SBI and company: delivering solutions. (Tech Talk).

EVER WONDERED IF there are communication breakdowns with your partners or suppliers? Does your competitor's e-commerce seem a little more e-profitable?

For many Fortune 500 companies, nagging questions like these have spurred them to find answers with Utah-based SBI and Company, a

What kind of solutions? Just about any--from operational to marketing to financial to human resources, SBI and Company has proven its ability to deliver answers for a variety of enterprise needs in a number of vertical markets.

Flowserve, for example, one of the world's top manufacturers of pumps and valves, came to SBI and Company to improve operational efficiencies. "We provided experts who managed the operations of plant facilities, fine-tuned software applications that tracked materials and costs, and increased the overall efficiency of plant operations," says Coleman Barney, executive vice president for SBI and Company.

For a leading global financial services company, SBI and Company provided major marketing support during a recent international sporting event., developing advertising collateral seen by thousands.

For ICON Health & Fitness, SBI has developed the technology for the iFIT.com web site, a truly interactive health and fitness site where customers can generate a personalized fitness program and work with trainers, live, from around the world.

"We're more than pure business strategists. We're interested in being involved in the delivery of the business systems that make customers successful," says Barney That philosophy seems to be working, with major clients such as Sara Lee, Nestle Foods, Pilgrim's Pride, Microsoft, Dell, Lloyds TSB and Samsung turning to SBI.

"We're the largest company in Utah that you've never heard of," jokes Barney "We have about 700 employees, and in 2003, we're forecasting about $175 million in revenue." Not bad for a company barely five years old. And not bad for a company that's been swimming upstream in an economically turbulent current.

"The secret to our success has been that we've always focused on the acquisition of people who know key industries: financial services, transportation, telecommunications, retail, consumer product goods, manufacturing and life sciences. We've dared to have an offensive strategy while others were playing a defensive game," says Barney.

Barney estimates SBI's growth pattern will continue. "We are optimistic. We have solid relationships with companies large and small. Twentyfive of them are Fortune 100 companies. As the economy improves for them, we believe our fortunes will improve as well," says Barney.

Heather Beers is a Salt Lake City-based freelance writer and marketing consultant.