Why Tech is Working in Ohio: Janova
October 22nd, 2011
By Terreece M. Clarke
When Columbus' own Janova won IT Martini Hour 13's community choice award last September, the company was one week old and had 50 clients. In June of this year, Janova announced its plan to hire 116 people over the next three years - boosting its payroll to $10.4 million.
Several factors have contributed to the company's astounding growth and Janova CEO Jeff Lusenhop points to the support of the Central Ohio community and the wealth of talent in the area.
"I have a long history here in Central Ohio," Lusenhop said. "It's a nurturing environment. You have companies like TechColumbus, TechLife, IT Martini...that help the [tech] community stay in touch and share information, contacts and resources. It's more collegial instead of competitive like other places."
Lusenhop cited the overall vibe in Central Ohio as the main reason why he chose to start his company here.
"The West Coast is focused on getting users, social media buzz...Central Ohio is not caught up in hype. Here people focus on buliding strong business to business relationships. They make the big businesses, the Nationwides, etc...more efficient and profitable," Lusenhop said. "Central Ohio overall has a family-oriented environment where people feel they can contribute and excel here."
Diverse Opportunities
"We have some of the best minds here in Central Ohio," Lusenhop said. "The talent we attract understands business and what it takes to make an organization run."
Lusenhop discussed the unique opportunities tech talent find in Central Ohio, including the opportunity to work with both established brands and start-ups.
"Working with [established businesses] represents a great challenge. It is challenging to make a difference in those organizations, it's exciting," he said. "There are lots of other opportunities in many industries here like health care, environmental, medical research...Take time to kick the tires to see what's out there."
Support and the Future
When Janova announced it received a tax incentive from the city of New Albany that would help bring over 100 jobs to Central Ohio, the buzz reached beyond the tech crowd. Lusenhop contends that their success is an example of a state-wide strategy to not only help companies acquire funds, but to attract talent to the area - increasing the strength and stability of the business sector.
When the governor of Ohio attends your press conference you have to realize things are going well, but Lusenhop waves away the fanfare and stays focused on Janova's next steps. Janova's web testing network is only the beginning, he said, they are focused on being an enterprise system.
"If you sit back it doesn't take long before your competitors move past you," he said. "You have to continue to be focused. The buzz we have now we hope will pale in comparison to what we do next."
Editor's Note: Janova is the presenting sponsor of IT Martini Hour 19 QA or the Highway in Columbus on September 1, 2011 at the beautiful Tween Brands campus in New Albany. Limited registration is available.
Read More Why Tech is Working in Ohio Stories:
Why Tech is Working in Central Ohio: TechLife
Why Tech is Working in Ohio: LaunchHouse
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Terreece M. Clarke
