For many, 2008 was a year of downturn and downsizing. For Matt Strippelhoff and Ron Dunlevy, it was a year of new beginnings and growth. In 2008, the two partners, who have now been working together for more than a decade, founded
Red Hawk Technologies, which produces sophisticated applications, websites and mobile applications for a variety of B2B (business to business) and B2C (business to consumer) clientele.
Located in Newport, KY, Red Hawk has thrived despite its genesis in the midst of a down economy. Last year, the company was recognized by the
Northern Kentucky Chamber of Commerce as an Emerging 30 Company. And Red Hawk was recently notified that it will be recognized among the Emerging 30 again this year.
“I believe we can attribute our success to our dedication to client service,” Strippelhoff says. “We take care of our clients’ businesses as if they were our own; our client retention rates are exceptional.”
Much of Red Hawk’s work is comprised of websites and mobile applications designed to support custom workflows, supporting clients’ sales and service needs. “A lot of the work is done behind the scenes, creating entire portals designed to support specific business interactions with client teams, third-party service providers and applications,” Strippelhoff says.
Comb through Red Hawk’s client list and you’ll find some impressive names like
Procter & Gamble,
Empower Media Marketing,
The Kroger Co. and
The Ohio State University. “One of my favorite projects we’ve worked on is the
viewbook application we created for the Ohio State University,” Strippelhoff says.
“The Ohio State University is saving a lot of money with regard to printing and mailing costs, and prospective students are getting the immediate gratification they’re seeking via a custom PDF viewbook. It’s a great example of making things easier for the end user while also benefiting the client.”
As technology continues to change at a growing rate, companies like Red Hawk must remain nimble and able not only to meet clients’ needs, but also to innovate. Mobile technology in particular is where much of the growth is happening.
“We’re excited about developing more mobile application for our clients. I don’t think there’s any question that we’ll continue to grow in the next year," Strippelhoff says.
By Michael Sarason
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