Katie's Bumpers

• Float and fetch dog toys

Price: $9.95 to $19.95

Where you can get them: 1,000 pet stores nationwide

Business owner/founder: Jill Nazimek

Location: Golden

Tidbits: Dogs are more likely to fetch a toy if they can see it. That's the premise behind Jill Nazimek's company, Katie's Bumpers. The 2-by-11-inch plastic Bumpers, which people throw into the water for dogs to fetch, come in checked patterns. The company also makes Heave Hose Cloth Bumpers out of fire hose material. The newest line is Sqwuggies Squeak and Tug toys, which also are made of fire hose material and come in bright colors. The best-seller is the Sqwuggies. "That's because they're $9.95," Nazimek said. "That's a magic number in retail." Nazimek, a former computer saleswoman, named the company after a dog that belonged to her mother.

For more information: Call 303-642-0544 or visit www.katiesbumpers.com.

Neco Inc.

• Concrete picture frames

Price: $750 and up

Where you can get them: Direct from company

Business owners: John Irvin

Location: Denver

Tidbits: John Irvin's company, Neco Inc., is a 3-D prototyping company that designs consumer products. Recently he created a subsidiary, Nivri (Irvin spelled backward) to make concrete frames. The concrete contains a proprietary blend that makes the frames weight about 35 to 40 pounds, which is less than customers would expect. The material can be made to look like marble, wood, granite, or slate. So far they're being used for art exhibits, such as the seven Shay Davis pieces at the Keg Steak House downtown. "This is not like, go to Hobby Lobby and frame my wife's picture," Irvin said. "We want to make something that's not mass produced in China so we can create jobs in Colorado."

For more information: Call 303-574-1077 or visit www.necoinc.com.

Mountain Maiden

• Mountain Maiden clothing

Price: $20 T-shirt to $150 technical jacket

Where you can get them: Direct from company

Business owner: Chris Hoover

Location: Boulder

Tidbits: Chris Hoover worked in the clothing industry on the East Coast, and he's an avid outdoor enthusiast. He wanted to get back into the business, but the men's adventure clothing industry is saturated. The women's side has room for growth. So last December he launched Mountain Maiden, which sells clothing for hiking, mountain biking, trail running, paddling and other sports through a Web site. "We have some women designers, and we also have a woman who is helping to market the line," Hoover said. In October, the company will release its Mountain Maiden calendar, which will show a woman doing a different sport each month. The calendar is a sort of enhanced business card, which Hoover hopes will help him get the clothing line into retail shops.

For more information: Call 877-852-4240 or 720-530-0333 or visit www.mountainmaiden.com.

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