Case Studies
Case Study
Namasté Solar: Making a Business of Values / Redefining Management
May 2011
Namasté Solar is a leading Colorado solar installer in the residential market. Colorado’s favorable market conditions attract new competitors, putting pressures on price and market share. Unusual management structure and values systems, and public incentive structures complicate a pending decision to grow the residential market or develop a commercial installation business. Students must analyze the solar market, public incentive structures and financial scenarios to decide how this renewable energy company should grow.
This case contains a selection of three case studies that can be used to: Discuss a company’s core values, culture, and vision and examine how the corporate culture should be maintained or adjusted as the company experiences rapid growth; and to analyze target market selection in the context of competition, financial returns, and core competencies.
Case Study
Aurora Organic Dairy: A Whole Other Business
September 2009
Focuses on strategic decision-making at Aurora Organic Dairy, a sustainable venture in the organic food industry. The founders, having pioneered the first national organic dairy brand in 1999, established this packaged private-label organic dairy product company in 2003 during a period of rapid growth and relative stability for the organic industry. The company aggressively pursued sustainability initiatives and a vertical integration strategy to reduce the use of outside resources.
Case Study
Eco-Products, Inc.
September 2009
This case study examines entrepreneurial finance in the context of sustainable venturing and rapid sales growth. By presenting the cash needs, financial performance data, alternative sources of funding, and strategic priorities of Eco-Products, one is able to explore various aspects of structuring financial capital for a growing venture.
The case explores a proposed offer from a private investor and requires one to determine whether the offer is beneficial and fair in light of the company’s goals, values, and competitive position. This case has also been included in the fourth edition of Entrepreneurial Finance, the leading entrepreneurial finance text used in business school courses, coauthored by Leeds professors Chris Leach and Ron Melicher. It presents various aspects of finance in the context of entrepreneurship, company growth, and sustainable venturing and is suitable for any discussion covering financial decisions.
Eco-Products, Inc., is a leading supplier of environmentally friendly food service containers based out of Boulder, Colorado. As a company, Eco-Products is committed to responsible management and environmental sustainability. When demand for products made from renewable resources skyrocketed in 2007, the company faced rapid growth which was hard to sustain in light of their lengthy supply chain which tied up cash and made it difficult to stock the demanded inventory. Eco-Products therefore sought additional sources of funding through private equity to feed the company’s hurried growth.
