BizWest honors IQ, Mercury 100 winners

BOULDER — BizWest honored four winners of its 2023 IQ awards in an event held Thursday at the Boulder Theater, and also recognized the “Mercury 100” fastest-growing private companies in the Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado.

The IQ Awards recognized the “Innovation Quotient” among companies located in the Boulder Valley or Northern Colorado, including Boulder, Broomfield, Larimer or Weld counties or the Denver-Boulder corridor.

The winners were chosen from among 12 finalists, with nominations submitted by the public, as well as BizWest’s staff. BizWest’s editorial staff selected the finalists and winners. The judges favored products or services that are truly “innovative” — entries that stand out from the crowd, with ideas that are creative and perhaps even unique. They reviewed innovations from both new companies and those already successfully doing business, and looked for ideas that can lead to a “sustainable” and successful business. 

They looked for products or services that either are in the marketplace or at least in a testing or beta situation. A company that has won a previous IQ Award could win again for an entirely new product or service.

Lafayette-based Blue Canyon Technologies, a subsidiary of RTX, won the IQ award in the Aerospace category for its control moment gyroscopes, which are built to provide spacecraft with the expanded agility necessary to navigate a successful mission. The gyroscopes offer improved torque performance at lower power consumption versus reaction wheels.

BlackFin BioMechatronics LLC of Loveland won in the Life Sciences category for its adjustable socket system. The prosthetic device that allows amputees to adjust the interior dimensions of a prosthetic socket.

In the clean-tech category, Boulder-based ElectraSteel won for its method for decarbonizing steel production; ironmaking accounts for 90% of steel’s emissions.

Decarbonization was also the winning ticket for Fort Collins-based AtmosZero in the Technology category for its process to decarbonize steam used in industrial production. Its technology is an air-sourced, drop-in, electrified steam boiler replacement with zero carbon emissions.

The Mercury 100 awards are divided into Boulder Valley and Northern Colorado businesses, then divided again into flights depending on the size of the business and ranked according to two-year revenue growth from 2021 to 2023. Fifty companies in the Boulder Valley and 50 in Northern Colorado topped their rankings.

To be considered for the list, companies had to be privately owned and based in the region. Companies also had to have recorded revenue by April 1, 2021.

In Flight I in the Boulder Valley, for companies with 2023 revenue of $26,000,001 and greater, Boulder-based commercial general contractor P.G. Arnold Construction Inc. placed first with 274% two-year revenue growth.

In Flight II, for companies with 2023 revenue of $6,000,001 to $26 million, the winner was Boulder-based general residential contractor SkyCastle Construction, with 37.3% revenue growth.

Broomfield-based and woman-owned Blue Vista LLC, doing business as The Digital Frontier, Photo Craft Imaging and Rosario Custom Framing, registered 56% revenue growth to top Flight III, for companies with 2023 revenue of $1.9 million to $6 million.

In Flight IV, for companies with 2023 revenue of $951,001 to $1.899,999, All County Property Management of Boulder’s 90% revenue growth led the pack.

Gold Hill-based Colorado Mountain Ranch’s summer programs finished atop Flight V with 56% revenue growth, topping the list for companies with $290,000 to $951,000 revenue in 2023.

To be ranked in Flight I for Northern Colorado, companies needed revenue of $11,400,001 and above. Dacono-based commercial general contractor Symmetry Builders Inc. led the way with 155% revenue growth. 

Companies with revenue of from $4,100,001 to $11.4 million were ranked in Flight II, and Fort Collins-based custom home design-build firm Frameworks led the way with two-year revenue growth of 117%.

Windsor-based Collab Architecture LLC’s 155% revenue growth led Flight III, for companies generating from $1,352.001 to $4.1 million in 2023 revenue. That company specializes in residential architecture and interior design.

In Flight IV, for companies with revenue of from $798,001 to $1.352 million, All County Fort Collins Property Management led the way with 75%.revenue growth.

Fort Collins-based 3Hopeful Hearts had revenue growth of 103% to lead Flight V, for Northern Colorado companies with 2023 revenue of $124,500 to $798,000. The company provides support to empower and equip those impacted by the death of a baby or child of any age while increasing grief literacy in the larger community.

The Dorsey & Whtney LLP law firm and JPMorgan Chase were the event’s title sponsors. Alchemer and Digital Frontier were associate sponsors, and Flood and Peterson Insurance was the food and beverage sponsor.

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