Former software exec James Sheppard relies on cloud-based technology to power a vibrant, eco-friendly countertop business that's thriving in an industrial-age automotive plant.
The swirl of attention around Vetrazzo LLC is every bit as dazzling as the stylish countertops the company makes from recycled glass. Most of the buzz is about the striking kitchen countertops made from the sustainable alternative to granite and Vetrazzo's impeccable "green" credentials. But the fast-growing company has another story to tell: Founded by a former software executive, it's leveraged innovative cloud-based technology to support that growth without taking attention away from its core business.
The green story of how the glass slabs are made from recycled beer or vodka bottles may be sexier -- actor and environmental activist Ed Begley Jr. raved about Vetrazzo's products on The Tonight Show With Jay Leno -- but the technology angle is just as important to the company's overall success.
Vetrazzo CEO James Sheppard knew about the quality of the product because he was a customer long before taking the helm. A software marketer whose company was acquired by Oracle, Sheppard and his partners -- chief creative officer Olivia Teter; CFO Jeff Gustafson, a former JPMorgan VP; other former Vetrazzo customers; and some 100 angel investors -- bought the 10-year-old company's intellectual property in 2006.
They bought only the IP because, according to Sheppard, "the company was a mess. They had 68 different Excel spreadsheets, all of them wrong." By jettisoning the management team, manufacturing facilities, and other baggage, Sheppard and his partners were able to start clean. "Vetrazzo LLC is a new entity," he says with pride. Today, the company has 36 employees working in a revamped 1931 Ford factory in Richmond, Calif., originally built to produce the Model A. And even in the down economy, Sheppard is looking to hire more salespeople.
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