TIGG Corp. specializes in removing contaminants from water and air, typically in industrial or environmental applications. As president Georgianna Riley explains, “We design the process and design the equipment used in the process. We actually fabricate everything from the ground up.”
When she purchased the 55,000-square-foot manufacturing facility, Georgianna quickly discovered she had a lot to learn about running an engineering-based business. “I really didn’t know where to start,” she admits, “but I knew there was potential.”
Although TIGG dominated the marketplace, it faced staffing and marketing challenges that were hard for a small manufacturer to overcome. “The first project Catalyst Connection helped with was in human resources. They helped me with pre-screening prospective employees.” We customized a process for TIGG’s hiring needs, and, says Georgianna, “I still use that technique to this day.”
Our second project was optimizing TIGG’s web site, to strengthen the company’s online presence. Georgianna had asked us to troubleshoot when site rankings started to decline. With a new online marketing plan in place, TIGG’s site surpassed its own record rankings, and experienced a rise in online sales leads. “As a result, we have been able to cut back on our print advertising dramatically,” Georgianna says. “We are saving a lot of money and getting a lot of new prospects.”
In 2006, TIGG and Catalyst Connection completed their first market research project. Georgianna had sensed an opportunity in private-label equipment fabrication: TIGG already was tailoring equipment for one client, and calls were coming in from potential customers in other industries. But the research necessary for a new venture’s success was daunting — until Catalyst Connection lent a hand.
“I would never have taken on this project with anyone else, because it would have been far too overwhelming and too expensive to justify. However, when we thoroughly reviewed the budget in comparison with the benefits of Catalyst Connection’s program, we felt passing on the opportunity would be a huge mistake.” TIGG will begin marketing in earnest soon, having received “valuable, encouraging feedback,” and learned exactly where to begin.
Catalyst Connection, Georgianna says, is “a wonderful resource for companies like ours. We knew we needed help, and they made it affordable, got us on the right track, and helped us to prioritize our most pressing needs.” Best of all, Catalyst Connection helped to ensure that TIGG could thrive in a competitive market.