Soleo Communications, Inc.

About Soleo Communications, Inc.: Software for telecommunications

Rank on 2006 Top 100: 12

Employees: 55

Website: www.soleocommunications.com

We asked Dan Gallagher, president and CEO, to talk about his business.

Question: Tell me briefly about your business.
Gallagher: Soleo sells computer systems and system integration services to the telecommunications industry. We focus primarily on serving the Directory and Operator Services market. In many parts of the country, if you pick up the phone and dial 411, chances are you will be talking to our systems.

Question: What were the major obstacles you overcame to get your business off the ground?
Gallagher: To achieve high growth, you need to do more things with less time, which is difficult, so the major obstacles have to do with finding the right resources when you need them.

Question: This is your first year on the Top 100. What does it mean to your business to be on the on it?
Gallagher:It's a tribute to our employees who got us there. We are not quite five years old, so we still have a lot of growing to do. We are focused on a long-term strategy, but we are happy to celebrate these kinds of achievements along the way.

Question: How has the Rochester Business Alliance helped your company grow in the last year?
Gallagher: Sandy Parker and the Rochester Business Alliance are focused on the right issues to help the local economy become competitive again. We particularly support the RBA's initiatives aimed at lowering health care costs for employers and their employees. This indirectly helps us offer our employees a competitive compensation package.

Question: What would you like to see happen in our region, and in our state, to help businesses thrive?
Gallagher:We need to do more to keep young professional people in our area. They are the lifeblood of a strong economy. Our local colleges and universities are great magnets in attracting talent to the region, but we need to provide them with long-term opportunities in order to keep them here. The region should shift its focus away from "relocating" companies to the area and concentrate more on leveraging the great technical and scientific resources we already have in our community, particularly at our universities. This will mean many more small but growing companies like Soleo.

Question: What trends are you seeing among your customers in terms of preferences?
Gallagher:Our customers look for companies that are nimble, fair, and honest. We do our best to be all three. It's not enough to have great products, you have to have creative and talented people to support and evolve those products into the future.