Fast Track 50: Hezel Associates, LLC

CNY Business Journal (1996+), Dec 01, 2006

12. Hezel Associates, LLC

* President: Richard T. Hezel, Ph.D.

* Founded: 1987

* Web site: www.hezel.com

* Employees: 21 (plus three positions soon to be filled)

* Employees in CNY: 15

* Company description: A research and consulting firm ' Hezel Associates brings its internationally recognized research capacity, especially in online learning, to education organizations. Evaluation, education-market development and strategy for education leaders are central to the company's services.

* Major factors that have contributed to the company's growth and success: The application of our tools in research, strategy, and continuous improvement has fueled our development. Careful and strategic expansion in adjacent, new areas of education research while extending our territorial risk has focused our growth.

* Best management decision the company has made in the last year: Redudinq the organization verticality toward the development of project teams has enabled more projects to be completed more efficiently.

Adopting internal benchmarks has assisted in the creation and sharing of project goals.

* Company's target markets and how does it get its messages out to these markets: A wide range of education and learning organizations constitute our market. Locally, Le Moyne College, Onondaga Community College, SUNY Oswego, Syracuse University, and the Syracuse City School District are among our clients. Nationally, PBS TeacherLine, Thirteen/WNET, and Regis University sought our assistance for new projects and programs.

Internationally, Laureate Education and the World Health Organization seek the services of our Syracuse company. Our integrated marketing strategy incorporates strong client relationship building supported with project dissemination, public relations, direct mail, exhibiting and/or presenting at conferences, and building strategic partnerships that allow us to respond quickly and consistently to new opportunities.

IN Plans for future growth and how will it accommodate this growth: We plan for a 25-percent revenue growth rate, investment in new and innovative projects and research processes, and expansion of staff in key areas of evaluation and international market research. We will continue to develop a company-mentoring process that will enable employees to reach their highest potential.

GROWTH: 36.7%