Phil Castle, The Business Times

The owners of JFS, Låda Cube and Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance manage far different companies. But they also share some things in common in overseeing fast-growing operations that provide unique products and services and emphasize customer service.

What’s more, the three Grand Valley companies also are among the finalists in the 2023 Colorado Companies to Watch awards program. Sauvage Spectrum is a finalist as well.

The program honors privately held second-stage companies headquartered in Colorado with between $750,000 and $50 million in annual revenue and six to 99 employees. Since the program began in 2009, nearly 700 firms have been recognized.

Curtis Englehart, executive director of the Grand Junction Economic Partnership, said those businesses play an important role in economic development in driving growth in employment and capital investments. “Their success is a great example of how companies can grow and thrive in our community.”

JFS provides consulting and accounting services to rural health care providers. Låda Cube designs and manufactures moveable and reusable modular wall systems. Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance provides a range of installation and maintenance services for commercial vehicles.

Kelly Johnston, founder of president of JFS, hailed the selection of her business as a finalist in the Colorado Companies to Watch program as validation of efforts to help rural health care providers. “It’s a mission I’m really passionate about.”

Johnston launched JFS in 2016 and initially provided services to small businesses. That direction changed after the firm served as an interim chief financial officer for a medical center.

JFS subsequently evolved to provide consulting, accounting and other services to rural hospitals and other health care providers to help them operate more efficiently and, in come cases, remain open for their patients, Johnston said.

Another important change occurred after JFS changed its pricing and service structure to better meet the needs of clients, she said.

JFS recently served as chief financial officer for the St. Vincent General Hospital District, which afforded the firm an opportunity to work with state legislators and health care policymakers.

Johnston also attributed the success of the company to her staff. “My team is amazing.”

John Fay, founder and chief executive officer of Låda Cube, also said he was excited about his firm’s selection as a finalist in the Colorado Companies to Watch program. “We were super honored.”

Fay launched Låda Cube in 2013 to provide self-contained and self-standing modular wall systems for office, retail, residential and other uses.

He relocated the headquarters of Låda Cube from California to Grand Junction, returning to the place in which he grew up. A grant from the Colorado Office of Economic Development and International Trade helped the company expand operations in the state.

Låda Cube soon moved into a 15,000-square-foot facility on Railroad Avenue in Grand Junction. But the operation will move again in May into an even larger facility at 17,000 square feet with room to further expand to more than 40,000 square feet, Fay says.

Låda Cube also operates manufacturing facilities in South Africa and Mexico. A location could open in Canada as well.

Låda Cube modular wall systems offer a number of advantages, Fay says, including speed of installation and moveability and reusability. The systems work especially well for commercial buildings in which retail tenants want to reconfigure their spaces.

Walmart has become one of the biggest customers, he says, in using the wall systems for vision centers and optometry offices as well as health care centers. Crews can install the systems in a matter of days with none of the noise and mess associated with more traditional construction.

Fay envisions many other uses for the systems, though, including housing. The systems can be quickly assembled into houses and accessory dwelling units. “Housing is such an issue worldwide.”

The systems could change housing and even financing for housing, he says. The systems can be quickly disassembled and moved to other locations. It’s also possible to sell back the systems to be refurbished and used elsewhere.

There’s also the potential for using the systems at data centers and channel heat generated by computers for other uses, including adjacent greenhouses, he says.

Gary and Carissa Lyttle relocated Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance from California to Grand Junction in 2021 in part to operate from a more centralized location to better serve their customers. Tax incentives offered through the Rural Jump-Start Program helped as well, Gary Lyttle says.

The moved proved a good one, he says, as the business has continued to grow. “It’s been a treat.”

The operation outgrew its location in the former Halliburton facility and has nearly completed the move to a facility on 22 Road with 17,000 square feet of space on 10.5 acres.

Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance provides a range of installation and maintenance services for commercial vehicles.

The company takes new trucks directly from manufacturers and installs truck beds and other parts to finish the vehicles. The company also customizes vehicles to meet the individual needs of customers and their businesses, Lyttle says. “We can make the truck for the customers specs.”

Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance works closely with customers to help them determine what they need and what will work best, he says.

In addition, the company maintains and refurbish vehicles.

For additional information about JFS, call (970) 623-3752 or log on to the website at https://jfsconsultingco.com.

For more information about Låda Cube, call  (833) 438-5232 or visit www.ladacube.com.

For more information about Lyttle’s Fleet Maintenance, call (909) 322-1463 or log on to https://lfm-lyttlesfleet.com.