
But his clients want more than just a well-designed product. They also want speed and savings.
"We always try to do projects as quickly as we can and as cost- effectively as we can," he said. "Whenever we get a project done under budget, we only charge them for the hours that we've done."
That may seem like pretty straightforward stuff, but in business that's not always how things are done.
Booher has worked for companies where driving up clients' costs was a way to increase profits. Assigning two engineers to the same project, doing the same thing, was an opportunity to bill the client twice.
That way of operating didn't sit well with Booher. Productive Resources, he said, is geared toward finishing projects quickly and efficiently.
For clients, that means savings. When those clients are competing for contracts, savings on their end can be the difference between winning the contract and being outbid by a rival.
"Budgets are getting much tighter," said Stacey Smith, president and chief executive of Prairie Quest Consulting, a company with offices in Fort Wayne and Indianapolis.
"The challenge is that as budgets get tighter, you need to have more effective spending strategies for (client companies)."
One of those strategies is for companies to scale back their staffs, which creates an opportunity for people like Booher.
"The general trend is that companies will staff for slow times," Booher says. "When they have a spike in work or contracts, they have to go to outside companies to get the work done."
Companies are noticing the benefits of working with Productive Resources. Lockheed Martin, a defense contractor, is teaming with Booher's company on a new vehicle for the U.S. military.
"Productive Resources is supporting us across multiple Tactical Wheeled Vehicle programs," wrote Kathryn Hasse, program director for the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, in an e-mail. "Their expertise has allowed us to enhance details of some engineering drawings. Our cooperation has brought greater value to our customer set and to their missions."
Productive Resources has worked on other military contracts, Booher said, including the Joint Strike Fighter and gun systems for Navy ships. Military contracts make up about half of the company's work; the other half is design work on agricultural and construction equipment.
Both Productive Resources and Lockheed Martin declined to specify which vehicle they are collaborating on, citing competitive reasons.
Booher was, however, willing to talk about his business strategy. At its heart, he said, it's all about being honest with his clients, doing the work they ask for and doing it well.
"The integrity of the company," Booher said, rests on "making sure we do what we say we're going to do."
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Designing Growth
Sunday, November 21, 2004
By Boris Ladwig editorial@therepublic.com
Columbus resident Steve Booher is the entrepreneurial equivalent of Peyton Manning.
Unstoppable.
For the 11th consecutive year, one of Booher’s companies has been named to the Growth 100, a list of Indiana’s fastest-growing businesses. The list is compiled by Indiana University’s Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
Booher is the only entrepreneur who has made it onto the list each year.
He is the only entrepreneur in Bartholomew, Jackson, Jennings, Brown, Decatur, Shelby and Johnson counties to make the list this year.
Booher sold the first three companies he led to the Growth 100: Auburn Clutch Co., based near Fort Wayne; CAD Design, revenues of which grew 1,000 percent in the first six years; and NetPage USA, which specializes in Web page creation, software and Internet marketing.
Productive Resources, a Columbus-based mechanical engineering and design company, made the list for the fifth consecutive year.
“My wife thinks I’m paying them off,” said Booher, chuckling.
But the company’s growth has impressed the folks at the Johnson Center, named after Columbus entrepreneur Dick Johnson.
Productive Resources recorded revenue growth of 33 percent from 2001 to 2002 and 42 percent from 2002 to 2003. It previously had produced an astounding revenue growth of 2,958 percent between August 1999 and January 2000.
From designing a Bush Hog lawnmower to creating a concept tractor for John Deere & Co. to performing stress and thermal analyses on the Joint Strike Fighter for Rolls Royce, Productive Resources has worked for some of America’s most prestigious corporations, including Eli Lilly & Co., General Motors Corp. and Cummins Inc.
Team effort
Like Manning praising Edgerrin James and Marvin Harrison for the Indianapolis Colts’ success, Booher deflects any recognition onto his employees.
Productive Resources employs 60 at three Indiana locations, including 34 in Columbus, where it occupies a 5,600 square-foot building at 1917 McKinley Ave.
Booher said the company’s success is a result of dedication to fostering growth and a highly educated, committed workforce.
Operations Manager Gary A. Vandenbark said that the company’s success has been a result of internal strategy and external trends and events.
The company’s size allows it to quickly adapt to the changing economic environment, an approach that was particularly helpful after Sept. 11, 2001, Vandenbark said.
Many companies shelved programs after the attacks to wait until an economic recovery, he said, so Productive Resources focused on work for defense contractors, which still account for a significant portion of the company’s revenues.
“We could switch directions quickly,” Vandenbark said.
With the economic downturn came layoffs, which for some companies have produced an engineering crunch now that the economy is expanding.
Some companies cannot complete all the engineering work internally to bring new products to the market in time, Vandenbark said. Instead, they outsource some of the work to specialized smaller companies, such as Productive Resources.
“The growth of outsourcing of large companies has definitely been a trend that we’ve felt in Indiana,” he said.
Companies also have approached the Columbus company to get an outside perspective for new designs or engineering challenges.
“We’re not set in our ways,” Vandenbark said.
More growth ahead
Productive Resources shows no signs of stagnation: Booher recently hired five employees in one week and has bought the lot behind the McKinley Avenue location.
“We’re almost out of space (and) we can’t hire people fast enough,” he said.
Vandenbark said that finding qualified employees has become challenging since the summer.
“I have a concern it’s going to get more difficult,” he said.
In the last two months, he has declined some project offers because he did not have enough employees to perform more work properly.
Booher said that growth becomes more difficult as companies get larger, but he looks forward to being named to the Growth 100 next year.
“I think we’re set to do it again,” he said.
"Midas Touch"
by Boris Ladwig, The Republic, editorial@therepublic.com
January 12, 2003
Entrepreneur, Christian, bridge builder.
Columbus native Steve Booher pursues many interests and callings.
His latest venture, engineering firm Productive Resources Inc., has produced an astounding revenue growth of 2,958 percent since August 1999.
Colleagues said, however, that despite his business successes, Booher's faith and family are his priorities.
On a slow day at the office, Booher may take the afternoon off and take his son fishing, said Ray Keller, a retired Cummins director and part owner of local business Cybermetrix, who has worked with Booher and knows him through church.
Companies founded and led by Booher have been named among the state's fastest-growing companies for the past 10 years.
Productive Resources recently was included, for the fourth consecutive year, in the Growth 100, a list of private companies with revenues of at least $1 million that have generated high growth.
For 10 years, the Growth 100 has been compiled annually by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, named after Columbus entrepreneur Dick Johnson.
Booher is the only one whose companies have been named to the list all 10 years.
He sold the first three companies he led to the Growth 100: Auburn Clutch Co., based near Fort Wayne; CAD Design, revenues of which grew 1000 percent in the first six years; and NetPage USA, which specializes in Web page creation, software and Internet marketing.
Fourth venture
Productive Resources, in a 5,600 square-foot building at 1917 McKinley Ave., employs 25 and performs mechanical engineering and design work.
The company designs projects on computers to exact specifications and builds prototypes, makes changes to existing products and performs analyses, including structural, heat and air flow.
From designing a Bush Hog lawnmower to creating a concept tractor for John Deere & Co. to performing stress and thermal analyses on the Joint Strike Fighter for Rolls Royce, Productive Resources has worked for some of America's most prestigious corporations.
Customers also include Cummins, Eli Lilly & Co. and General Motors Corp. In 2003, PRI counted 20 customers, none encompassing more than 20 percent of overall revenues.
PRI's success, Booher said, is partially a result of companies leaning toward outsourcing their engineering services.
For Rolls Royce, for example, performing such engineering tasks internally can cost $125 per hour, Booher said.
"We don't get anywhere close to that."
Booher splits his marketing efforts between increasing existing accounts and procuring more business.
He likes to land at least four new Fortune 500 accounts per year, a difficult task that requires lots of research and often pits him against much larger companies.
And expenses he incurs chasing a potential client can rise quickly: Booher once chartered a plane for a presentation and flew a team to meet with a prospective client.
The client was impressed and PRI got the job.
Sometimes however, the expertise of his staff and his detail-oriented approach and focus on efficiency and quality are not enough: He had landed a contract for a Case trencher and had spent $10,000 on preparations when Case's parent company dropped the project.
Companies often find, however, that they quickly recoup the cost of outsourcing projects to PRI, Booher said.
A lawnmower the company designed for Bush Hog, for example, allowed the product to reach the market a year earlier, as Bush Hog's engineers were working on other projects.
Booher and his staff typically discuss specifications and brainstorms ideas, sketching notes on a drawing board and ultimately transferring the plans into computers, which are replaced every two years to stay on the cutting edge of technology.
An affable thinker
Colleagues described Booher as a no-nonsense, hands-on, nice guy with great business skills.
"He has a natural bent for running a company," said Keller, the former Cummins electrical engineer who has known Booher since he was young. "He also has a natural bent for selling.
"His mind was always working, which probably got him into trouble sometime," Keller recalled with a laugh.
Booher's family and Christianity are his priorities, and integrity is absolute, Keller said.
"You do what you say, and you don't shortchange the customer."
Booher knows how to create an environment in which people are willing to work, and they know what he expects, Keller said.
"You talk to him, you believe him. He's credible.
"You'll never see a time clock anywhere. He just trusts people."
Emil De Julio, a Rolls-Royce employee who has been working at the PRI office in Columbus for the past four years, said Booher delivers what he promises.
PRI's strength is that its services include design and analysis, services that even some larger companies do not offer together, De Julio said.
"He's got a fairly complete package. For his size, he has a lot of capability."
And big ambitions.
With nine U.S. locations, one in China and one he co-owns in the United Kingdom, Booher plans to open 10 franchises in the UK this year, then expand all over Europe.
"The good thing is we've got a proven model," said Booher.
"I really feel we're at a point that we could handle 40 more (franchises).
The challenge has been finding the right people to lead them, he said.
The franchise fees will help pay to start other franchises, which should help him reach his ultimate goal:
"We want to have an office in every major city in the world."
That means cities with a population of at least 500,000.
"That's my big, hairy audacious goal," he said.
A prospective franchisee once told Booher that his plans were very bold.
Booher's answer, which landed him another franchise: "God gave me this vision, I'm not going to argue with him."
Keller said Booher also carries a fascination with heavy equipment: He owns a bulldozer and a tractor with a front loader.
"Whatever he does with them, I don't know, (but) if he has anything, it's going to be useful."
Moving trees, digging trenches and building a bridge, perhaps?
In Brown County, Booher has assembled materials and created a design to build a 90-foot long bridge over a 50-foot deep valley, so he can cross it with all-terrain vehicles.
"I kinda' wonder how he gets everything done," said De Julio.
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"Productive Resources Inc. named one of state’s fastest-growing companies"
by Jerry Battiste, The Republic
January 19, 2003
Local entrepreneur
Steve Booher has landed a company on the Growth 100 — a list of
Indiana’s fastest-growing firms — for the ninth time.
The
Growth 100 — compiled annually by Johnson Center for
Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Indiana University’s Kelley
School of Business — this year included Productive Resources Inc.,
which Booher owns.
PRI, which specializes in providing
outsource services in mechanical engineering, design, architecture
and prototype building, made the list for the third consecutive
year.
PRI was the fourth company led by Booher to be
recognized.
The company’s services range from mechanical
engineering to geometric dimensioning. Industries served include
everything from agriculture and aerospace to transportation and
turbomachinery.
He previously was lauded for his efforts at
the following companies, which he sold:
l CAD Design Inc.,
founded in 1991, grew 1,000 percent in its first six years.
l
Auburn Clutch Co., based in Garret, north of Fort Wayne.
l
Net Page, based in Indianapolis, specializes in Web page creation,
software and Internet marketing.
Booher, a 1982 graduate of
Columbus North High School who founded PRI in 1999, expanded the
business in 2002 by purchasing ColTec, a Columbus engineering
services company.
If business continues as it has, Booher
anticipates moving into more markets.
“We’ve increased our
staff at least 60 percent or more. We’ve got a lot of good people
and that makes all the difference,” he said.
With offices
already in the United Kingdom and China, Booher is anticipating
continued demand for his company’s services.
“As the economy
gets tougher, more companies are eliminating their on-site design
departments and turning to outside companies to provide those
services,” he said.
He said the recent economic downturn
caused an upswing in business at PRI.
“Companies have been
outsourcing more and more of their work over the last few years, but
this is especially true during bad times,” he said.
Booher
did not anticipate the slumping economy when he started PRI but is
more than ready to take advantage of it.
“We were the first
engineering firm to actually franchise, and now we have four offices
open, and 61 new city markets in discussion for franchise
opportunities,” he said.
Booher hopes to open 20 or more
offices this year.
PRI customers include Eli Lilly,
Hill-Rom, Rolls Royce, Cummins and John Deere, but because the firm
is franchised, business opportunities exist just about
anywhere.
“That’s part of our reason for opening the U.K.
office. I hope it will open the door to the rest of Europe for us,”
he said.
Booher has begun to distance himself from the actual
design work and will focus his efforts on expanding the franchise
and building the brand.
“All of my efforts now are going
toward building the franchise,” he said.
“Eventually I would
like us to have an office in every major city in the world.”
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"Growing PRI buys ColTec"
by Boris Ladwig, The Republic
March 27, 2002
Local engineering and design firm Productive Resources Inc. has purchased ColTec, a Columbus engineering services company.
The two companies met at a crossroads of sorts, with PRI in an expansion mode and ColTec suffering from hits taken during the economic downturn.
PRI, located at 1917 McKinley Ave., has taken on some of ColTec's six employees and also will continue some projects ColTec began.
ColTec, located at 1250 Washington St., was founded in 1989 by retired Cummins Engine Co. engineer Richard Belush and his wife, Beverly.
The company, a graduate of the local business incubator, Columbus Enterprise Development Center, had employed as many as 18 and reported annual sales as high as $2 million.
Belush had mixed feelings about the sale.
"There's a little sadness," he said, because the business did not do as well as he had hoped.
"A business becomes almost like a child. You nurture it and watch it grow (and you are) sad to see it leave."
But there also is some relief that the business can continue in some form, and some employees will retain jobs.
PRI owner Steve Booher said he and Belush had been talking for years about how they could help each other.
"The timing was right for both of us," Belush said.
Booher's firm has offices in Columbus, Bedford and Indianapolis; and franchises in Louisville, Milwaukee and Lawrenceville, Ill.
In May, PRI will open an engineering office in China to focus on plastics, molds and tools.
"ColTec has a long tradition of excellent high-level engineering," Booher said.
That reputation, he said, will help secure future contracts.
Belush, 72, also wants to devote time to other things, such s traveling, and flying and restoring planes, including his Cessna 195.
"It's time to pass things on," he said.
Productive Resources, which employs 30, designs and engineers heavy machinery for Cummins Inc., the military and aerospace industry, where it generates most of its business.
Booher, a 1982 Columbus North High School graduate, has founded and sold three companies that were named among the state's top 100 fastest-growing companies.
PRI has also been named to the Growth 100 list, which is compiled annually by Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at Indiana University's Kelley School of Business.
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"Local firm named to Growth 100"
by Melissa Rigney Baxter, The Business Connection
February 2002
Steve Booher has a vision of an engineering outsourcing company that works like none before it. He envisions a worldwide company with franchises operating independently, yet with a connectivity that would allow Web-based project tracking and resource sharing between franchises.
That company, Productive Resources, Inc., was founded by Booher two years ago and has grown 430 percent in that time. While still far from that worldwide goal, the company has offices in Columbus, Greenfield and Bedford and franchises in southern Illinois and Louisville, Ky. It also has a growing list of local, regional and nationwide clients such s Cummins Inc., Rolls Royce and John Deere.
The growth of Productive Resources hasn't gone unnoticed, as it recently was named one of Indiana's Growth 100 companies.
The Growth 100 program is administered by The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. Founded in 1994, the program recognizes rapidly growing Indiana companies each year and provides them with assistance and resources as they continue to grow. The selection process includes an application, interview and possible site visits to the companies.
Productive Resources, at 1917 McKinley Ave., is the only Columbus-based venture on this year's list. Booher is a 1982 graduate of Columbus North High School and a Columbus native. He is a graduate of Vincennes University and lives with his wife and their three young children outside Columbus.
Nothing New
Booher has been selected for the award an unprecedented eight times for four different companies. His first entrepreneurial venture, CAD Design, founded in 1991, was also selected for the award in the years before Booher sold it in 1997 to Accu-Staff. CAD Design grew 1,000 percent during the years Booher ran the business.
He also received the award for previously owned businesses NetPage USA, a Web site design firm, and Auburn Clutch, a manufacturing company.
In 2000, Booher's work with Auburn Clutch, in Auburn, was rewarded when Booher received one of Northern Indiana's 2000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year awards. He has since sold Auburn Clutch and is concentrating solely on Productive Resources.
"I think what has made Steve a successful entrepreneur is that he has a vision of what kind of company he wants to build, and he's very goal oriented with a strategy for achieving those goals," said Betsy Gatewood, director of the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship.
"There are many entrepreneurs who are working hard, but without a plan they aren't reaching their goals," she said.
Gatewood compared it to a scenario of someone lost on the highway but driving very quickly.
"They're hopelessly lost, but making good time," she said with a laugh.
Entrepreneurs like Booher, she said, are very good at staying focused and being customer oriented. They understand their customers and communicate with them well.
Positive Influence
Booher appreciates the recognition the award brings to the company and to him, and says that has helped him in his previous ventures.
"It gives some credibility to the business," he said. "It shows that we're not just a fly-by-night startup that's going to be gone tomorrow. We're here to stay."
Productive Resources Inc. provides outsourced mechanical design and engineering and has clients in many industries. The company helps fill the gap when its customers have the need for engineering, design, finite element analysis or computer-aided design work. Besides technical expertise and experience, Productive Resources also has benefited from the outsourcing and partnering trend in the manufacturing industry.
One of Booher's goals for Productive Resources was to earn the ISO 9001 distinction - a goal that was met in 2001. The ISO 9001 certification is awarded by the International Organization for Standardization, a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from 130 countries. Many corporations and businesses, especially in the manufacturing area, require all suppliers and contractors to be ISO 9001 certified.
"The process is an arduous one," said Booher. "But it's worth it. The ISO 9001 certification focuses on what is extremely important in our business - quality. Productive Resources is building a reputation for quality, and this award is just one example of our success in meeting that goal."
Productive Resources is actually the culmination of an idea Booher first conceived while operating CAD Design. At the time, he saw the value of a network of offices working together and sharing skills with other locations and communication in "real-time" on the project.
Years later, technology has made this vision a possibility, and Booher is on his way to recruiting new franchisees to the company. He is in constant contact with prospective partners and is working on the first international franchise of the company in China.
Productive Resources will be the first engineering firm to franchise its business, Booher said. He believes the business model will work well, allowing entrepreneurs to buy into the idea and grow their businesses within their own communities and serve customers who they may already know.
At the same time, each office will be standardized and connected throughout the company to allow for consistency, quality and sharing resources such as equipment and staff.
Booher has a 10-year plan for Productive Resources and feels the company is on track for even higher growth in the future.
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Productive Resources named to Inc. 5000 List for third year
Company experiencing record year in sales and profits
August 17, 2009
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Productive Resources was recognized for the third consecutive year by Inc. 5000 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.” Productive Resources provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Productive Resources’ expertise is providing productive, cost-effective and quality solutions, and the company has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, John Deere & Company and Lockheed Martin.
In this challenging economy, Productive Resources is on track to have a record year in both sales and profits in 2009. The company is ISO 9001: 2000 certified and is committed to quality design and engineering services that meet or exceed customer expectations.
“Our long-held values of ensuring high quality and cost-conscious solutions for our clients is paying off in this economy,” said Steve Booher. “We’re honored to be recognized nationally as one of the fastest growing companies in the nation, and we’re also honored that our clients entrust us with meeting their needs – on time and in budget so they can continue their own successes.”
The Inc. 5000 is an expansion of the 25-year-old Inc. 500, Inc. Magazine’s annual ranking of the fastest-growing, privately held companies in the United States. The Inc. 5000 profiles are a result of screening and interviews by dozens of reporters and writers for Inc.com, the web site for Inc. magazine.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind. and Indianapolis. The company has also been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies.
Sixty-two companies based in Indiana made the Inc. 5000 list.
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Productive Resources named Lockheed Martin preferred supplier
October 20, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Productive Resources has been named a preferred supplier by Lockheed Martin as part of the Lockheed Martin Systems Integration (LMSI) Supplier Excellence Program.
During the period from April 1 through Sept. 30, 2008, Productive Resources achieved an “excellent” ranking when reviewed by Lockheed Martin, earning the “preferred supplier” designation.
“At Productive Resources, we pride ourselves on providing excellence to each of our clients,” said Steve Booher, owner and president of Columbus-based Productive Resources. “We focus on the value we bring to the customer – cost effective solutions and high quality standards. We are pleased to partner with Lockheed Martin Systems Integration and will continue in our commitment to continuous improvement.”
With a growing list of clients, Productive Resources recently increased its shop space with a new 10,800 square foot Pilot Center at 4810 Progress Drive and was named to the Inc. 5000 list as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.”
As a custom engineering services company, Productive Resources is a key resource for design, engineering, CAD drafting, technical publications and fabrication needs. The company prides itself on offering productive, cost-effective solutions and meeting quality, price and delivery requirements.
Productive Resources serves local, regional and national companies, including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin and JLG Industries, Inc., a supplier of lifting equipment for the construction and military markets.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind., Indianapolis and St. Louis. The company has been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies. More information about Productive Resources can be found at www.productiveresources.com.
Headquartered in Bethesda, MD, Lockheed Martin is a global security company that employs about 140,000 people worldwide and is principally engaged in the research, design, development, manufacture, integration and sustainment of advanced technology systems, products and services. The corporation reported 2007 sales of $41.9 billion.
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Productive Resources continues growth with global client
October 15, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Productive Resources recently signed a three-year contract with a Swedish-based Global 1000 company to provide mechanical engineering, design and technical publications services.
Steve Booher, owner and president of Columbus-based Productive Resources, said the company has been providing engineering services for the past year to the client.
“We took a one-year relationship and leveraged it into a multi-year contract,” Booher said. “We got our foot in the door and now will be providing more design and development work for the company’s heavy equipment division.”
With a growing list of clients, Productive Resources is poised for continued growth. The company recently increased its shop space with a new 10,800 square foot Pilot Center at 4810 Progress Drive and was named to the Inc. 5000 list as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.”
As a custom engineering services company, Productive Resources is a key resource for design, engineering, CAD drafting, technical publications and fabrication needs. The company prides itself on offering productive, cost-effective solutions and meeting quality, price and delivery requirements.
Productive Resources serves local, regional and national companies, including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin and JLG Industries, Inc., a supplier of lifting equipment for the construction and military markets.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind., Indianapolis and St. Louis. The company has been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies. More information about Productive Resources can be found at www.productiveresources.com.
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Productive Resources expands with new Pilot Center
August 7, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Due to continued company growth, Productive Resources has moved its Columbus-based engineering services and shop to a new 10,800 square foot building at 4810 Progress Drive. The move increases the company’s shop space from the previous location, which had 2,600 square feet.
“We had outgrown the old facility,” said Steve Booher, Productive Resources’ owner and president. “The new Pilot Center will enable us to better meet the needs of our customers while also allowing us to continue our expansion. We have room to grow.”
The Pilot Center includes design, build and test facilities in one location and creates an efficient environment for the company’s streamlined processes. Currently the location houses five full-time and five part-time employees with extra work space for the company’s Indianapolis staff.
Operations manager John Heichelbech leads the staff at the Pilot Center and said the new facility allows the company to be working on up to seven large projects at the same time. The company’s headquarters remains at 1917 McKinley Ave. in Columbus.
As a custom engineering services company, Productive Resources is a key resource for design, engineering, CAD drafting, technical publications and fabrications needs. The company prides itself on offering productive, cost-effective solutions and meeting quality, price and delivery requirements.
Volvo Construction Equipment is one of the recent additions to Productive Resources’ growing client list of local, regional and national companies. Productive Resources serves a growing list of local, regional and national companies, including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, Lockheed Martin and JLG Industries, Inc., a supplier of lifting equipment for the construction and military markets.
Productive Resources has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.” Productive Resources, which was ranked #1997 this year, provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind., Indianapolis and St. Louis. The company has been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies. More information about Productive Resources can be found at www.productiveresources.com.
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Productive Resources selected as CNH America LLC (Case New Holland) preferred supplier
March 4, 2008
COLUMBUS, Ind. – After completing a bidding and capabilities process in late 2007, Productive Resources has been named a preferred engineering services supplier by CNH America LLC (Case New Holland), a leader in agricultural and construction equipment businesses. As a preferred supplier, Productive Resources will be a preferred partner for engineering service opportunities as they become available at CNH America LLC (Case New Holland). In 2007, CNH America LLC (Case New Holland) spent $22 million on outsourced engineering services.
CNH America LLC (Case New Holland) is one of the recent additions to Productive Resources’ growing client list of local, regional and national companies. Other clients include Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce and Lockheed Martin.
“We are very proud to have been named a preferred supplier for CNH America LLC (Case New Holland),” said Productive Resources owner and President Steve Booher. “We have worked hard to provide high quality and efficiencies for our customers and look forward to a long relationship working with CNH America LLC (Case New Holland).”
As a custom engineering services company, Productive Resources is a key resource for design, engineering, CAD drafting, technical publications and fabrications needs. The company prides itself on offering productive, cost-effective solutions and meeting quality, price and delivery requirements.
Productive Resources has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.” Productive Resources, which was ranked #1997 this year, provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind., Indianapolis and St. Louis. The company has been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies. More information about Productive Resources can be found at www.productiveresources.com.
CNH Global N.V. is a world leader in the agricultural and construction equipment businesses. Supported by about 11,500 dealers in 160 countries, CNH brings together the knowledge and heritage of its Case and New Holland brand families with the strength and resources of its worldwide commercial, industrial, product support and finance organizations. CNH Global N.V., whose stock is listed at the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE:CNH), is a majority-owned subsidiary of Fiat S.p.A. (FIA.MI). Annual sales total $15 billion. More information about CNH and its Case and New Holland products can be found online at www.cnh.com.
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Productive Resources opens St. Louis office
November 5, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ind. – After recently being recognized as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America” by Inc. 5000, Productive Resources is growing again – opening a satellite office in St. Louis, Missouri.
“We saw an opportunity to expand and better serve our customers in the area,” said Steve Booher, owner and president. “We expect to continue to grow to meet our customers’ needs.”
Stephen Cuba will serve as Operations Manager for the new location, which officially opened Nov. 5. Cuba most recently was manager of logistics at DRS SSI and comes to Productive Resources with 33 years of experience.
“I have the experience of being a customer of outsource engineering services which will be invaluable as I open the St. Louis office,” said Cuba.
The company initially plans to focus on serving the needs of the defense industry located in St. Louis and provide drafting, engineering, design and publication services. Productive Resources will begin interviewing for various technical positions immediately.
Productive Resources has been recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.” Productive Resources, which was ranked #1997 this year, provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Productive Resources’ expertise is providing productive, cost-effective and quality solutions, and the company has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, John Deere & Company and Lockheed Martin.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind. and Indianapolis. The company has also been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies.
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Productive Resources named to Inc. 5000 List of Fastest Growing Companies
September 13, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Productive Resources was recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.” Productive Resources, which was ranked number 1997, provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Productive Resources’ expertise is providing productive, cost-effective and quality solutions, and the company has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, John Deere & Company and Lockheed Martin.
The company is ISO 9001:2000 certified and is committed to quality design and engineering services that meet or exceed customer expectations.
“We are honored to be recognized nationally as one of the fastest growing companies,” said Steve Booher, owner and president. “Our team has worked very hard to achieve this recognition and will continue to grow to meet our customer’s needs.”
The Inc. 5000 is an expansion of the 25-year-old Inc. 500, Inc. Magazine’s annual ranking of the fastest growing, privately held companies in the United States. The Inc. 5000 profiles are a result of screening and interviews by dozens of reporters and writers for Inc.com, the web site for Inc. magazine.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, IN and Indianapolis. The company has also been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid-growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies.
“Any time we receive recognition like this, it’s a boost for our business and pushes us to keep succeeding,” said Booher. “We plan to keep moving up the list.”
Eighty-one companies based in Indiana made the Inc. 5000 list, with seven companies being named to the top 5000.
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John Fitzgerald joins Productive Resources
September 19, 2007
COLUMBUS, Ind. – Productive Resources is proud to announce that John Fitzgerald has joined the company as vice president of Major Accounts. Fitzgerald has nearly four decades of experience and recently retired as a vice president of Ingersoll Rand Road Machinery after 36 years.
Fitzgerald, of Chambersburg, Pa., traveled extensively while at Ingersoll Rand and has numerous contacts in the manufacturing industry. He will be working part-time in a sales and marketing capacity to promote Productive Resources’ services.
“We are excited to have someone with John’s background and experience join our team,” said Steve Booher, owner and president. “I know he’ll be a big contributor to Productive Resources’ future growth, and he’ll be a great addition to our talented staff.”
“I think it’s a great fit,” said Fitzgerald. “I’m looking forward to working with Steve and the team at Productive Resources.”
Productive Resources was recently recognized by Inc. 5000 as one of the “Fastest Growing Companies in America.” Productive Resources, which was ranked number 1997, provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Productive Resources’ expertise is providing productive, cost-effective and quality solutions, and the company has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies including Cummins Inc., Rolls-Royce, John Deere & Company and Lockheed Martin.
Productive Resources was founded in 1991 and has offices in Columbus, Ind. and Indianapolis. The company has also been recognized several times as a Growth 100 company by the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University’s Kelley School of Business. The Growth 100 award honors Indiana’s rapid growth, high-potential entrepreneurial companies.
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Productive Resources Inc. named a Growth 100 Company
12/1/2003
Steve Booher recognized for a record tenth time.
This year, the Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation, part of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, celebrates the tenth year of the prestigious Growth 100 award. And for the tenth time, a company owned by Columbus native Steve Booher is on the list. The ten recognitions are a record for one entrepreneur according to the Johnson Center. Booher company Productive Resources Inc., located at 1917 McKinley Avenue in Columbus, has been named as a Growth 100 company for the fourth time. The official recognition came at an awards banquet on November 19.
Productive Resources is the fourth Booher company to receive the award. In past years he has been recognized for CAD Design, Inc., Auburn Clutch and NetPage USA.
"The fact that Productive Resources has won the Growth 100 Award the last four years is confirmation that all of the hard work and dedication Steve Booher and his employees have given is right on target. Entrepreneurial companies, like Productive Resources, are never satisfied with "good enough", they are always looking ahead for the next challenge or opportunity," said M. Sue Artmeier, Assistant Director, The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship & Innovation.
The Growth 100 award honors Indiana's rapid growth, high potential entrepreneurial companies with annual sales of at least $1 million. This year, highly qualified privately owned companies were selected from applications across the state, according to The Johnson Center. Growth 100 companies are identified through analysis process that is based upon High Performance Organization research conducted by The Johnson Center. Lead Corporate Partners for program are: Ernst & Young, Key Corporation: Key Bank, McDonald Investments, Inc., National City Bank, and Richey, Mills & Associates.
"The very first time that one of my company's was named, I was thrilled to have the Johnson Center name my company as a Growth 100 company in the state of Indiana. This year, I am just as honored to have the hard work and growth at Productive Resources be recognized," said Booher. "This type of recognition is a great boost for our business and pushes us to keep succeeding."
Booher has taken the successful business model of Productive Resources and is building a franchise network across the United States and overseas. Besides the corporate offices and design center in Columbus, the company has corporate engineering and design centers in Bedford, Indiana; Columbus, Indiana; Indianapolis, Indiana; South Bend, Indiana; and the United Kingdom. Franchise engineering and design centers are located in Beijing, China; Chicago, Illinois; Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Cincinnati, Ohio; Lawrenceville, Illinois; Louisville, Kentucky; and Milwaukee, Wisconsin.
Productive Resources provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Their expertise is providing productive and cost-effective solutions, and Productive Resources has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies. The company is ISO 9000: 2000 certified and key employees have earned Six Sigma Black Belts for Process.
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Productive Resources purchases assets of ColTec, Inc.
3/25/2002
Productive Resources Inc., located at 1917 McKinley Avenue, has purchased the assets of ColTec, Inc. of Columbus. ColTec, an engineering services provider founded by Dick and Bev Belush, has been in operation in Columbus since 1988. Over the last ten years, ColTec's staff has fluctuated between ten and twenty employees with annual revenues between one and two million dollars. The company was a graduate of the Columbus Enterprise Development Center (CEDC) program.
Productive Resources, owned and operated by Steve Booher, will absorb some of ColTec's employees as well as completing ColTec's current projects with Midwest regional manufacturers and the Department of Defense.
"ColTec has a long tradition of excellent high-level engineering," said Booher. "We are very excited about completing the current projects as well as serving ColTec's customers in the future."
Productive Resources provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Their expertise is providing productive and cost-effective solutions, and Productive Resources has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies.
Productive Resources was recently recognized as a Growth 100 company by The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation at the Kelley School of Business at Indiana University. The recognition identifies the 100 fastest growing, high potential companies in the state.
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Productive Resources earns ISO 9001 Distinction
2/20/2001
Productive Resources, located at 1636 State Street, has passed the ISO 9001 audit and been recommended for certification. Founded in 1999, the company is the most recent venture of local entrepreneur Steve Booher.
Productive Resources provides resources in engineering, design, FEA and CAD detailing. Their expertise is providing productive and cost-effective solutions, and Productive Resources has a growing client list of local, regional and national companies.
The ISO 9001 certification is awarded by the International Organization for Standardization, a worldwide federation of national standards bodies from 130 countries. Many corporations and businesses, especially in the manufacturing area, are requiring all suppliers and contractors to be ISO 9001 certified
"The process is an arduous one," said Booher. "But, it's worth it. The ISO 9001 certification focuses on what is extremely important in our business - quality. Productive Resources is building a reputation for quality, and this award is just one example of our success in meeting that goal."
Steve Booher, a 1982 Graduate of Columbus North High School and a Columbus native, has received the Growth 100 award from The Johnson Center for Entrepreneurship and Innovation, part of Indiana University's Kelley School of Business, an unprecedented six times for four different companies. Last summer, Booher earned one of Northern Indiana's 2000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year® Awards for his northern Indiana company, Auburn Clutch Company, Inc., located in Garrett, Indiana.
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Steve Booher selected as Northern Indiana Entrepreneur of the Year®
6/30/2000
Steve Booher, a 1982 Graduate of Columbus North High School and a Columbus native, was awarded with one of Northern Indiana's 2000 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® awards.
The program recognizes entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.
The winners were announced at a gala awards ceremony held at the Century Center in South Bend on June 29. The event was the culmination of an intensive search to identify and recognize Northern Indiana's outstanding entrepreneurs.
Booher was selected for his northern Indiana company, Auburn Clutch Company, Inc., located in Garrett, Indiana. Auburn Clutch was also selected earlier this year as a Growth 100 Company. Growth 100 identifies and assists 100 of the fastest growing companies in Indiana each year. Booher has received the Growth 100 designation for an unprecedented five times for his three different companies. He also founded several other companies, including his most recent venture, Productive Resources, Inc., a design and engineering firm with offices in Indianapolis and Columbus, Indiana.
Northern Indiana's winners are now eligible to participate in Ernst & Young's National Entrepreneur Of The Year awards competition, the pre-eminent program outstanding owners of fast-growing companies.
The national search will culminate at a black-tie awards gala in Palm Springs, California, on November 11, 2000, where the national finalists and winners in several national categories, as well as the National Entrepreneur Of The Year, will be announced and celebrated by more than 2,000 attendees as part of the Entrepreneur Of The Year International Conference.
Previous Entrepreneurs Of The Year award winners include a "Who's Who" of business leaders, such as Michael Dell of Dell Computer Corporation, Jim McCann of 1-800 Flowers, Steve Case of America Online, Howard Schultz of Starbucks Coffee and Sheryl Leach of the Lyons Group (creators of "Barney").
The complete list of award winners for Northern Indiana Entrepreneur Of The Year is:
