 |
 |
 |
|
|
|
|
|||
        |
 |
Business name: Celilo Group Media, Inc. Website: www.celilo.net Owners/founders: Nik Blosser, President; Tom Koehler, Owner Years in business: 6 yrs Product(s): Monthly business magazine Sustainable Industries Journal and affiliated print and on-line publications; annual healthy living resource guide/coupon books called Chinook Book and Blue Sky guide; green marketing consulting services. Employees: 19 Where are the markets (industries and/or businesses if B2B) for your products and how important are local customers for what you produce? We have different products that appeal to different categories of customers. Chinook Book appeals to the "healthy lifestyle" consumer. Our business publications and services appeal to businesses in sustainable industries - green building, clean energy, recycling markets and organic food. The Portland metro region has one of the highest concentrations of both of these customer groups in the country, and this local customer base was critical to getting our business started and on a sound footing. What does your company do to differentiate itself and its products from those of its competitors? We focus on healthy lifestyle (Chinook Book) and sustainable business enterprise. We strive for transparency, authenticity and integrity in our writing and journalistic reporting. How has your business changed in the last 5 years (if it is even 5 years old)? We have grown substantially and have opened offices in Seattle and St. Paul, Minnesota. The last two years? We have worked on improving our internal sales and staffing systems to prepare for further expansion. Key innovations in your company (products, processes, designs, ideas)? An understanding of both healthy lifestyle consumers and sustainable businesses and their needs. Key breakthrough or turning point in the business: Many small ones, no real big one. What's the biggest challenge facing your business? Financing for expansion. Can you describe how metro Portland works as a base from which to compete? For the industry we are in that targets healthy lifestyle consumers and sustainable businesses across the US, there is no better locational "brand" to be associated with than Portland. Just due to the fact that our address is Portland, people think we know what we're talking about. Some of our competitors are based in Florida and Pennsylvania, and I think they struggle a bit because of this.
|
