Published: May 13, 2009 11:31 pm      

Light Enterprises receives state Pacesetter award

Frankfort — Mike Light knows the economy is tough — for businesses and employees. So when things slowed down for Light Enterprises, his Ashland demolition and site preparation company, Light decided there had to be a way to hold onto his trusted employees while keeping his business running.

“It’s so hard to go through 30 or 40 applicants to find good employees,” Light said Wednesday during a ceremony at the state Capitol to honor this year’s class of Pacesetter Small Businesses by the Kentucky Small Business Development Center.

“Once you get someone worth investing in, unemployment just isn’t a good option. Someone else will pick that employee up right away.”

And those who don’t find work right away, Light said, have families with mouths to feed.

So Light purchased an old house and put his employees to work fixing it up.

“We’d moved some houses and in the process we learned how to repair just about anything on a house that needs repairing,” Light said. He kept his employees working, they kept their paychecks, and when the project was complete, Light sold the house for a small profit and still had his employees on board, some of whom picked up new skills along the way..

But those who know Light, 54, probably aren’t surprised. The Ashland native started his business while in college, cutting grass to earn a little pocket money. Someone asked if he could remove a tree – he did. Then someone asked if he could demolish a structure. He did and that led to another and eventually it all led to Light Enterprises which employs 20 people. He understands how to treat customers as well.

“It’s important not only to provide services at a fair price but to do what you said you’d do – you take care of your customers,” Light said.

So does David Ogles, owner of another 2008 Pacesetter – Digitech Services of Glasgow. The Barren County native returned home after serving in the U.S. Air Force and started his company which built computers and business systems. Soon he was developing software and in 2002, the Barren County Detention Center asked Digitech if the company could come up with software to help manage inmates, operations and costs at the local jail.

“We took business processes and integrated those into jail operations,” Ogles said. “We get jails to look at how they operate, how to improve efficiency and reduce costs.”

It worked well enough in Barren County that Digitech now has its JailTracker system in more than half of Kentucky’s jails and has expanded into Tennessee, Louisiana, Mississippi and New Jersey.

In the process, Ogles said, “We became a corrections consultant.”

From the time an inmate is booked into a jail utilizing JailTracker, he can be tracked by charges, previous criminal history, medical history and basic demographic data. The software also tracks the jail’s inventory, costs and employee data.

In addition to Light Enterprises and Digitech, six other Kentucky small businesses were recognized Wednesday. They are Bella Rose, Lexington, a clothing boutique; Celerity Automation of Paintsville which makes direct drive, unmanned warehouse transfer vehicles; Chaney’s Dairy Barn of Warren County; Comfort Keepers of Owensboro which provides in-home care; City Wide Maintenance of Cincinnati and Ft. Wright which provides building maintenance and janitorial services; The Combs Group of Pineville, a chrome plating facility; T.E.M. Electric Company of Louisville; and Taylor’s Concrete Cutting Services of Franklin.

The winners were chosen by a panel of judges based on the businesses’ ability to increase sales or productin while boosting employment.

Past Pacesetter awards include Big Meadow Oil Company of Knob Lick; The Gallaher Group of Ashland; Interstate Natural Gas Co. of Pikeville; and Walbert Trucking of Glasgow.

RONNIE ELLIS writes for CNHI News Service and is based in Frankfort. Reach him at rellis@cnhi.com.