Keeping Up With Crocs

Crocs are a fashion phenomenon. From Hollywood to New York, the rubbery open-air Crocs shoe fad has swept the globe. You can't go anywhere in warm weather without catching a glimpse of the vibrantly colored, clog-like shoes that are so comfortable even nurses, chefs and kids can't get enough of them.

From 2002 to 2006, Crocs went from selling 75,000 units in just the United States to selling more than 20 million units in 40 countries. In that same period, the company's staff went from three to more than 1,100. And the numbers keep climbing. That kind of growth required a rapidly scaling IT infrastructure, and Boulder, Colo.-based solution provider Evolve Technologies paved every step of the way.

Evolve has been with Crocs since the shoe company opened its doors in 2002. That's when the VAR provided the startup shoemaker with rudimentary Internet access and basic phone service. When the business started to hum, Evolve was there with advice, equipment and expertise.

"I knew a couple of the original investors and I had helped them with other communications projects," says Evolve president Doug Hanson. "So they came to me and said, 'What would you do if this was your company?'"

Evolve prides itself on being very hands-on with its customers, helping to break down different product offerings and present the value proposition of solutions. "Whether the customer needs Internet, local or long-distance phone service, phone systems, the backbone or switches--you name it, we want to be involved," Hanson says.

NEXT: Growth changes IT needs