A fast-growing IT provider in Orange is gaining recognition targeting smaller companies in the healthcare, financial service and retail industries.
Lumen21, established in 2007 by Eduardo Don Jr., closed the books last year with $5.7 million in annual sales. Its 803% growth rate over the past five years nabbed it the No. 7 spot on Fortune’s 2014 Inner City 100 list of the fastest-growing inner-city businesses in the country (see Business Journal’s coverage of fastest-growing public companies, pages 1, 17).
It has grown to 82 workers in Orange and offices in India and Argentina with its business model that relies heavily on value-added resellers, essentially technology consultants who sell goods and services to businesses.
“We’ve been on a pretty good growth pace,” said Don, who said he expects to triple business in the next 36 months as the company aims to hit $30 million to $40 million in revenue in the coming years.
Lumen21 was recently named the Technology Firm of the Year for Los Angeles at the 19th Annual U.S. Department of Commerce Minority Business Development Agency Awards in partnership with the Los Angeles mayor’s Office of Economic Development for its efforts in providing technology services for healthcare companies as they navigate compliance, regulatory, cost and insurance-related issues.
Emulex Win
Costa Mesa-based networking equipment maker Emulex Corp. reported a design win in the new HP ProLiant Gen9 rack and blade servers geared for next-generation virtual desktop infrastructure, big-data analytics, emerging computer architecture, and cloud computing.
The connectivity equipment win was among the drivers that led Emulex to boost revenue targets for the September quarter to $102 million to $104 million, up from $93 million to $99 million.
The company designs and makes networking equipment that connects storage, servers and data centers.
Metallica Shakes Up BlizzCon
Rock band Metallica will headline Blizzard Entertainment Inc.’s annual fanfest Nov. 7 and 8 at the Anaheim Convention Center.
BlizzCon annually draws about 20,000 people from around the world who get a chance to meet their favorite Blizzard artists and execs; compete in high stakes gaming competitions; play an assortment of video, card and board games; and listen to panel discussions, among other activities.
Metallica, founded in 1981 by drummer Lars Ulrich, is somewhat of a departure from prior BlizzCon acts more steeped in the California sound of Blink 182, Weezer and the Foo Fighters.
Bits & Pieces
The newly established OC chapter of Tech in Motion Events held its first “Tech Talk” event on Oct. 22 called Made in OC. The series has been a success in other markets, bringing together tech enthusiasts and insiders to discuss issues and trends in the industry. The local event featured execs from Local Corp., Boeing, Numecent and Telogis, and was moderated by yours truly. … About 13% of U.S. homes have a smart device, a percentage that’s expected to climb significantly in the coming years, according to a new survey by the Consumer Electronics Association and Parks Associates. Smart device sales in the U.S. are projected to grow more than 73% from 20.7 million units this year to 35.9 million units by 2017.
