Profiles of the Top Ten Recipients of the 2005 Aggie 100

MGV Energy Inc. earned the number one spot in the 2005 Aggie 100 with a 357% compounded annual growth rate from 2002 to 2004. The company was started in 1997 by J. Michael Gatens '80, CEO and Chairman and George W. Voneiff '83, President. They started the company based on the concept that the unconventional gas potential in Canada was very large, and could be converted to value with the right combination of technical expertise, capital and land. MGV was formed in 1997 with Mike and George as the first two employees and now employs 110 people with an annual capital budget of $115 million.

In 1999, MGV developed a strategy for developing coalbed methane (CBM) in Canada after seeing the success of unconventional resources in the United Sates. The company made proposals to large oil and gas leaseholders to explore for CBM on their lands, establishing several joint ventures to explore CBM potential. In late 2000, a joint venture between MGV and PanCanadian Resources undertook the largest CBM exploration project in Canadian history and established the first significant CBM production in Canada. MGV has seen significant growth and today is one of Canada's leading players in the coalbed methane sector, with more than 500,000 net acres of CBM-prospective lands in Alberta. Analysts estimate MGV's potential future reserves at more than 1 Tcf of gas with an associated market value in excess of $1 billion.

Initially financed by its founders out of their savings, MGV was acquired by Quicksilver Resources Inc. (NYSE: KWK), a U.S. oil & gas company in December 2000. MGV is Quicksilver's wholly-owned Canadian subsidiary, functioning as a separate Canadian company. Mike and George exemplify the Aggie and entrepreneurial spirit. Congratulations to the entire MGV team.

Not surprisingly, the Dixie Chicken figures into the story of at least one Aggie100 honoree. According to Wesley Millican '92, CEO of CareerPhysician, "The Chicken, degree plan changes, the Chicken, grade challenges, the Chicken, social pressures and the Chicken" all made A&M the perfect training ground for the ups and downs of entrepreneurship. Wesley obviously faced those challenges head-on and survived because he now leads the #2 company on the list. The company he started in 1999 is growing by more than 100% per year.

CareerPhysician brings together a national network of educational partners, sponsors and top medical institutions, each committed to transforming today's residents and fellows into tomorrow's successful physicians. Relationships are structured so participants may access valuable resources free of customary conflicts of interest and quid pro quo scenarios. Program costs to members are underwritten by network partners. Wesley has found a way to parlay his A&M education and experience into a company that makes a real difference for our doctors of tomorrow.

D2C Solutions LLC was started by Mathew Michaels '93, who holds a BS and an MBA from Texas A&M. Started as a management and software consulting company, today the company has also developed an expertise in Sarbanes Oxley compliance software and serves some of the world’s top companies. D2C Solutions focuses on adding value to clients using ERP software, specifically SAP. Starting a company was not easy. According to Matt, for a small company, having the best product or service doesn’t always matter. As Matt says "Big companies make decisions based on their own 'safe' culture and don’t want to take risks with small unknown companies." His advice to other entrepreneurs is "Stick with it." The Houston-based company’s 100% annual growth rate indicates that Matt and his team have managed to “stick with it”… persistence has paid off.

The problem with the custom home business is that once a home is built and the client moves in, it’s on to the next client. There is not a year-to-year repeat business in the custom home business. Shan Jenkins '88, President and CEO of Jenkins Custom Homes will attest to that fact. According to Shan "building homes is the easy part, getting and keeping clients is more difficult." Apparently Shan, his wife Bethany '88, and their team have discovered a formula that works however. Their company has experienced a nearly 90% annual growth rate and earned the fourth spot on the 2005 Aggie 100.

Texas A&M is not the only group to recognize Jenkins. Jenkins Custom Homes was nominated in 2004 for Custom Builder of the Year by the Texas Association of Builders and ranked in the Top 25 Custom Builders by the Austin Business Journal. The company builds custom homes in the $500,000 to $1.5 M market in Austin, Texas.

The Arch-Con Corporation, a multi-faceted general contractor based in Houston, provides design and construction services for an array of commercial projects. Started by Michael Scheurich '92, the company has grown steadily. Today, growing at an annual compound revenue growth rate of 71%, Michael’s company is active in the areas of office building/tenant finish out, hotels, truck stops/convenience stores, manufacturing/industrial facilities, medical, education, and retail.

When talking about business, Michael notes that there will be defeats and setbacks along with the successes. His advice to entrepreneurs is "be creative, plan your strategy, start (even though you don’t feel ready), sell confidently, network with others, be flexible and be brave. The rest will take care of itself." The leader of the #5 company on this year's Aggie 100 also gives credit to the Aggie Network saying that it "gave me an immediate group to associate with after college and taught me how to network with others."

Elizabeth Drake '87 will tell you that one of the key take-aways from her A&M experience was the honor code. In her words "you're not successful in business without it." Armed with a masters degree in chemistry from Texas A&M, she started Compliance Strategies & Solutions in Houston in 1997. The company develops innovative compliance strategies and offers superior service to meet the environmental needs and cost concerns of facilities. Their strategies offer a return on investment while ensuring regulatory compliance through the development of quality permits, plans, systems, petitions, and training. The company's 70% annual revenue growth rate is evidence that clients see the value.

Building a company was not easy. Elizabeth notes that she didn’t know anything about business when she started. She found good help however, and that is one of the lessons she would pass on to others. According to her "Nobody knows it all…or knows all the answers."

When asked what he gained from his A&M experience, William Keith Przybyla '86 talks about values. He'll tell you "TAMU helped instill the confidence I needed to be successful. The Aggie values of hard work, perseverance and respect towards others are values we should all strive for in our lives. It is easy to speak those words but at TAMU we live those words. The older I become, the more I appreciate these values in myself and others." Living those values is just one reason Keith is where he is today – leading the #7 company on the 2005 Aggie 100 list.

His company, Fiber Optic Bulbs, Incorporated, provides lamps, batteries and other equipment to the medical industry. Today, the company is growing by nearly 70% a year. After almost a decade in business, Keith will also tell you to "believe in yourself and surround yourself with people who encourage you and will be honest with you."

As CEO of SalvageSale, Inc., Dan Parsley, class of '85 psychology major, has seen both sides of the dot com bubble. When you ask him what was easiest or hardest about starting the company, he has one answer – financing. SalvageSale was launched during the Internet boom and raised $3.3 million of financing with ease. Just a short time later, in 2000, it was a completely different story. Dan pulled the team together and became what one banker called "one of the last, if not the last Internet market place in North America to receive funding."

Today, the company is doing well as evidenced by a 60% growth rate and the #8 position on this year’s Aggie 100. SalvageSale focuses on the online commercial insurance salvage niche, consolidating this highly fragmented industry through a global, transparent marketplace, while providing buyers with real-time competitive bidding in order to maximize the recovery of insurance salvage assets.

Carolyn Turk '84 is a great example of someone that views their A&M education as a foundation. She earned a Bachelors of Science in Horticulture from A&M, but today is involved in the high-tech world as a reseller of Apple computer equipment and refurbished computer equipment. Carolyn is the owner of the #9 company on the 2005 Aggie 100, MacResource Computers located in Bryan.

When asked what advice she would pass along to a budding entrepreneur she replied "You have to be able to do critical thinking. You have to be able to analyze a problem, take it apart and solve it." Carolyn and her team have faced issues over the years from finding financing to learning about hiring and managing employees. Apparently she has put her own critical thinking skills to the test and survived. Today, MacResource is growing at a 59% growth rate – a testimony to her and her team’s hard work.

Zice Companies, LLC rounds out this year’s top 10. By investing in undervalued business opportunities and providing business consultation services to small, growth oriented business owners, Thomas Zais '97 has built a company with a two-year compound revenue growth rate of over 56%. Founded in 1999, the company's current holdings include a marketing company, consulting company and a Houston-based construction company.

When asked about the most challenging part of starting Zice, Thomas remarked "the most difficult step was making the decision to walk away from the security of a consistent and stable paycheck in my field of education to pursue a greater goal." Saying that the “diverse yet safe environment of A&M serves as an amazing 'laboratory' to learn from experiences in personal interaction, organizational leadership and group dynamics", Thomas gives Texas A&M credit for helping prepare him for that difficult step of walking away. Zice's performance is one indication that he made the right step.