ACME Business Consulting Heads Recognized as 2007 Oregon Small Business People of the Year.

WASHINGTON -- The U.S. Small Business Administration (SBA) today recognized the principals and founders of ACME Business Consulting, Scott Demorest, David Kelleher and Peter Lizotte, as the 2007 Oregon Small Business People of the Year.

"ACME Business Consulting is a unique company - a modern company. The three principals of ACME have created a culture that makes them stand out from the pack," said Harry DeWolf, district director of the SBA for the state of Oregon. "To be the business of the year out of 330,000 Oregon companies is very notable, and ACME now joins a growing group of great Oregon companies, such as Columbia Sportswear and Nike, to be recognized by the SBA."

The Small Business Person of the Year award is based on multiple criteria, including staying power, growth record, past performance, unique business approach, employee growth, community involvement and innovation. Winners must demonstrate consistent excellence in these areas over the past three years.

"We don't mind admitting that when you start a business with a model and philosophy that is so fundamentally different than others in your field, it is incredibly important to have your ideas and hard work validated," said Scott Demorest, co-founder and principal of ACME Business Consulting. "The combination of our business results here in Portland over the last five years, and national recognition with this 2007 SBA award, feels like solid proof to the entire ACME team that we've struck on something very positive."

"We'll keep focusing on getting the job done and letting the results speak for themselves," continued Demorest. "This simple idea guides everything we do. For our people and our clients, it's working really well and with this award it looks like others are taking notice."

Peter Lizotte

Peter is right at home at the helm of large projects that require sound decision-making, a trait he picked up during his tenure at Accenture, Arthur Andersen Business Consulting, and WebTrends. His professional experience is wide-ranging and includes leading merger integration methodology development, enterprise-scale software implementations, and broad assessments of business processes, systems and organizational structures. When he's not in the office, Peter can be found working with organizations like Saturday Academy and Ethos that strive to help kids obtain in-depth learning in disciplines that range from computer programming to jazz guitar.

Scott Demorest

Prior to co-founding ACME Business Consulting, Scott worked among the ranks of Arthur Andersen Business Consulting and Arthur Andersen Audit. Throughout his consulting career, Scott has had tenures as far away as Tokyo, Hong Kong, Borneo and the Amish country of Pennsylvania. As a business consultant, Scott has done everything from supply chain management to major business process design reviews to enterprise-scale software implementations. In addition to being an entrepreneur, he's an active member of City Club of Portland, and is very active with Self Enhancement, Inc.

David Kelleher

With nearly 10 years in the consulting business, David joined ACME from Andersen's Business Consulting Practice, where he focused on high-tech and industrial manufacturing sectors--leading projects in business intelligence systems, merger integration, supply chain management, and customer relationship management systems. David is active in finding a cure for the disease as a member of the Board of Trustees of the Oregon Chapter of the National MS Society.

About ACME

ACME Business Consulting, LLC, helps organizations complete critical projects that advance, improve, and streamline an organization's ability to do business. Unlike traditional consulting firms, ACME teams are comprised of only senior-level consultants with Big 5 and Fortune 500 experience. Founded in 2002 by principals Scott Demorest, David Kelleher and Peter Lizotte, ACME has developed a corporate culture that allows for a work-life balance unheard of at traditional consulting firms. ACME's clients include companies like Auctionpay, HSBC, NetIQ, Bonneville Power Administration, FEI, Portland Family of Funds, Dotster, Planar, Rejuvenation, Respironics, RMLS.com, Serena Software, Tripwire, TriMet, Vesta Corporation, ATI Wah Chang, WebTrends, and Housing Authority of Portland. Find out more about ACME at www.acmebusinessconsulting.com.