Top innovators of 2009

Some people have a vision of something that doesn’t exist. They believe that people will pay for it. And then they take the gamble and invest time and money creating it. We’ve picked seven of the most innovative business people to highlight. Surely there are others, but you’ll have to keep reading RBS in 2010 as we discover them.

7. Peter Vinci, Vinci Pro
When you talk to lots of startups, you hear a common refrain: “We just don’t have the money for marketing, and that’s what we need to get the word out.” Peter Vinci found a way around that. The Richmond-based maker of baseball mitts – run by a father/son team – gives them to minor league players, and when those players move up to the big leagues, they stick with their glove. The company sells more than 65 types of gloves and styles that cost between $50 and $250. The company was featured in Fortune and an RBS story .

6. Sam Moore, Club Velvet
Hold the hate comments for just a second. If the old adage that even negative exposure is good for business is true, then Sam Moore is Richmond’s best guerrilla marketer. Moore, who owns the Shockoe Bottom strip club Velvet, knows a scandal better than anyone in Richmond. In February it was for his huge banner denouncing a baseball stadium downtown.He must have liked the response he got, because in September he put up another banner portraying President Obama as the Joker. That drew a rebuke from the Virginia Chapter of the NAACP and tons more press. Maybe he’s just going for free exposure? It seems doubtful that a bad-boy reputation would hurt business much. We expect big things in 2010, Mr. Moore.

5. Kevin Healy, Boathouse at Rocketts Landing
If enough people tell you they aren’t interested in an idea, it’s easy to lose faith. Kevin Healey didn’t. He believed in the concept for his second waterfront restaurant and kept hounding banks until he lined up a $500,000 SBA loan for the Boathouse at Rocketts Landing. He didn’t lose faith when the economy ground to a halt. He outfitted his new spot with the most contemporary layout, creating something that has no real comparisons in Richmond. It’s packed almost every night. That’s one key part of innovation: bringing something to market people didn’t know they wanted – in this case, dining above the James River with views of the downtown skyline. The challenge for Healey will be maintaining the traffic as the novelty wears off.

4. Kay Tabor, inventor of a motorcycle helmet for pets
Tabor, who was with the Martin Agency for more than a decade, invented Zoomer Gear in 2004, but we didn’t write about her until this year, so she still makes the list. Tabor is one of several pet industry entrepreneurs in a fast-growing niche.

3. Ross Catrow, RVA Blogs/RVA News
Ross Catrow doesn’t talk in business speak. You won’t hear him use the words “synergy” or “core competencies.” Mostly he designs websites. But Catrow just might be Richmond’s savviest web entrepreneur. Before Twitter and Facebook exploded, his blog aggregator, RVA Blogs, was the best way to keep tabs on Richmond’s online community and what people were discussing – or dissing. He’s added a second site, RVA News, which gathers news from local websites that focus on just one small part of Richmond, like the Museum District. And he’s hired a salesperson to grow the ad revenue. Media General took notice, copying his concept with their Richmond.com acquisition/redesign. You can read more about him in an RBS story here.

2. Joey Woodfin, EverDrive
Joey Woodfin used his background in the family business and turned it into a technology company that pairs buyers and sellers of used car parts. The recession may have even helped the firm. EverDrive’s office in the Brandermill section of Chesterfield keeps adding sales representatives and has the excitement of a Silicon Valley startup. EverDrive isn’t taking its foot off the accelerator. The company added dozens of employees this year. And in 2009 the company started a program to handle the installation of used parts. When customers call, the company arranges to have their vehicle towed to a shop and arranges to have a used engine or transmission installed. It’s a hit. For every 175 successful installations, there are two or three screw ups. Not bad for a brand new concept. You can read a Q&A with Woodfin here.

1.  Bryan Bostic, bringing baseball back to Richmond
You don’t read Bryan Bostic’s name in the media much these days. And that’s probably to his liking. No more “no comments” and no more photos that his wife complained were unflattering. You never got the sense he enjoyed dealing with the media. (Even though he talked with RBS in a story here.)

But without Bostic, Richmond probably wouldn’t have baseball right now. Bostic went all over town promoting his plan. And he put his money behind his vision, hiring lawyers, planners and other trades people to begin the process. The debate about the ballpark kept the topic of baseball top of mind, and without Bostic, there wouldn’t have been a debate. There wouldn’t have been as much pressure on Mayor Wilder and Mayor Jones to do something. Bostic found a fledgling team in Connecticut and brought together local investors to buy it. That likely put Richmond on the radar of for the team’s owner, Lou Dibella.

Even though the plan for a downtown stadium is a fading memory, it was an innovative plan that tried to overcome political, economic and engineering challenges. That, in and of itself, deserves some props. The Richmond Braves weren’t running a very good business here, but Bostic believed it could be done. The Flying Squirrels should have him throw out their first pitch.

Aaron Kremer is the BizSense editor. There are surely other worthy businesses that deserve mention, so please mention them in the comments section below. You can send news tips to Editor@richmondbizsense.com.