The second annual Cougar 100 Luncheon, hosted by the University of Houston Alumni Association (UHAA), took place at the Bayou City Event Center on October 27, 2015 to honor the 100 fastest growing alumni-owned or led businesses. University of Houston President Renu Khator presented opening remarks, and Rushion McDonald ('83), Daytime Emmy Award-winner and 2015 recipient of the UHAA Distinguished Alumni Award, delivered the keynote address. Ranked by two-year revenue growth, the 100 companies on The List collectively have an average two-year growth rate of 28 percent.
Four College of Technology alumni were among those honored this year.
Jay Dorsey is the president of Triad Retail Construction Inc. Created in 2008, the company is a full service general contractor that offers contracting and design services. He earned his B.S. and M.S. degrees in Surveying Construction Management.
Jose A. Lara, an electrical power engineering technology graduate, launched JR2 Energy Services, Inc. in 2004. The company provides professional high quality services such as electrical engineering/design, I & C engineering/design, project management, electrical design studies, and drafting.
CV Rao is the president and senior systems engineer at TechOne Centre, LLC. After a corporate career, CV leveraged his background in engineering and experience with graphic arts, and formed C.V. Rao Consultants, which offered technical consulting services to graphic design firms, print shops, and in house advertising departments. The company went through several expansions and transitioned to ResourceMac selling Apple products and offering repair services. He started MacAmerica Professional Services as an Apple service provider and authorized training center, which became TechOne Centre in 2013, the first Apple Retail and Business Solutions Centre in downtown Houston.
William Vespe earned his B.S. in Consumer Science and Merchandising and was a track and field athlete. He is the president and chief operating officer of BCS ProSoft, a company founded in 1986 by CEO Clark Haley, which provides small and medium sized companies with technology and industry solutions. It provides companies with guidance during the selection and implementation of accounting/ERP, project management, CRM, HR management, and other business management systems. As president of ProSoft, Vespe handles the day-today operations of the company and directs the future growth of the company.
All Cougar-owned or led companies are invited to apply for the 2016 Cougar 100 when applications re-open next year. More information can be found at houstonalumni.com/cougar100, as well as the full 2015 list of winning companies.
The list was featured in the Houston Business Journal, October 27, 2015 edition.