Smart Business Magazine, Oct 2012

18 Smart Business Indianapolis October 2012 Cover Story MainGate Inc W hen Dave Moroknek first started nine years ago as president of MainGate Inc the event retail and merchandising company had one customer and that company accounted for 80 percent of its revenue Moroknek knew putting most of your eggs in one basket wasnt a safe thing to do Not only could that practice punch holes in MainGates business success it could deliver a knockout blow if the main customer left or went broke This was Morokneks chance to diversify MainGate Before joining the company he was senior director of marketing and consumer products for the Indianapolis Motor Speedway He had also worked for the National Basketball Association where he increased licensed childrens products from 2 to 10 percent of the overall NBA licensed products business And he had begun his career in the marketing department of the New Jersey Nets basketball organization Moroknek thus was no stranger to exploiting a niche MAINGATE INC HAD ONE CUSTOMER THAT ACCOUNTED FOR THE BULK OF ITS EVENT MERCHANDISING AND MANUFACTURING BUSINESS WHEN DAVE MOROKNEK TOOK OVER AS PRESIDENT HE REALIZED IT WAS NECESSARY TO CHANGE THAT RISKY SITUATION AND EXPLOIT THE NICHE THAT THE COMPANY WAS TO FIND IN THIS CASE IT WAS NOT FINDING A NEED AND FILLING IT BUT FINDING A WISH LIST AND FILLING IT IT WOULD TAKE A PATH THROUGH COMPANY CULTURE DISCIPLINE AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT TO REACH A PREMIER POSITION IN ITS NICHE BY DENNIS SEEDS dseeds@ sbnonline comIts all aboutnichethe