Embracing Loss Through Art, Angela Canada Hopkins Finds Success in Facing Her Challenges
Posted on | April 25, 2013 | No Comments
Loveland artist’s Cell Series of paintings finds unique placement in literary and scientific community
Loveland, CO – For many, cancer is foreboding, but when it touched the life of Angela Canada Hopkins (www.CanadaHopkins.com), she took inspiration from the challenge. Ms. Hopkins initially painted the disease by deconstructing microscope slides of cancer cells and reinterpreting them. Now, her work has progressed to a more abstract style that references general characteristics of cells. Her unique combination of science and art is beginning to garner more attention. Recently, Canada Hopkins licensed one of her pieces for the cover of The Abundance: A Novel by Amit Majmudar (http://www.amitmajmudar.com/fiction–the-abundance.html). Elsewhere, the scientific community is finding her artwork a perfect complement to their work spaces, symposiums, and conferences.
Cover art for a novel about cancer seems to be an ideal placement for Hopkins’s cancer cell artwork. When Rick Pracher, Art Director at Henry Holt and Company (http://us.macmillan.com/henryholt.aspx), researched artwork for the cover of Abundance: A Novel, he went looking for images that would juxtapose the ideas within the novel. His research brought him to Angela’s paintings. “I thought the description of the unusual beauty in something so destructive fit harmoniously with the novel,” Pracher remarked. The novel tells how a grandmother quietly accepts her fate but hopes one last visit from her family can heal a longstanding divide. The family slowly discovers the healing effect that a fight with cancer can have. Released on March 5th of this year, sales of the book have been modest, but reviews are very good and “the author loves the jacket,” says Pracher.
Canada Hopkins’s artwork is slated to be displayed at the invitation-only opening gala of the new Oregon Translational Research and Development Institute (OTRADI – http://www.otradi.org/). A multi-tenant bioscience complex in Portland, Oregon, OTRADI will host its opening event on May 9th and feature several of Angela’s Cell Series paintings. The paintings will remain on display to tenants and the public at the facility until July. The growing area of bioscience finds a complement in Hopkins’ fascinating artwork, and the cellular themes fit right in with the OTRADI research facility’s mission.
Hopkins is finding increasing interest in her work from cancer- and health-related symposiums and discussions. Conference planners and researchers find that her paintings enhance discussions surrounding cancer and the science behind diseases and disorders. Late in 2012, Canada Hopkins’s work was featured at the Genentech & Livestrong Rev Forum (http://www.rev-forum.com/) in Austin, Texas. More recently, Hopkins’s Cell No. 9 was used for the cover of the program for the Monell Chemical Senses Center’s Spring Colloquium (http://www.monell.org/), a seminar on cells and biology. Kelly Van Sickle, development coordinator for Monell, was pleased to find such appropriate artwork for their event, noting that “Angela’s artwork on our program booklet was a big hit with our guests!” Canada Hopkins is delighted that her work has such significance to others, and can add interest and color to sometimes-staid science and biology research events, spaces, and publications.
About Angela Canada Hopkins
After her father succumbed to cancer in June 2001, Angela Canada Hopkins decided the best way to overcome her new “enemy” was by embracing it through her art. Each painting begins with a slide of a cell, which she then deconstructs and reinterprets using triumphant colors and bold brush strokes. Each canvas telegraphs a message of hope to cancer sufferers, cancer survivors, and their loved ones. Canada Hopkins is a full-time artist and resides in Loveland, Colorado, with her husband, James. Her work is included in numerous private and public collections, including South BendMemorialHospital, South Bend, Indiana and KetteringMedicalCenter, Kettering, Ohio. It has also been featured on the cover of Wavelength Journal and four issues of the Journal of Oncology Navigation and Survivorship. For more information, call 970. 689. 9841, email canadahopkins@gmail.com, visit www.CanadaHopkins.com, or connect at www.facebook.com/angelacanadahopkins and www.twitter.com/canadahopkins.
Tags: Angela Canada Hopkins > art > bioscience > cells > paintings > science > scientific paintings
Faustson Tool Honored at Annual Industry Appreciation Award Breakfast
Posted on | April 2, 2013 | No Comments
Arvada business recognized for contributions to the community
Arvada, Colo. — Faustson Tool (www.faustson.com), a worldwide leader in five-axis manufacturing technology, was recently honored by the Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation (www.jeffco.org) at the 20th Annual Industry Appreciation Awards Breakfast. At the March 21st event, held at the Arvada Center for Arts & Humanities, Jeffco EDC presented Faustson with a Business Recognition Award for the company’s growth in primary employment and capital investment.
“Receiving an award like this requires the right combination of management, stellar employees, and the latest and greatest equipment, and I feel as though we have all of those elements in place,” said Faustson Director of Operations Heidi Hostetter. “We continue to take pride in our tenacity and commitment to remain pioneers in the precision manufacturing and machining industry here in Colorado. Watch what we plan to unveil in 2013!”
Faustson Tool was nominated for the award by the Colorado Association of Manufacturing and Technology, and was recognized based on the company’s substantial contributions to the community and its reputation for innovation and excellence. In 2012 Faustson Tool increased employment from 15 to 20 highly skilled employees, and added more than $850,000 in capital investment. Other organizations receiving Business Recognition Awards included Adaptive Innovations Corp., the Coleman Company, Datalogix, Rocky Mountain Bottle Company, SourceGas, and Sundyne Corp.
“As we try to encourage job growth and capital investment in Jefferson County, it is important for us to recognize the businesses and individuals who have made significant contributions in these areas over the past year. In Jeffco, we are fortunate to have a healthy mix of innovative and growing businesses. They have earned this recognition,” said Kevin McCasky, President and CEO of Jeffco EDC.
Faustson Tool has been a presence in the community for more than 30 years. Founded in 1981 by Paul and Alicia Svaldi, Faustson began as a small business in an 80-square-foot space, with one milling machine and two employees servicing off-load machine shops. The Svaldi’s keen insight into the future of high-precision manufacturing placed them on the cutting edge of manufacturing technology, where they have been ever since. In the 1980s, Faustson was the first manufacturer to demonstrate the benefits of electric discharge machining technology (EDM), also known as “spark eroding”. In the 1990s Faustson was the first to demonstrate the benefits of five-axis milling and its potential to change the face of manufacturing. Five-axis milling machines have a cutting accuracy of five millionths of an inch, smaller than a strand of hair.
Today, Faustson Tool has grown into a 16,000-square-foot facility with more than 20 highly skilled employees, and is owned and operated by Alicia Svaldi. Faustson Tool remains in the vanguard of the manufacturing industry, continuing a tradition of pioneering the newest technology and pushing its limits. Faustson Tool takes on the most challenging applications only a few U.S. companies can handle, using high-end precision machining to do things no one else in the industry thinks can be done. Faustson’s reputation for innovation and determination has earned the company prestigious clientele: Faustson Tool was called upon to manufacture a key component in NASA’s Kepler space telescope, and has worked with Bell Aerospace to produce parts for the U.S. F-35 Lightning II Joint Strike Fighter jet.
About Faustson Tool
Faustson Tool, a worldwide leader in the machining industry, provides services for clients worldwide in medical, aerospace, aeronautics, defense, semiconductor and other industries. The company, founded in 1982, provides 3-, 4- and 5-axis milling and 5-axis EDM services, as well as turning capabilities for cutting-edge custom part production, and efficient production of standard parts. Faustson Tool is woman-owned-and-operated small business. For more information, visit www.faustson.com, email hhostetter@faustson.com or call (303) 420-7422.
About Jefferson County Economic Development Corporation
Jeffco EDC was founded in 1955 and is the oldest economic development organization in Colorado. Jeffco EDC’s mission is to strengthen the economic vitality of Jefferson County through the creation, retention, and expansion of primary jobs. The Jeffco EDC Board of Directors represent a broad spectrum of industries, city and county government, and use their considerable experience and resources to attract and guide job creation in the county. Jeffco EDC is funded by the financial investment of its members. For more information, visit www.jeffco.org, email info@jeffcoedc.org, or call (303) 202-2965.
Tags: capital investment > Colorado Association of Manufacturing and Technology > community > community contribution > employment > Faustson Tool > innovation > precision manufacturing
Colorado WaterJet Adds Five-Axis WaterJet Capabilities
Posted on | April 1, 2013 | No Comments
Business Provides State-of-the-Art Material Shaping Services to Customers
Berthoud, Colo. – Colorado WaterJet Company (CWJ), the leader in abrasive waterjet shape cutting in Colorado, announces the addition of new, state-of-the-art 5-axis waterjet technology to its precision machining and fabrication services. The company’s latest machine, the Mach 4C WaterJet from Flow, features the most advanced technology in the industry, and provides the most accurate bevel and 3D cutting capabilities available.
“This machine, combined with our highly-trained and experienced staff, gives us the most advanced material-shaping capabilities in Colorado,” says CWJ President Dan Nibbelink.
The Flow Mach 4c’s 5-axis capabilities provide up to 60 degrees of motion, which means faster, more intricate precision cu
tting of any shape, including interior cuts. The machine is capable of shaping virtually any composite material, regardless of thickness, including stone, steel, aluminum, tile, rubber foam and glass.
Overall, waterjet technology is more advanced and cost effective than comparative cutting technologies like band saws and lasers. The cold cutting process requires no heat and eliminates hardened edges, slag and warping. It allows for close nesting of parts for efficient use of material that reduces waste. The computerized, numerically controlled system significantly improves turnaround time and eliminates cutting and processing errors associated with non-waterjet systems.
“This technology is versatile, and opens up many possibilities to our clients in various industries because we can offer highly precise machining of almost any material in any shape or size,” says Nibbelink.
About Colorado WaterJet Company
Colorado WaterJet Company (CWJ) is the largest and most experienced abrasive waterjet shape cutting job shop in Colorado. Founded in 1997 by Dan Nibbelink, P.E., after 20 years of industry experience as a mechanical engineer, the company offers precision machining and fabrication services using the latest cutting technology to customers across the U.S. Colorado WaterJet serves the commercial construction, machine shop, manufacturing, architecture and art/sculpture industries. CWJ contracts with businesses that want access to sophisticated material shaping technology, including 5-axis capabilities, without the burden and cost of purchasing advanced equipment. With state-of-the-art computer-based machining system that allows for intricate design possibilities compared to traditional cutting methods. CJW works from customer-supplied computer files, drawings or sketches, enabling shorter lead and processing times, ultimately saving clients both time and money. For more information, call 970-532-5404, email dn@coloradowaterjet.com, or visit www.coloradowaterjet.com.
Tags: 3D fabrication > Colorado business > Colorado WaterJet > cutting technology > machining industry > material shaping > precision cutting
Schlosser Signs, Inc. Adds New Energy Efficiency Service Division
Posted on | March 21, 2013 | No Comments
Retrofit upgrades with utility rebates help companies save on electric bills
Loveland, Colo. — Schlosser Signs, Inc. (www.schlossersigns.com), a leader in the design, manufacture and installation of signage in northern Colorado, Wyoming, and Nebraska, has announced the addition of a new energy efficiency service division. The new department will evaluate the energy efficiency of customers’ existing lighting and signage and replace inefficient lighting with energy-saving LEDs and other lighting technology. This type of retrofit can save customers thousands of dollars a year in energy costs.
The new department is the brainchild of Ian Senesac, who brings eight years of experience working with a national corporate sign company to the local, family-owned business based in Loveland, Colorado. Senesac contacted Schlosser Signs with the idea for a service team dedicated to evaluating the energy efficiency of customers’ existing signs and lighting, and performing retrofits to those fixtures to reduce energy costs by as much as 80%. Schlosser’s new service team also offers expertise in taking advantage of regional rebate and incentive programs through local utility companies, which help to offset the initial cost of the retrofit upgrade.
LEDs (light emitting diodes) used to replace existing light sources are powered by just 12 volts, compared to traditional neon or fluorescent fixtures, which typically use between 120- and 15,000 volts. LEDs can be used in parking lot lamps, canopy lighting, cabinet signs, and more. An LED sign uses up to 40% less energy than other electronic signage. Retrofitting a neon sign can lead to a 75% reduction in energy costs. While the initial cost of LEDs is more than the cost of older, less-efficient technologies, the differential is more than made up by the savings in electricity use over the lifespan of the fixture and the reduced level of maintenance required.
Traditional bulbs have a life span of about 20,000 hours, or about two and a half years. An LED, however, has a lifespan of 60,000 to 100,000 hours, or about 7 to 12 years. Because LEDs last longer, there are significant savings realized because they require less maintenance. This becomes especially important for places like parking lots, where changing burnt-out bulbs on tall pole lights can be a time-consuming and dangerous task. A car dealership can light their entire lot, display their merchandise under a more flattering spectrum, and save up to $30,000 a year on energy costs.
“Ian recently did an energy-efficient retrofit of the signs at my Fort Collins Perkins Restaurant & Bakery,” said Eric Spanier, managing member of Northern Colorado Pancake, LLC. “He recommended that I convert our signage from neon to LED. The project was seamless in every way from beginning to end. He even took care of the rebate paperwork, saved me $2,500 on the new lighting equipment, and $1,800/year in energy usage. The signs look like new again, and are much brighter.”
Customers considering retrofitting their signs can take advantage of rebates offered by regional utility companies to offset the initial cost of the retrofit. Programs like Platte River Power Authority’s (PRPA) LightenUP project provide funding for energy-efficient lighting retrofits at commercial and industrial facilities. LightenUP offers incentives on a first-come, first-served basis, to a maximum of $50,000 per customer per year. Rebates are offered as part of the growing clean energy movement along the Front Range and throughout Colorado, which has gained a national reputation for its commitment to converting inefficient energy technologies to solar, wind, LEDs, electric transportation, and more. The benefit is mutual, as customers save on their energy bills, and utility companies are able to put off building new plants by helping new and existing customers make more efficient use of the energy now being generated, making the capacity of the generating plants currently on line go much further.
About Schlosser Signs
Schlosser Signs opened in Loveland, Colorado in 1999. Our experienced team offers the ability to design, manufacture, and install a vast range of interior and exterior corporate signage — including monument signs, LED displays and electronic message centers, parking lot lighting, and awnings, among many others. Our goal is to create a top-quality, great-looking sign that will maintain the integrity of your brand while helping to promote your company to your guests and the general public.
Schlosser takes care of every aspect of each project for you, so you don’t have to worry about the details. From property surveys and visibility studies to permit acquisition, and maintenance long after the project is complete — we do it all, on a local, regional, and national scale.
For more information about all our products and services, call (970) 593-1334 or 888-309-5571, email info@schlossersigns.com or visit us online at www.schlossersigns.com.
Tags: business savings > efficient lighting > energy costs > energy efficiency > energy savings > lighting retrofit > lighting technology > Schlosser Signs > signage
Cornerstone Farm 2013 Summer Horsemanship Camps
Posted on | March 5, 2013 | No Comments
Local business offers summer camps, horseback riding instruction & horse training services
Longmont, Colo.– Cornerstone Farm (www.CornerstoneFarmLLC.com), a local business offering horseback riding lessons and horse training services to area residents for 16 years, has announced its 2013 summer horsemanship camp schedule. Cornerstone Farm specializes in hunter/jumper instruction for beginning through advanced riders and offers camps, lessons and training at Triple Creek Ranch.
Two types of camps are offered:
Introduction to Horses & Riding, ages 7+ with little or no riding experience
Horse Show Camp, ages 7+ for all levels of riders, a Saturday horse show caps the week
2013 Cornerstone Farm Summer Horsemanship Camps
June 3-8 – Horse Show Camp
June 17-21 – Introduction to Horses & Riding
July 1-6 – Horse Show Camp
July 29-August 3 – Horse Show Camp
Instruction is tailored to each student’s needs and riding ability, and enrollment is limited. An indoor arena allows riding rain or shine. Introductory Camp runs Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to2:00 p.m. Horse Show Camp sessions have the same schedule, and culminate in participation in an on-site schooling horse show on Saturday of camp week. Cost for camp is $400/week (plus show fees for Horse Show Camp).
Camp with Cornerstone Farm is designed to teach English riding and stable management skills in a safe, friendly and fun learning environment. A time-tested program teaches not only horsemanship but also teamwork, confidence and self-reliance. Knowledgeable instructors guide campers to develop new skills, both on and off the horses. Cornerstone Farm school horses are trustworthy and kind, and come in a variety of sizes and ability levels.
About Cornerstone Farm
Cornerstone Farm is run by Head Instructor Jennifer Shannon, a graduate of the Colorado State University equine science program (http://equinescience.colostate.edu/) and a certified English and Western riding instructor. She has been riding for more than 30 years, and has taught riding and trained horses for 22 years. She specializes in hunter/jumper instruction, and offers private and group lessons, as well as horse training services. Lessons can be taught on one of Cornerstone Farm’s trustworthy horses, or riders can take lessons atop their own horse.
For more detailed information on lessons, training or camps, contact Cornerstone Farm at (303) 828-9040, email Jen@CornerstoneFarmLLC.com, or visit www.CornerstoneFarmLLC.com. Find Cornerstone Farm on Twitter atwww.twitter.com/CornerstoneFarm.
Directions
From Longmont, take Nelson Road west approximately five miles from Hover Road and look for the Triple Creek Ranch sign on the north side of the road. For more information, visit www.triplecreek-ranch.com.
About Triple Creek Ranch
Triple Creek Ranch, at 4255 Nelson Road in Longmont, was established in 1991 and is one of Colorado’s premier equestrian facilities. The 64-acre facility is along the foothills of the Rocky Mountains, just north of Boulder on the west side of Longmont. Triple Creek Ranch is owned and operated by Lynn McChesney, and features two outdoor arenas and one indoor arena, access to trails and a cross-country course. Full-service boarding and training is available, along with western, dressage and hunter/jumper lessons for children and adults, beginning through advanced levels, in private or group class settings. Lesson horses are available. For more information, call 303-444-4291, email lynntriplecreek@cs.com or visit www.triplecreek-ranch.com.
Tags: Cornerstone Farms > equestrian > horsemanship > northern Colorado > riding lessons > summer camps > Triple Creek Ranch
Loveland & Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs Present the 22nd Annual Governor’s Invitational Art Show & Sale, with Opening Night Gala Set for April 27
Posted on | February 27, 2013 | No Comments
Show & Sale continues through June 2; opening weekend features a variety of events to support the activities of the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs
Loveland, Colorado – The 22nd Annual Governor’s Invitational Art Show & Sale to benefit the Loveland Rotary Foundation will host its Opening Night Gala Saturday, April 27th. The event takes place from 5:00 to 9:00 p.m. at the Loveland Museum & Gallery, 5th Street & Lincoln Avenue, Loveland, Colorado. A VIP preview of the show will be held at 10:00 a.m. at the Museum, and is open to the exhibiting artists and ticket holders. Local artist Scott Freeman will be hosting his Art Theatre performance from 2:00 to 2:30 p.m. at Bill Reed Middle School, which is free to the public. Art featured in the show will be on display to the public with museum admission from April 28 through June 2.
This year’s Governor’s Art Show & Sale features 55 Colorado artists. The exhibit’s downstairs gallery showcases works by local artists with a broad range of styles and influences, including more contemporary and avant-garde works. New artists participating in the show this year include international award-winning watercolor artist Selina Karim and nationally renowned painter Alyson Kinkade, whose art is displayed in the Colorado State Capitol as well as Colorado State University and Denver International Airport. David Nittmann, whose woodcarvings have been featured in The Smithsonian and The Philadelphia Museum of Art, returns for another year, along with painters Ross Busby and David Mayer. Many artists have multiple pieces available through the show. For a complete list of artists, their bios and the works to be displayed and offered for sale, see http://www.governorsartshow.org/index.php/the-artists.
Opening weekend for the Show & Sale begins Saturday, April 27 at 10:00 a.m. with a VIP preview of the artwork at the Loveland Museum and Gallery. Exhibiting artists and ticket holders can enjoy coffee and pastries while getting the first look at the art on display.
That afternoon, local artist Scott Freeman will perform his signature, captivating Art Theatre at Bill Reed Middle School, 370 West 4th Street, from 2:00 p.m. to 2:30 p.m. The performance, where Freeman will create a large-format painting as the audience watches, is open to the public. Tickets are available at RE/MAX Alliance, 750 W. Eisenhower Blvd. in Loveland. Freeman is known for the “Loveland Mosaic” mural on display at the Loveland Public Library, and for his performance at last year’s TEDxFrontRange.
The Show’s Opening Night Gala will be held from 5:00 to 9:00, and will include tapas, local fine wines and beer, and a color catalog of selected artworks displayed and offered for sale. Ticket holders receive a catalog with ticket purchase. The catalog will also be for sale during the show, available on the show’s website as a PDF. Attendees of the Gala will be among the first to have the opportunity to purchase paintings and other works of art. To purchase tickets, visit www.GovernorsArtShow.org, email governorsartshow@gmail.com, or call (970) 663-0919.
Tickets for opening night are available for $65/person when purchased in advance through the website by April 20, and $75/each at the door. The Show & Sale continues at the Loveland Museum & Gallery from Sunday, April 28 through June 2, 2013 during normal hours for the facility.
Beneficiaries of Sale Proceeds
This event is the largest fundraiser of the year for the Loveland and Thompson Valley Clubs. Funds raised through the sale of art at the show go to the Loveland Rotary Foundation. Throughout the year, funds are given to a wide variety of causes and groups, including the Thompson Valley Honor Society for painting Valentine hearts; shelter boxes for Haiti; medical supplies for those in need around the world; clean water projects in Nicaragua and Burma; shoes for children in Thailand; Trees, Water, People; Rotary International’s “Stamp Out Polio” project; Project Self Sufficiency; House of Neighborly Service; art scholarships for local students’ and Rotary Youth Leadership Camp scholarships.
About the Governor’s Invitational Art Show & Sale
The Governor’s Art Show & Sale is the largest fundraiser and capstone project of the Loveland and Thompson Valley Rotary Clubs. It stands out as one of the most prestigious exhibits of original art in the Western United States. The show is made possible by Gold-level sponsors Poudre Valley Health System, RE/MAX Alliance Loveland, and Loveland Ready-Mix Concrete; Silver-level sponsors Art Works Loveland and Shannon Marketing Communications; dozens of Bronze-level sponsors; and others, including promotional sponsors Full Circle Creative and Shannon Marketing Communications. A complete list of sponsors can be found at http://www.governorsartshow.org/index.php/sponsors. For more information about the Governor’s Invitational Art Show & Sale, visit www.governorsartshow.org, call 970-663-0919 (voice mail), or email governorsartshow@gmail.com. You can also learn more at the event’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/GovsArtShowandSale.
Tags: art sale > art show > Colorado artists > Governor's Invitational Art Show > Loveland Rotary > Thompson Valley Rotary
Loveland parents write and illustrate, “He’s Not Dead Yet,” an in-your-face book about their child’s fight with cancer
Posted on | February 22, 2013 | No Comments
Loveland, CO February 19, 2013 – Ryan and Amy Green are parents to four boys between the ages of 2 and 7. In January 2010, they received some bad news. One-year-old Joel had cancer.
Joel had an Atypical Teratoid/ Rhabdoid Tumor (AT/RT) that was successfully removed. After the surgery he was scheduled to undergo 54 weeks of treatment including chemotherapy and radiation. He never finished treatment because 10 months later he had a tumor recurrence.
Joel Evan Green was declared terminal and the Greens were referred to Hospice and they were advised to sign a do not resuscitate form. However, Joel did not die. This doesn’t mean the last few years haven’t been difficult; Joel has had six tumor recurrences, but he isn’t dead.
A year ago, over lunch, Ryan and Amy first discussed the idea of writing a book.
“We were discussing that he’s not dead yet,” recalls Ryan Green. “And then realized it was an interesting idea because we’re all not dead yet. That’s where the seed for the book first came from.”
While the name may seem startling, the concept of death is very real to the Green family. They’ve seen doctors shocked and thrilled when Joel does better than expected, but they know there are no guarantees. They have found peace in the middle of all the ups and downs.
“These past three years could have been overshadowed by death, but instead they’ve been marked by joy and love.” said Green.
The fact that Joel is alive is something the Green’s want to shout out to the world.
“This book is about choosing to love somebody you know you can lose,” said Green. “We wanted to talk about this while we were still involved in it, not afterward, because I think you find out who you are and what you believe right in the middle of a trial.”
The Green’s book, “He’s Not Dead Yet” faces these painful concepts head on. It is written from the perspective of an older brother, and walks through the story from the dire prognosis of terminal cancer to the fact that, a few years later, this little boy isn’t dead yet. He keeps living, blowing out birthday candles, riding his trike and opening Christmas presents.
While “He’s Not Dead Yet” looks like a children’s book, it will be up to individual parents to decide whether or not it is appropriate for their child. The Greens are acutely aware that everyone is battling something, whether it’s childhood cancer or some other disease or difficult life issue.
The book is about how the Greens have chosen to face their situation, and they hope it will be a comfort to others struggling with their own difficult life journey.
You can read about the Green’s journey at www.joelevangreen.com. “He’s Not Dead Yet” is available at www.hesnotdeadyet.com. For more information about the content of this press release please email RyanGreen8@gmail.com or call 303-249-8245.
Tags: cancer > childhhood cancer > He's Not Dead Yet > living with cancer > Loveland > rhabdoid > self publishing > terminal cancer > tertoid > tumor
Front Row Solutions Releases New Version of its Sales Pro Application for Access to its CRM by Sales Representatives in the Field
Posted on | February 21, 2013 | No Comments
App helps sales reps boost productivity by accessing customer relationship management system on iOS, Android, and Blackberry
Front Row Solutions (FRS), a customer relationship management (CRM) system built around the needs of sales representatives and sales managers, has released the newest version of its Front Row Sales Pro Application for iOS, Android, and Blackberry devices. The app combines the fastest, easiest mobile reporting tool available with real-time, robust information for sales managers. Sales Pro allows sales reps to spend less time on administrative tasks, gives them productivity tools and customer insights on the go, and frees them up to do what they do best – sell!
Front Row Sales Pro is unique, built for sales reps by sales reps. FRS heard the complaints from reps in the field that existing CRM systems were too difficult to use, and spent four years continuously improving Sales Pro to fit the needs of sales reps and sales managers. The result is an app that reps can learn in minutes, then use to complete a sales report in less than 30 seconds, giving the rep and the sales manager real-time information on every call, customer contact, and sale.
Front Row Solutions customers experience a 95% compliance rate among sales reps using Front Row Sales Pro, and FRS offers a 90-day trial free of charge to prove this level of compliance. “Because of its ease of use and sales rep engaging features, I get 100% compliance from my sales reps every day,” says Michael Gaerter, Vice President of Sales & Marketing at RouteOne Canada.
Version one of Front Row Sales Pro focused on fast, easy mobile reports from the field. This new, updated version provides sales reps with key productivity tools and customer insights while on the go. It allows sales reps to review account information on each client, prepare for their next sales call, and send a report to the sales manager in less than 30 seconds after a call has ended, from any mobile device. Sales Pro’s better follow up system means increased sales for the company and increased productivity and commissions for the rep.
With Front Row Sales Pro, the sales manager is virtually in the field with their reps, instantly receiving sales reports after each call. The new version gives sales managers up-to-the-minute information from their sales reps after each contact, in real-time. Sales Pro allows the sales manager to work closely with their reps to improve individual performance and customize training for their sales team. Now the sales manager can know exactly what is going on in the field at all times.
To view or download the app, visit the app store for Apple, Blackberry, or Android, and search for “Front Row Sales Pro.”
To learn more about the FRS Sales Pro app, view the video or visit www.FrontRow-Solutions.com.
About Front Row Solutions
Front Row Solutions (FRS), a North American company, was founded in 2008 to improve the Customer Relationship Management (CRM) process. Designed by former sales reps and drawing from the executive team’s 30+ years of experience in all facets of business, the FRS CRM system can stand alone or integrate into currently implemented systems, helping sales reps improve revenue and profit by using its fast, user-friendly interface. The FRS CRM provides real-time insight to the sales management team, and the fast, easy-to-use system improves sales representatives’ compliance on sales reports, empowering the sales management team to fully track rep accountability, performance and a host of other invaluable functions for guaranteed improved profitability. For more information, call 1-800-986-0983, email sales@frontrow-solutions.com, or visit www.FrontRow-Solutions.com.
Tags: CRM > customer relationship managment > Front Row Solution > mobile reporting > sales > sales aps
Outdoor Girl Introduces Vehicle Roof Rack Lift Assist System for Stand-Up Paddleboards
Posted on | January 23, 2013 | No Comments
Provisional patent awarded, company exhibits this week at Outdoor Retailer Show
Denver, Colorado – Outdoor Girl, a Colorado-based manufacturing company, has introduced its first product in the Outdoor Girl Rack System (OGRS) line. The company’s lift assist system for stand-up paddleboards (SUPs) was designed by women paddle enthusiasts who grew tired of struggling to load heavy, unwieldy boards onto a vehicle roof-top carrier. The OGRS’s hydraulic lift assist allows the average woman to easily load and transport her equipm
ent by herself. The board is loaded at waist level, then hydraulics aid in lifting it up onto the vehicle’s roof.
Two gals, two paddle boards, two cars, zero racks and two fast-paced lives. Outdoor Girl is the brainchild of two busy single women who are executives and moms, Alicia Svaldi and Heidi Hostetter, who bought paddleboards during the summer of 2012. They fell in love with the sport, and started spending more and more time on the water. They also discovered the trials and tribulations that come with transporting large, awkward equipment like paddleboards.
The Outdoor Girl Rack System idea was born on a lake, while paddling away while discussing business and families. What if women could transport their gear more easily? How much more quickly would the sport of stand-up paddle boarding grow, and how much healthier would society be? The Outdoor Girl Rack System empowers users to get out there and live their adventure.
This first product in the Outdoor Girl Rack System is a lightweight aluminum mechanism designed, engineered, and manufactured in the USA at the company’s Arvada, Colorado facility to load and carry stand-up paddleboards. It features a hydraulic assist unit to make loading and unloading a board onto or off of a vehicle rooftop rack system safe, fast, easy, and convenient. Adapters are available to fit the product to any brand-name rooftop vehicle rack.
This is the first in the Outdoor Girl Rack System not only because of the founders’ interest in paddleboarding, but also because SUP is currently one of the fastest growing activities in the nation. Future OG products will accommodate kayaks and canoes.
Outdoor Girl was recently granted a provisional patent for its product, and will be exhibiting at the Outdoor Retailer Show in Salt Lake City this week. The Outdoor Girl Rack System is coming to vehicle roofs and shorelines near you in the summer of 2013.
About Outdoor Girl
The Outdoor Girl Rack System is designed to help the average, active, outdoor girl who just wants to get to and fro, quickly and easily, confident that her equipment is safe and secure during transport. Outdoor Girl was built on the vision of: Providing women with the liberation of easily transporting their gear; manufacturing its products in the USA; and supporting efforts to cure cancer. Outdoor Girl: for the girl that cares about her rack. For more information, visit http://www.outdoorgirl.us or call (303) 517-6541. You can also find Outdoor Girl on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/outdoorgirl.us.
Tags: Colorado business > Colorado women > lift assist > Outdoor Girl > outdoor sports > paddleboards > rack system
My recap of the Mo’Betta Gumbo preview event on The Armory blog
Posted on | January 21, 2013 | No Comments
My recap/review of Mo’Betta Gumbo in downtown Loveland was published on The Armory’s blog today: http://thearmoryworkspace.com/blog/new-downtown-mo-betta-0
Here’s a slightly longer draft I created before I edited it down for them:
My love of New Orleans, and Louisiana’s culinary heritage, started with a family vacation to The Big Easy when I was in grade school that included a Pete Fountain concert, amongst other memorable experiences. It grew through the opportunity to experience Mardi Gras from a local/insider’s perspective a few times thanks to some good friends. Most recently I visited NOLA a couple of years ago to run the Mardi Gras Marathon.
I was happy to hear that Chef Clay Caldwell was opening Mo’Betta Gumbo in the space on the northwest corner of Garfield and Fourth Street in downtown Loveland where you used to be able to get a gyro fix. I was thrilled to score an invite to their private preview event this past Friday.
In what amounted to a private party, the Chef, his wife Tina, and team (including an assistant chef, wait staff and hostess) hosted around 300 people over a four-hour period. We enjoyed a small selection of items planned for the menu, along with a keyboard + vocalist duo providing life entertainment from a tiny stage area in the front window.
After two visits to the kitchen and sampling everything the night’s limited menu offered, we left quite full, and to Tina’s repeated pleas to stay and eat more. Our plates included:
-An excellent crab cake po’boy that featured lots of crab meat, light, crispy bread, fresh tomatoes and lettuce, and what we guessed was a spicy mayo-based sauce to pull it all together.
-A beef-tenderloin crostini with the beef done just right, medium rare.
-A scoop of grits with cheese and shrimp – a rich, creamy combination that used a tangy, sharp cheddar.
-A hearty sausage and chicken gumbo served over rice.
There was also an ambrosia-style fruit salad that we did not sample. The beverage selection included a very interesting rosemary-infused berry drink, with fruit mixed in a bit like a non-alcoholic sangria. Some might find a bit on the too-sweet side. We decided it might be even better if cut with a bit of soda water, or even some rum or vodka.
The interior is still recognizable, but they’ve made some changes for the better. The feel is definitely casual, kitschy, and fun. The west wall features chalkboard paint, where the menu has been written. Below that, recycled bathtubs held canned beer and sodas. The space is lit by clusters of 80s-era upcycled smoked-glass-and-brass lighting fixtures.
The kitchen is now in the far back, in what used to be an “orphan” space that has spent time as an art studio and had been rumored to become a bread shop or ice cream spot in the past. That allowed them to take out the food prep/service counter in the front of the house and open up the main dining area to seat more patrons.
If this tasting menu is an indication of the Chef’s abilities, and I have every confidence that it is (I heard on Friday night that this is his 27th restaurant opening), I’m excited to return and see what else is on the slate once Mo’Betta Gumbo opens to the public – especially when the promised boils are offered. That’s scheduled to happen this Friday, January 25th for lunch, dinner and late night fare.
Mo’Betta Gumbo, 141 East 4th Street, Loveland, CO 80537, www.mobettagumbo.com.