These 36 companies are making the grade in the toughest of times.

PositionTOP COMPANY FINALISTS

Now more than ever, being selected a Top Company finalist exemplifies tenacity and innovation. With businesses continuing to face a tough economy and an overabundance of uncertainty, there's little room for error, and making the right decisions is essential.

Top Company is Colorado's most competitive business awards program, judged on the basis of sustained financial performance, operational excellence and community involvement.

Companies submit or are nominated to the program. Long-time sponsor Deloitte selects finalists after rigorous evaluations. Then a panel of business professionals and leading policy officials convenes to determine winners in each category.

[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]

Now in its 23rd consecutive year, Top Company and its roster of winners represent the best of Colorado business. The 36 finalists profiled on the following pages represent the class of 2010s highest achievers.

Winners in each category will be announced Sept. 16 at an awards celebration 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. in the Seawell Ballroom at the Denver Center for the Performing Arts. Contact Kelly Ness at kness@cobizmag.com or (303) 662-5222 for registration information. You can also visit the "events" tab at cobizmag.com.

CONSUMER BUSINESS

Kazoo & Co.

www.kazootoys.com

Years in business: 31

Location: Denver

President: Diana Nelson

Employees: 60

Company snapshot: Kazoo & Co. is a full-service toy store that provides parents, teachers and kids with one of the country's largest selections of quality toys, games, puzzles and creative playthings.

Notable practice: Kazoo has won multiple awards, including those from the Toy Industry Association, 5280 magazine, Westword, Colorado Parent Magazine and Nickelodeon.

Community involvement: Kazoo is an active participant in The Children's Hospital Angel Book Project, which brings books to the homeless children of Denver. The company founded and continues to support the Clothesline art show as a way for children of all ages to show their art talents.

Odell Brewing Co.

www.odells.com

Years in business: 20

Location: Fort Collins

CEO: Wynne Odell

Employees: 56

Company snapshot: Odell Brewery makes a variety of craft beers, including 90 Shilling Ale.

Notable practice: Hop-process technology, wood-barrel aging and non-ale yeast use are three areas in which Odell has excelled in expanding the boundaries of American craft beer. All of its beer experimentation begins on a five-barrel pilot R&D system, first installed in 1997.

Community involvement: Odell's charity of the month program selects two charities each month, one in the company's hometown of Fort Collins and a second in another community in which the beer is sold. The company provides space in its Tap Room, as well as on its website, for each charity to share its purpose and programs. On the first Tuesday of each month, the charities receive 100 percent of all proceeds from its tasting trays.

Oskar Blues Brewery

www.oskarblues.com

Location: Longmont

Years in business: 8

Location: Fort Collins

Founder: Dale Katechis

Employees: 40

Company snapshot: Oskar Blues Brewery is the first U.S. microbrewer to brew and can its own beer. The brewery's "Canned Beer Apocalypse" (launched in 2002) has changed the status quo regarding the perception of canned beer. Oskar Blues runs two restaurants, one in Lyons and one in Longmont.

Notable practice: Oskar Blues uses lighter-weight cans to reduce its carbon footprint.

Community involvement: Imagine! offers innovative support to people of all ages with cognitive, developmental, physical and health-related needs so they may live fulfilling lives of independence and quality in their homes and communities.

ENERGY/NATURAL RESOURCES

Ascent Solar

www.ascentsolar.com

Years in business: 5

Location: Thornton

CEO: Farhad Moghadam

Employees: 113

Company snapshot: Ascent Solar's technology delivers the highest efficiency rates available. The company manufactures the only thin-film copper indium gallium selenide (CIGS) on plastic substrate, which provides flexibility and lightweight advantages. The technology applies to a wide range of products, including rooting surfaces for buildings, portable electronic products, defense applications, space solutions and vehicles.

Notable practice: Countries around the world are under increased pressure and global mandates to lower carbon dioxide emissions. Ascent Solar offers solutions to meet the world's most stringent guidelines by delivering products that provide a clean, renewable source of energy.

Community involvement: The company teamed up with U.S. Rep. Jared Polis and the Adams County Workforce and Business Center in an outreach effort aimed at helping fellow community members who are struggling in a harsh job market. Ascent Solar staff, along with other north Denver-based businesses and employers, look part in an effort to help unemployed job seekers in the Denver community overcome obstacles.

Infinite Power Solutions

www.infinitepowersolutions.com

Years in business: 5

Location: Littleton

CEO: Raymond R. Johnson

Employees: 46

Company snapshot: Infinite Power Solutions Inc. is the recognized global leader in developing and manufacturing solid-state, thin film, micro-energy storage devices and micro-power modules that are infinitely rechargeable.

Notable practice: In 2009, the company entered into strategic business relationships with Lockheed Martin and Arrow Electronics as it took its line of products to full global commercialization. The company has won multiple awards from such groups as Flex Tech Alliance, Sensors Magazine and IDTechEx.

Community involvement: The company develops and maintains strong relationships with Colorado's educational communities, such as University of Colorado at Boulder, the Colorado School of Mines and Red Rocks Community College.

Newmont Mining

www.newmont.com

Years in business: 89

Location: Greenwood Village

CEO: Richard O'Brien

Employees: 14,500

Company snapshot: Newmont Mining Corp. is primarily a gold producer with significant assets or operations in the United States, Australia, Peru, Indonesia, Ghana, Canada, New Zealand and Mexico. Newmont is also engaged in the production of copper, principally through its Batu Hijau operation in Indonesia and Boddington operation in Australia.

Notable practice: In 2007, Newmont became the first gold company selected to join Dow Jones Sustainability World Index and has maintained participation in this index for the past three years. The company also completed the Community Relationships Review, which has been instrumental in improving and implementing global standards and policies to further more sustainable relationships with host communities.

Community involvement: In 2009, Newmont contributed $977,410 to local nonprofit organizations and $132,034 in matching donations. Its employees also contributed their time to support those causes.

FINANCIAL SERVICES

CoBank

www.cobank.com

Years in business: 94

Location: Greenwood Village

Chief Banking Officer: Mary McBride

Employees: 700

Company snapshot: CoBank is a cooperative owned by its customers that provides loans, leases, export financing and other financial services to agribusinesses and rural power, water and communications providers in all 50 states.

Notable practice: Despite difficulties in the global economy, the bank has experienced back-to-back years of record financial growth. In 2009, CoBank was successful in serving as a dependable source of credit for the agribusiness, power, water and communications borrowers across rural America.

Community involvement: In 2009, CoBank gave more than $1.2 million to charitable causes throughout the nation. CoBank executives serve in active leadership positions for Mile High United Way, Denver Susan G. Komen Race for the Cure, Food Bank of the Rockies, Colorado Symphony Orchestra, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Colorado, Girls Inc. and ACDI/VOCA. CoBank provides more than $50,000 annually in scholarships to selected universities to help students working toward degrees in finance, agribusiness and cooperatives.

FirstBank

www.efirstbank.com

Years in business: 47

Location: Lakewood

CEO: John Ikard

Employees: 2,063

Company snapshot: FirstBank provides retail banking services to the public including checking and savings accounts, credit cards, IRAs, CDs and home and auto loans. It also provides specialized business services including merchant card processing, construction loans, lines of credit and commercial mortgages.

Notable practice: In 2008 and 2009, each of FirstBank Holding Co.'s 25 charters remained profitable. FirstBank has continued to expand its geographic and customer base. In 2009, FirstBank released one of the banking industry's most robust mobile banking systems. The system, FirstBank Mobile Banking, allows customers to be notified in real time when specific financial transactions or events occur.

Community involvement: In 2009, FirstBank donated more than $3.4 million to area nonprofit organizations. Through a partnership with Community First Foundation, the bank donated $300,000 in May for Colorado Gives Day. FirstBank and its officers fund the FirstBank Colorado Scholars program, a $2.8 million endowment providing scholarships that exceed $1 15,000 per year to several universities. And last year, the company contributed more than $1.5 million to Funding Partners for Housing Solutions. Employees raised more than $215,000 for Mile High United Way, and they receive paid days off to...

To continue reading

Request your trial

VLEX uses login cookies to provide you with a better browsing experience. If you click on 'Accept' or continue browsing this site we consider that you accept our cookie policy. ACCEPT