Evolve Golf
evolvegolf.com
Year founded: 2003
No. of employees: 30
Top official: Ben Maloy, CEO
Company description: “Evolve Golf makes golf tees and bespoke accessories that are better for golfers, golf courses and the planet.”
How has your company grown since its inception? “Evolve’s first product was a biodegradable performance tee that launched on the PGA Tour in 2004. Our customers have driven product expansions spanning custom golf tees to bespoke gifts. Today, our Epoch tees, P1Rx repair tools, Motionwool socks and Foundryworks hand-forged ball markers are utilized by 1,600 golf facilities worldwide.”
How has your product helped impact the region’s economic development? “Sourcing from manufacturers in Wilmington, Asheboro and Greensboro, Evolve grew from six employees in a small office on North 4th Street to 30 employees at a new 9,000-square-foot facility located on Hwy. 421 N. We proudly support local nonprofits like Coastal Enterprises and First Tee of Greater Wilmington.”
What current challenges are you facing? “Demand for golf tees, especially custom golf tees. Evolve Golf’s biggest challenge is keeping pace with unprecedented growth due to the surge of new golfers playing the game. WFH policies now enable players to substitute commute time with early-morning and late-afternoon rounds, skyrocketing the demand for more golf tees.”
PaperFoam
Packaging USA
paperfoam.com
Year founded: 2007
No. of employees: 30
Top official: Malcolm Ford, COO
Company description: Manufacturer of bespoke biodegradable, recyclable and compostable packaging as a direct plastic replacement
How has your company grown since its inception? “Quadrupled since 2007”
How has your product helped impact the region’s economic development? “Constantly at the forefront of sustainability efforts”
What current challenges are you facing? “People”
What are your future goals for the company? “20% year-on-year growth”
Surgium LLC
surgilum.com
Year founded: 2014
No. of employees: 7
Top official: Alan W. Brown, CEO
Company description: “Surgilum LLC
is a design, development, manufacturer and seller of beautiful ophthalmic devices, known for greater accuracy, efficiency and cost effectiveness.”
How has your company grown since its inception? “Surgilum has grown domestically to include the U.S. military, VA hospitals, U.S. residency programs, private ASCs and major hospital systems. Global distribution has also grown as Surgilum’s RoboMarker (corneal marking system) has caught the attention of world-renowned surgeons for its intuitive use and beauty.”
How has your product helped impact the region’s economic development? “Revenue has increased steadily over the years; we are in a ‘soft launch’ (domestically) for our newest product, the RoboMarker G2. We anticipate acceleration in the sales cycle once we are able to engage the global market. Additionally, new talent has been hired to meet future needs.”
What are your future goals for the company? “MindSkid Labs, parent company of Surgilum, under the direction of Alan Brown, MD, surgeon/inventor, holds multiple patents for future development. These will require more funding, clinical trials, etc. In the meantime, Surgilum has another series of products that could be ready for release first quarter of 2024.”
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