Báden Sports Inc.

Location: Federal Way

Website: www.badensports.com

Founded: 1976 as a manufacturer of tennis products; the company didn?t turn its attention solely to balls until 1979. Ironically, tennis balls are one of the few varieties Báden no longer makes. Baseballs, softballs and all other balls that hold air bear the Báden logo.

Key Innovation: Báden was first to produce the slightly smaller women?s basketball after college teams adopted it in 1984. ?That was big, huge. We became a major player almost overnight,? says CEO Michael J. Schindler. Lucrative in the retail arena are the company?s glow-in-the-dark balls, which stay lit three or four hours after dark. Báden?s ?Cushion Control Technology,? patented in June, continues to drive sales, says Schindler.

Key People: Schindler, CEO, is the son of late company founder Edgar Schindler. The younger Schindler worked his way up the chain, starting out as a mobile sales representative in 1978. Other major players include Tamara Cihak, CFO; Alan Bach, supply chain manager; David Wise, operations manager; and Scott Hassmann, head of retail sales.

Measure of Success: ?We have the most extensive ball line that?s ever been in the sporting goods industry,? claims Schindler. To compete against bigger names, such as Spalding, Nike and Wilson, Báden uses innovation and niche marketing. It is the official provider for the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association and dozens of other groups. The University of Washington uses its volleyballs, and the company is Adidas? exclusive ball manufacturer worldwide.

Employees: 102 worldwide. Close to two-thirds report to work at the company?s Federal Way headquarters.

What?s Next: New products and the extension of current lines. The company also is on the lookout for strategic acquisitions, says Schindler. ?There?s enough business out there to double and still have room for growth.?

Omega Pacific

Location: Airway Heights

Website: www.omegapac.com

Founded: 1982

Key Innovation: The company?s ISO Cold Forging process allows it to produce stronger aluminum carabiners, a linking device used by rock climbers. ?We?ve been able to take the forging of aluminum to new heights and move it in ways that was only thought to be done in hot forging,? says CEO Rob Nadeau. For the past two years, the company has incorporated robotics into its manufacturing.

Key People: Bert Atwater, owner and president, purchased the company in 1990. Nadeau, CEO, joined in 1995. Sales and marketing manager Michael Lane has been with the company since 2001.

Measure of Success: Nadeau believes Omega Pacific to be the largest provider of carabiners in the United States, representing close to a third of the worldwide market. The company has major distributors in Asia, Australia and South America, and is the largest producer of carabiners for the U.S. military. In addition to aluminum products used mainly for recreation, the company also manufactures steel devices for industrial safety and search-and-rescue use.

Employees: 63. From December 1995 until August 2004, the company was located inside Airway Heights Corrections Center and employed inmates through a voluntary work program. That program ended in 2004 after the state Supreme Court ruled it was unconstitutional in a case involving another company.

What?s Next: In 2006 the company came up with an expanded-range camming device ? used by climbers as an anchor point ? that it claims gives 2.5 times the range of similar devices. It?s been touted as the first major innovation in the climbing world since the 1970s, says Nadeau.

Martin Archery Inc.