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S&M NuTec

Company: S&M NuTec, N. Kansas City, Missouri
Company Description: S&M NuTec develops innovative, practical, top-quality products to provide value for the welfare of pets and pet owners. Entrepreneurial spirit including, passion, risk-taking, innovation plus great attitudes and dedication have propelled S&M NuTec to the #1 dog treat for the pet industry in the USA in 2003 and projected to be #1 in the world in 2004, after just 7 years of sales.
Nomination Category: Company, Office & Product Awards Categories
Nomination Sub Category: Best Overall Company

Nomination Title: S&M NuTec, LLC - Home of Greenies®–the original green smart-treat

   1. Tell the story about what this nominated company achieved in 2004 (up to 500 words). Focus on specific accomplishments, and relate these accomplishments to past performance or industry norms. Be sure to mention obstacles overcome, innovations or discoveries made, and outcomes:

S&M NuTec, LLC, develops innovative, practical, top-quality pet products to
provide value for the welfare of pets and pet owners.  Entrepreneurial spirit
including, passion, risk-taking, innovation plus great employee attitudes and
dedication have propelled S&M NuTec to the #1 dog treat for the pet industry in
the USA in 2003 and projected to be #1 in the world in 2004, after just 7 years of
sales.  This is even more spectacular considering that S&M NuTec’s Greenies®
dog treats compete with products from multi-national companies such as Nestle-
Purina, Mars, Del Monte, Colgate, and Proctor & Gamble, who have been
established in the pet industry for many years, plus many other companies. 

We believe S&M NuTec’s accomplishments are particularly astonishing given that
the founders/managers were both public servants with no business experience
prior to launching S&M NuTec.  The founders had a dream to simply clean their
dog’s breath so the family could enjoy Ivan, their family pet, again, and by
applying passion, persistence, and preparedness turned that dream into business success–the American Dream still exists! 

Sales have zoomed a 91,400% increase since 1999.  The simple average quarter-
over-quarter sales increases have exceeded 70% since first sales in the first
quarter of 1998.  S&M NuTec has sold over 400 million Greenies® dog treats to
date.

S&M NuTec currently exports to 50 countries and has packaging printed in at
least 15 languages.  S&M NuTec has been honored by the National District Export
Council with its 2004 Small Business Exporter of the Year Award.

S&M NuTec has created jobs for 64 employees as of December 31, 2004, and we currently have 80 employees.  In addition, S&M NuTec locally out-sources
manufacturing, packaging, warehousing, and shipping which generates more than
400 additional direct jobs for our business affiliates in the Kansas City area.
S&M NuTec’s investment in a building and equipment earned a Kansas City Industrial Council Brick-by-Brick Award as well as a Clay County Economic Development Key Recognition Award in 2004.

S&M NuTec has nurtured an innovative, entrepreneurial culture.  This culture and
its subsequent success have:
--encouraged risk-taking, best exemplified by the founders personally enduring 3
years with  virtually no income to launch S&M NuTec;
--instilled passion, persistence, and preparedness as a basis for the business;
--built a mind-set  for “bootstrap” financing, since the company was unable to
attract effective traditional bank financing until the company achieved more
than $1 million in sales in a month;
--engendered recognition of employees for their creativity, thinking, and hard work
as demonstrated by paying incentive pay to employees in 2004 and implementing
bold programs such as “Shenanigans” and “Think Tank” to add fun and creativity;
--supported involvement in community activities including the donation of more
than $430,000 of product in 2004 to dog-related organizations, as well as
involvement in a host of other  community events; and
--resulted in 40 awards, honors, and recognition since the beginning of 2002
ranging from national, regional, and local honors including recognition for
merchandising strategies in pet industry.

   2. List hyperlinks to any online news stories, press releases, or other documents that support the claims made in the section above. IMPORTANT: List each link on a separate line, begin each link with http://, and enclose each link in square brackets; for example, [http://www.website.com]:

http://www.euromonitor.com/Pet_Food_and_Pet_Care_Products_in_USA
http://www.buyusa.gov/marketing/203.html
http://www.entreworld.com/Content/EntreByline.cfm?ColumnID=588
http://www.nutecforpets.com/productInfo.do
http://www.greenies.com/html/index.html
http://www.kcchamber.com/Program/Index.asp?IdS=0009B8-FC99AA0&Reference=659&~=
http://www.ingramsonline.com/october_2004/FOB.html
http://www.hannibal.net/stories/012905/bus_0129050053.shtml
http://radiofence.com/greenies.htm
http://www.petinfoeducation.com/Greenies.htm

   3. Provide a brief (up to 100 words) biography about the leader of this nominated company:

Dr. Joseph Roetheli and Judy Roetheli founded S&M NuTec as an entrepreneurial
company in 1996.  Previously Dr. Roetheli managed R&D and commercialization
programs for the Federal government for 18 years, and had also been employed by
major universities for 4 years.    He is the lead inventor on two patents with one
other patent pending.  Dr. Roetheli has been listed internationally as one of the
most knowledgeable experts in the world in the field of industrial uses of
agricultural crops.  The University of Missouri Alumni Association honored Dr.
Roetheli with its Citation of Merit Award.