The perseverance of the three owners of Transcendent LLC has been the key to the company’s survival. The Waukesha-based business technology and solutions provider nearly did not last through its first couple of years, said Todd Molbeck, chief executive officer.
“I can remember sitting around twiddling our thumbs because we didn’t have any clients,” Molbeck said. “We all thought about quitting at one point or another; it just seemed too hard.”
Transcendent was formed in 2004, when business was drying up at a company where Molbeck worked with Todd Youngbauer and Joe Makowski. The three men decided to strike out on their own.
“We admired each other’s work ethic and commitment to do the job right,” Molbeck said. “We looked at each other and said, ‘We can do this.'”
The company struggled at the onset because the three owners were not strong salesmen, Molbeck said.
“Then we found some great clients, and they started spreading the word,” he said. “Our hard work and perseverance paid off, and we went out and hired our first salesperson.”
Over the last two years, Transcendent’s revenues have grown by more than 200 percent. Molbeck expects to increase the workforce by 30 percent in 2008.
The company focuses on three core business practices: IT strategy, business applications and infrastructure.
The company is seeing the most growth in its data design services, Molbeck said. Transcendent’s engineers assist companies in streamlining their data center to provide more reliable IT services. The service is growing because more small to medium-sized businesses are converting to electronic data storing, Molbeck said.
“As technology is becoming cheaper, we’re seeing more companies in need of (IT solutions),” he said. “They’re looking for more efficient ways to manage their data center.”
The company exercises controlled growth by offering strong benefits to hire a selective workforce, Molbeck said.
“It took more of an investment and took us longer for us to grow, but we made sure to attract the best talent out there,” he said.
Transcendent LLC
Address: N19 W24400 Riverwood Drive, Waukesha
Website: www.transcendent-llc.com
Industry: Full-service business technology solutions provider
Revenues: $1.8 million
Employees: 14
