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 Grand Junction, CO — Action Publishing, Inc., presented the Business Incubator Center (BIC) with an unusual holiday gift this year—200 shares of stock and a 2% ownership interest in the successful young company. The presentation took place at the BIC 10th Annual Holiday Open House on December 11 in the Orchard Mesa complex that houses the BIC offices and dozens of tenant businesses, including Action.

 “Because the Incubator has given so generously to us and to other tenants, we want to give something back,” said Grady Busse, president of Action Bindery.

 The donation is groundbreaking because it gives the Incubator partial ownership of a tenant company for the first time in its history. Action stock is currently valued at $40.42 per share, making the gift worth $8,084. The full value of the stock could eventually be much greater, as Action is only in its third year of operations and growing quickly.

 The company is “on track for 100% growth and sales of a million Action Agendas by summer.” Busse said. Action is one of the Incubator’s quickest success stories, having reached $1 million in sales just 10 months after opening its doors—and barely a year after Busse and Action’s other co-founders lost their jobs.

 “Not everyone would consider this an opportunity,” Busse said of the corporate buyout and plant closing that left many in the area unemployed, “but we decided to make the most of a sorry situation.”

 Busse and colleagues created Action so they could continue working together, remain in Grand Junction, and keep jobs and income in the local economy. The company manufactures Action Agendas, academic day planners used by students and teachers across the country. In fact, 98% of Action’s sales income comes from outside Colorado. The company also offers annual agendas for parents and professionals, along with notepads, notebooks, journals, and wall calendars businesses can customize as client appreciation gifts or employee productivity tools.

 The Incubator Center provided vital assistance in Action’s early days, offering reduced-cost facilities, office furniture and equipment, and timely advice based on years of experience guiding other entrepreneurs through the challenging process of starting a business.

 “The Business Incubator Center has been an invaluable partner at every stage of our development,” Busse said. “It’s no exaggeration to say that without the Incubator Center we wouldn’t be where we are today.”

 The donation is more than an expression of gratitude, however, Busse explained. He intends the stock will grow in value and allow the Incubator to help more small and startup businesses in Mesa County, continuing the cycle of mentorship and material support that enabled Action to enjoy such a successful start.

 “We also hope this gesture will serve as an example to other companies,” Busse said. Action is hardly the Incubator’s only success story, and Busse encouraged other tenants who have become stable and profitable to consider similar donations.

 “It takes more than any one person can give to beat the odds and create a successful company,” Busse said. "That is why the Business Incubator is such a vital resource in our community.”