Inc. magazine applauds Juxtamark as one of 500 fastest-growing firms

Business Report Correspondent

LOUISVILLE ? For a company approaching its sixth year, Juxtamark, a sales and marketing firm, has experienced remarkable growth.

Although the company has only one other office in Minneapolis, the volume of its business earned Juxtamark recognition as one of the 500 fastest-growing companies by Inc. magazine in Oct. 2000.

Founder and President Jeff Weltzin attributes Juxtamark’s rapid growth to simply “doing what we set out to do. It’s results-oriented.”

And the result for 2000 will be an annual gross revenue of $4.2 million. Juxtamark provides sales and marketing services for small- to mid-sized manufacturing companies. “If a company produces a widget, we enter into a long-term arrangement in which we take over marketing and sales,” Weltzin said. “We are a positive hybrid between an in-house sales staff and a geographic broker.”

Unlike other similar companies, Juxtamark does not represent scores of clients. “We partner with a few and represent them well,” insisted Weltzin. “Every time we partner with the company, it’s a virtual distribution arm for them.”

Weltzin refers to the company’s clients as “partners” to indicate the close relationship Juxtamark maintains with them. He believes that Juxtamark becomes a part of each company it represents.

Reuel Foot, president of Stafford County Flour Mills in Hudson, Kan., said his customers believe Weltzin is part of Stafford. Weltzin has provided services for Foot’s company for five years, and it has been growing every year.

Juxtamark was called “North American Milling” until six months ago. The old name refers to the company’s specialty: selling flour and other milled products. Weltzin decided that a new name would help clients differentiate between the sales and marketing firm and other competing flourmills. After all, Juxtamark does not actually mill flour; it just sells it for several different companies.

The name Juxtamark was chosen because “juxta” infers the meaning side by side. “Mark” is simply short for what the company does: marketing.

As for customers of Juxtamark’s partners, most of them do not realize that there is a third party. “They see us as Prairie Flour Mill, or whoever we’re representing,” Weltzin said. By partnering with his clients, Weltzin furthers this illusion for the benefit of all involved. The client obtains a no-fuss marketing department, Juxtamark serves its clients more effectively and the customer avoids the possibility of confusion through a third party.

By alleviating the burden of sales and marketing, Juxtamark helps small companies do what they do best: manufacture. “We do what we do best: market and sell the product,” Weltzin said.

“He just generates more volume and sales,” Foot said. “He’s really energetic and personable. The customers all like him. I hope it’s a long-term relationship.”

Weltzin’s entrepreneurial spirit also appeals to Prairie Flour Mills General Manager Brigitte Leitgeb. Partnering with Juxtamark since 1997, Leitgeb’s company, located near Winnipeg, was a small start-up that needed a marketing department to build a customer base and begin selling its product. “In the beginning, Weltzin was indispensable. Marketing flour isn’t all that easy,” Leitgeb said.

One of the biggest changes Weltzin made was listing Prairie on an industry Web site (www.flour.com). Stafford County Flour Mills and other Juxtamark partners are listed on the site, as well. “He was right on the ball to get us that name,” Leitgeb said.

Weltzin travels to Prairie’s headquarters at least once a year to strategize with Leitgeb. “He makes sure that this is still the kind of industry we want to be in,” she said.

This kind of client service has helped Juxtamark grow more than anything else.

Despite Inc.’s recent accolade, Weltzin insisted Juxtamark is not interested in growth for growth’s sake. “We want to achieve the growth our partners want,” he said. “We hope to continue to be the best provider of outsourced sales and marketing services for the manufacturers that we represent and to continue to look for additional companies who would see the benefit of our skills and expertise in successful product marketing.”

One means of accomplishing these goals is the company Web site at www.Juxtamark.com. Although the newly launched site still needs some sprucing, Weltzin said he hopes maintaining an Internet presence will help Juxtamark continue its expansion.

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