Press Releases

Springville, UT - 23 October 2007

Namifiers Honored as the 15th Fastest Growing Business in Utah

Namifiers LLC surprised Utah business leaders by grabbing the number 15 spot at yesterday’s 13th annual Utah 100 Awards Program.  Each year, the MountainWest Capital Network recognizes Utah’s 100 Fastest Growing companies, 15 Top Revenue companies, and 12 “Emerging Elite” companies to watch for.

The awards gala was held at the Grand America Hotel in Salt Lake City, at which Governor Jon Huntsman Jr. was the guest of honor and keynote speaker.  The selected winners for the 100 Fastest Growing category were ranked according to total percentage revenue increases from 2002 through 2006, during which Namifiers recorded a daunting growth curve of 1400%.  Their seemingly sudden success turned quite a few heads, as this was the first year they were considered for the honor.  There to accept the award for Namifiers were executives Christopher Jensen, Chief Operations Officer and Brad Gasaway, Vice President of Marketing.

“The Utah 100 program is an important contribution to the Utah business community. It provides a forum for highlighting the achievements of both emerging and mature business, and keeps the public informed about positive developments,” said Todd Leishman, Chairman of this year’s Utah 100 Program.

Namifiers blossomed under the direction of CEO Bryan Welton Jr., who founded the business in 2001.  Their beginnings comprised of simple equipment and a 10′x10′ basement office, where Bryan and his wife produced customized name tags and ID accessories for other businesses.  Welton quickly revolutionized the industry by combining his “Same-Day Service” mentality with a fully-operative web store where customers anywhere could order blank and personalized ID products.

As Namifiers incorporated new processes and product lines to meet the needs of its growing customer base, the company opted to move from South Provo to its current 80,000 square foot facility in Springville where they offer all types of name tags, lanyards, ad specialties, office signage, custom engraved gifts, vinyl banners and decals, screen printing and embroidery services.  They now have over 60,000 clients including prominent universities, government organizations, and the majority of the Fortune 500 companies.

The Utah 100 award added to the ongoing stream of recognition for the Namifiers team.  Most recently they were selected to the Inc 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in America, ranking 39th overall in the Business Services category.  CEO Bryan Welton Jr. was also recognized this year as the Reed Smoot Businessman of the Year in Utah County, as well as a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year for all of Utah and New Mexico.

ARA Company Selected To Inc 5000 Fastest Growing Businesses In America

Namifiers LLC, a manufacture of recognition products, earned national limelight with its selection to the 2007 Inc. 5000 list of fastest growing private companies in the United States.  Inc.com ranked Namifiers 39th in the country for Business Services and 717th overall, highlighting their 468% growth curve over the last three years.

The 2007 Inc. 5000 list measures revenue growth from 2003 through 2006.  To qualify, companies had to be U.S.-based and privately held, independent - not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies - as of December 31, 2006, and have had at least $200,000 in revenue in 2003, and $2 million in 2006.

“The Inc. 5,000 provides the most comprehensive look ever at the most important part of the economy - the entrepreneurial part,” said Inc. 5,000 Project Manager Jim Melloan.   “The expansion of the list has allowed us to tell the stories of larger companies, older companies, and a wealth of companies in industries like Manufacturing and Construction that are underreported in the business media.

Namifiers operates under the direction of CEO and business phenom Bryan Welton Jr. Welton is also among the youngest CEO’s to enjoy the Inc 5000 honor, having founded the company at the age of 23 and built the growth by the age of 29.  The business currently resides in an 80,000 square foot facility in Springville, UT where they produce all types of ad specialties, signs, custom gifts, banners, and imprinted apparel.

“When I set out to do this business back in 2001, I readily accepted that I would never have a glory position,” says Welton.  “If you walk up to somebody and say, ‘Hi.  My name is Bryan, I’m a doctor (or a dentist, or a CPA),’ there’s an instant respect.  When you go up to somebody and say, ‘Hi.  My name is Bryan, I make nametags,’ people look at you and smile, and they don’t really understand what you do.  So, for me, it is really humbling to know that there are organizations out there such as the Inc. 5,000 program that will actually take the time to say, ‘Even though this guy just makes widgets, or just makes little parts and pieces, he’s done an amazing amount of things within his industry or organization that most people wouldn’t realize’.”

Namifiers was founded in 2001 (then known as The Nametag Source) out of a quaint basement office, where Bryan and his wife produced customized name tags and ID accessories for businesses.  Since then, Bryan has immersed himself in the task of perfecting new manufacturing techniques and processes. In a few short years, his team added numerous product lines and blew past well established competitors with services in digital printing, screen printing, pad printing, laser engraving, hot stamping, sand blasting, and embroidery.

“One day we’d like to be able to put a name on anything in the world, except we probably won’t do permanent tattoos,” said Welton lightheartedly.

Namifiers is rapidly reaching that objective, and has gained the reputation of being able to “name”-ify (personalize an object with a logo or text) anything, as well as offer production times that were 3x faster than any other supplier.

The Inc. 5000 selection adds to the growing string of awards that Namifiers has received in 2007.  CEO Bryan Welton Jr. was also selected as the 2007 Reed Smoot Businessman of the Year and as a finalist for the Ernst and Young Entrepreneur of the Year.

Springville, UT - May 21, 2007

Namifiers CEO Bryan Welton Jr. Named Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2007 Award Finalist in Utah

Namifiers announced that Bryan L. Welton Jr. is a finalist for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year® 2007 Award in the Utah Region.  According to Ernst & Young, the awards program was designed to recognize outstanding entrepreneurs on a regional, national and global level who are building and leading dynamic, growing businesses.  Welton was selected as a finalist from nearly 65 nominations by a panel of independent judges.  Award winners will be announced at a special gala event on June 7, 2007 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City.

“It’s a privilege for me to represent the Namifiers team with this honor.  I don’t enjoy the spotlight myself, but it is a nice opportunity to highlight our great employees for their hard work and add to the vision of where we are going.”

Namifiers was founded in 2001 by Bryan Welton Jr. as a supplier of blank and personalized name tags, badge holders, and accessories.   They have grown to be one of the largest manufactures of identification and promotional products to North America.  Their product offering includes all types of name badges, ID lanyards, office signage, event supplies, vinyl banners and posters, and printed promotional items.  They are rapidly approaching 60,000 customers, including all levels of the U.S. Government, prominent churches and universities, and over half the Fortune 500 companies.

About the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year Awards
The Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year awards program celebrates its 21st anniversary this year.  Awards are given to entrepreneurs who have demonstrated excellence and extraordinary success in such areas as innovation, financial performance, and personal commitment to their businesses and communities.

The Entrepreneur Of The Year  awards program was created and is produced by professional services firm Ernst & Young LLP. As the first award of its kind, the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur Of The Year  Award recognizes outstanding entrepreneurs who are building and leading dynamic and growing businesses.  The program, which celebrated its 20th anniversary in 2006, honors entrepreneurs through regional, national and global award programs in over 125 cities and 40 countries.

Namifiers CEO Honored As Businessman of the Year

Bryan L. Welton Jr. was honored as the Outstanding Businessman of the Year at the 19th annual Reed Smoot Awards, held yesterday evening in the Provo City Library Ballroom.  Welton, age 29, presides as owner and CEO of Namifiers, a local manufacturer specializing in identification and promotional products.

What started as a home-based name tag company in 2001 has grown by monumental proportions to include wholesale printing, engraving, sign making, and large-scale distribution.  Namifiers is rapidly approaching 60,000 clients worldwide.

The Spotlight Is On

On April 16, 2007 the press highlighted the awaited finalists for the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year…among the elite names that hit all the major newspapers was written in bold text “Bryan L. Welton Jr. - Namifiers”

Business and community leaders all over the area have taken notice and are itching their curiosity to find out about this up and coming business.  In five short years, Namifiers has gained the manufacture status that took other notable companies 25+ years to accomplish.  What started in a 10ft x 10ft basement office now resides in an 80,000 sq. foot facility, well-equipped with the state-of-the-art machinery necessary to design, print, engrave, cut, and customize any name badge, ID accessory, sign, or any promotional item.

Welton is being honored along with 24 other finalists throughout the Utah Region, which includes all of Utah and New Mexico.  Each candidate is evaluated on growth statistics for the company, their ability to meet and overcome the varying challenges of entrepreneurship, their philanthropic efforts, and their leadership capacity in the work environment. 

A reception will be held in their honor on May 10, 2007 in Salt Lake City, providing an opportunity to meet the panel of judges and mingle with all the other finalists.  Then, on June 7 at the Salt Palace in Salt Lake City, finalists and their guests will gather for a black-tie awards banquet to discover who will be crowned Entrepreneur of the Year.

The excitement and intrigue of a high-caliber honor like this is captured perfectly in the Entrepreneur of Year theme: “Where Leaders Become Legends.”

“Namifiers” Soars High Under Young Leadership

In its sixth year of business, Namifiers LLC has established a national presence in the printing and engraving industries under the direction of five executive officers, each of which is under the age of 30, with an average age of 26.

This young manufacturing team has either doubled or tripled company revenues every year since its founding in 2001, establishing a rare 200% growth curve and launching itself into the coveted category of multi-million dollar companies.

Namifiers LLC, formerly the The Nametag Source LLC, was founded by CEO and President Bryan L. Welton at the age of 23.  At the time, he sold custom engraved name tags, lanyards, name plates, plaques, and personalized gifts out of a 10′x10′ basement office.

Welton’s aggressive business model was hinged upon building positive customer relationships, where needs were recognized and satisfied in a timely manner.  General customer feedback in the industry called for high standards of production, accessible customer service, and competitive pricing. While meeting every one of these standards, Welton took production to next level with the elements of speed and convenience. The company successfully pioneered the promotional industry with Same-Day production and online ordering of personalized products.  This ultimately secured their niche in the market, being the only U.S.-based manufacturer that could print and ship thousands of customized ID products the same day they were ordered.

In 2002 Welton hired 21-year-old Christopher Jensen as the training Chief Operations Officer for the business.  When he came aboard, Jensen had recently won a local business plan competition. The remaining three executive officers joined the team in 2005:  Nick Vance as VP of Sales, Sean Fitzgerald as VP of Operations, and Brad Gasaway as VP of Marketing.

Their rapid growth necessitated moving the business four times within Utah County to accommodate more machinery and inventory, all of which Welton bootstrapped without partners or investors.  In February of 2006, The Nametag Source LLC moved into its current 80,000 square foot facility in Springville, UT.  Shortly thereafter, his young executive team planned and implemented a corporate name change to Namifiers LLC.  The name was derived from the company’s capacity to now print or engrave any name or logo onto any 3-Dimensional object.  Welton’s executive team agreed that the new name would better reflect expanding product lines of lanyards, printed vinyl banners, t-shirts, and embroidered apparel.

Namifiers LLC is now 50,000 clients strong, including services to over half the Fortune 500 companies.  They can be found on the web at www.namifiers.com and Customer Support is available via phone, fax or email Monday - Friday from 7:00am to 6:00pm MST.  They have capabilities to fill miscellaneous requests for customized items and ship products worldwide.