The Silicon Review has published an issue of 50 Best Companies to Watch 2020

1. An Innovative
HR Consulting
Firm Delivering
Custom Solutions
and Real Results:
www.thesiliconreview.com
Kurt Landon|CEO|Founder
50
Best
Companies
SR2020
to Watch
CEOs News
Technology Business Features CIOs
Leadership
U.S. Special Edition

2. Gary Fruth,
Dalsin Industries
CEO: ‘We Help
Our Customers do
Better Business
by Saving Time,
Optimizing Product
Performance, and
Increasing Quality
and Efficiency, while
being a Precision
Metal Manufacturer
for OEMs’
“Dalsin is a clear leader, as evidenced
by over 20 percent annual growth over
the past two years in an industry where
1.5 percent annual growth would be
considered outstanding.”
D
alsin
Industries
is an
award-winning
precision metal
product contract
manufacturer that
enables OEM’s around
the world to create
and deliver amazing
products their customers
love. The company’s
progressive competencies,
incredibly deep fabrication
experience, and unyielding
passion for quality translate
into numerous advantages
that improve its partners’
bottom lines and speed to
market. Dalsin leads the
market in high-value contract
manufacturing of precision
sheet metal products--delivering
operation excellence through
its unique integration of people,
processes, and production
technology.
Dalsin is extremely well-positioned as
a market-leading full-service contract
manufacturer with amazing customers
across the globe. From industries as
diverse as energy, transportation,
appliances, construction, and
everything in-between, Dalsin’s goal
is to consistently deliver the highest
value and quality to each and every
customer.
And in 2012, Dalsin created its own
line of high end barbecue grills that
have taken the grilling world by storm.
These tech-heavy outdoor wood pellet
cooking appliances are designed
by the company’s own technical
staff. So, when it comes to finding a
contract manufacturer with actual
design and end product experience,
you won’t have to look further than
Dalsin Industries to help bring your
product to market. Dalsin Industries
is positioned as a full-service contract
manufacturer with major OEM
customers across the United States.
The company was founded in 1945
and is headquartered in Bloomington,
Minnesota.
Gary Fruth: Interview
Highlights
Why was the company set up?
And how did you expand your
company and its offerings over
the years?
Our company was initially founded as
a supplier of architectural products
to the roofing industry. In the late
70s and 80s, we shifted gears to
the manufacturing of precision
metal parts. Another shift occurred
toward diversification and business
relationships with large OEMs. Finally,
a more recent business initiative was
expansion into global fabrication
services accessing third-party material
and production resources in multiple
countries.
Tom Schmeling
VP of Sales & Marketing
Gary Fruth, CEO
2

3. Any company, big or
small, must have a sense
of authenticity and
originality to succeed, is
your company a leader
or a follower?
Dalsin is a clear leader, as
evidenced by over 20 percent
annual growth over the past
two years in an industry
where 1.5 percent annual
growth would be considered
outstanding. This is supported
by a unique value proposition
that includes design
expertise, rich production
capabilities, high quality, and
on-time delivery. Dalsin’s net
promoter score (NPS) exceeds
manufacturing industry
averages by at least 10
points;its satisfaction scores
have consistently been over
‘90’.
“Earning trust and
respect of consumers
is through consistent
focus on delivering
high quality in all
of our actions.” How
do you interpret this
statement?
It’s not what you say you do,
it’s all about how you do it. For
manufacturers, it’s meeting or
exceeding quality and delivery
requirements and adding value
by helping customers find
better ways of accomplishing
their goals.
How do you stay
relevant to the
consumer interests and
needs in this highly
volatile market?
Dalsin continuously
evaluates new production
technologies to find the best
“fit for purpose”. Robotics
and automation are also
integrated into our production
operations.
How do you keep your
company up and running?
What are the factors
that help your company
to compete on a global
platform?
Our Global Fabrication Supply
Chain program utilizes suppliers
from China, Vietnam, Korea, Spain,
Portugal, and Mexico to deliver
unique materials and production
capabilities. Dalsin manages
third parties on behalf of its OEM
customers.
Customer service varies,
but companies can still
be successful. How do you
maintain your customers’
trust and loyalty?
Frequent check-ins and onsite
visits (both onsite at Dalsin and
onsite at customer facilities) are
a part of our company’s policies.
Dalsin operates with integrity and
honesty in all its business dealings.
How does your company
contribute to the
competitive global IT
platform?
Our company is often an early user
of new production technologies
and feeds performance data back
to the equipment manufacturers.
Do you have any new
products ready to be
launched?
Dalsin has a captive product line
called Memphis Wood Fire Grills,
and there are new products
available in this line in 2020,
including built-in grills and the
new Beale Street grill.
Where do you see your
company a couple of years
from now?
We continue to build a diversified
customer base, grow revenues,
and improve margins on a year
over year basis.
Dalsin leads
the market
in high-value
contract
manufacturing
of precision
sheet metal
products--
delivering
operational
excellence
through
its unique
integration
of people,
processes, and
production
technology.
“
“
SR
3

4. G
old mining companies
are a significant income
and economic growth
source, with an important role
in supporting sustainable socio-
economic development. The gold
mining companies contribute over
US$171.6bn to the global economy
through their production activities
and expenditure on goods and
services.
Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. is a
growing gold producer operating in
Canada and Australia. Supported by
a strong balance sheet, the firm aims
is to increase shareholder value by
growing low-cost production. A key
driver of the company's success is
a commitment to exploration. It
has a solid track record for growing
reserves and identifying new areas
of high-grade gold mineralization. In
support of shareholder returns, the
firm has paid a quarterly dividend
since July 2017 and has increased
the dividend six times.
Additionally, it pursues further
value creation by looking to invest
in new projects. The growing capital
base and expertise can be deployed
to support the development and
operation of new, economically
attractive gold mines. An essential
component of the company's
sustainability is, at a minimum,
replacing the reserves it mines
to ensure ongoing production,
investment, and employment.
Sustainability also involves
achieving high levels of performance
in safety, environmental
management, community
consultation, and support. It works
diligently with all stakeholders to
ensure that Kirkland Lake Gold
remains a welcome member of the
communities in which it operates.
Mines and Reserves
The Macassa Mine: It is located
in the Town of Kirkland Lake,
Ontario, remains one of the highest
gold grade mines in the world.
Macassa commenced operations
in 2002, and with the discovery of
the South Mine Complex (SMC),
it has been able to increase its
production level over the past five
years significantly. The SMC has
been driving grade improvement at
Macassa, with results from ongoing
exploration drilling continuing
to extend the SMC mineralization
and adding to the Mine's Mineral
Resources to support growing
production and extending mine
life. In 2012, Kirkland Lake Gold
acquired the Hurd McCauley
claim, along with the South, East,
and North claims, and facilitating
expansion drilling of the SMC in
multiple directions. The firm plans
to increase production at Macassa to
reach over 400,000 ounces per year
over the next five to seven years.
Holt Complex: Kirkland Lake
Gold obtained the Holt Complex
assets through the acquisition of St
Andrew Goldfields Ltd. in January
2016. The Holt Mine was built in
the late 1980's by Barrick. In 2019,
the mine produced 113,952 ounces
of gold, at an average of 4.4 g/t.
The Holt Mine Complex is a mafic
volcanic, sulfide replacement hosted
gold deposit. The mineralized
zones are structurally controlled by
both the McDermott Fault and the
Ghostmount Fault Zone, which are
splays off of the Porcupine-Destor
Fault (PDF).
A Unique Commitment
to Protect Environment
Health and Safety: Kirkland
Lake Gold is committed to
integrating and promoting
sustainability into its business
Our goal is to increase shareholder value by growing low-
cost production at our existing assets, returning capital to
shareholders, and pursuing new growth opportunities."
Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. – A leading gold producer,
delivering superior value for its shareholders and
cultivating a position within the mining industry

5. facets. Kirkland Lake Gold
is committed to providing a
safe working environment for
employees, contractors, suppliers,
and stakeholders. The firm strived
to provide a zero-harm working
environment through an integrated
health and safety management
system. It focuses on continuously
improving performance to deliver on
health and safety commitments.
Environmental Commitment:
Environmental Management Plan
(EMP) provides a framework
to address operational and
environmental risks associated
with its operations, including an
environmental risk register, and
environmental effects statement,
and a monitoring program. The
company's operations are actively
working to reduce Kirkland Lake
Gold's environmental and carbon
footprint. The firm focuses on
minimizing the adverse impact of
emissions from mining operations
and processing facilities and
improving overall energy efficiency.
All of its operations have air quality
monitoring and mitigation programs
in place to track and reduce such
emissions and reduce the amount of
dust and other particulates related to
mining activities.
The dynamic leader behind the
supremacy of Kirkland Lake Gold
Ltd.
Anthony (Tony) Makuch is President
and also serves as the Chief Executive
Officer of Kirkland Lake Gold Ltd. Before
joining Kirkland Lake Gold, Mr. Makuch was
President and CEO at Lake Shore Gold Inc. from
2008 until its acquisition by Tahoe Resources on
April 1, 2016, where he became the Executive
Vice-President and President of Canadian
Operations. He also served as a Senior Vice
President and Chief Operating Officer for FNX
Mining Company Inc. He held progressively
senior positions with Dynatec Corporation,
including VP, Operations. Mr. Makuch worked
with Kinross Gold Corporation at a number
of their North American operations, which
included his role as General Manager of the
Kirkland Lake Operations at the Macassa Mine
and Timmins Operations – Hoyle Pond Mine.
Anthony (Tony) Makuch holds a Bachelor
of Science Degree (Honours Applied Earth
Sciences) from the University of Waterloo in
Ontario, and both a Master's of Science Degree
in Engineering and a Masters of Business
Administration from Queen's University in
Ontario. He is a professional engineer (Ontario)
with over 35 years of management, operations,
and technical experience in the mining
industry, having managed numerous projects
in Canada and the United States from advanced
exploration through production.
Anthony (Tony) Makuch
President & CEO
SR

6. Sales and marketing
can’t go back to
business as usual.
Kaon Interactive’s
customer engagement
platform has
transformed Fortune
500 B2B business
strategies.
of interactive marketing is that
it gives users some control over
their experience. This makes the
content seem more memorable
and personal.
Marketing initiatives in interactive
marketing will trigger customers’
preferences and behaviors. The
shift from traditional campaign-
based marketing efforts is
strenuous, so Kaon Interactive
makes sure that the transition
is smooth and provides a high-
velocity marketing platform
that will revamp the company’s
sales. Kaon’s patented technology
platform helps global B2B
companies implement and deliver
high-impact digital transformation
applications throughout their sales
and marketing operations. Their
interactive applications engage
customers directly and are used
by customers themselves rather
than just providing presentation
tools for salespeople or marketers.
Created once and delivered in
real-time to any device, anywhere
online and offline, the platform
provides marketing efficiencies,
so companies do not have to
spend money on one-off solutions
for a particular event, venue,
or product. Kaon’s applications
include advanced technologies
such as augmented reality and
virtual reality. They are extensible
and evolve to include a new
product, solution, and customer
stories as companies evolve
over time. Customers can use
these same applications in any
format – be it a fully immersive
VR environment, a tablet-based
touchscreen experience, or a
web-based interactive session in a
browser.
Kaon Interactive is an interactive
sales and marketing application
provider based in Massachusetts,
and it was founded in 1996.
In conversation with
Gavin Finn, President
and CEO of Kaon
Interactive
Why do companies need
interactive sales and
marketing solutions?
Studies have shown that the
number one reason that B2B
Meet the leader behind the
success of Kaon Interactive
Gavin Finn is the President
and CEO of Kaon Interactive, the
leader in B2B interactive sales
and marketing applications that
transform customer engagements,
accelerate B2B sales, and improve
marketing effectiveness. Gavin holds
both a Ph.D. and an MS from MIT and
is also a Professor of the Practice at
Tufts University, where he teaches
Entrepreneurship, Marketing and
Sales, and New Product Development.
T
he desires and needs of customers
drive the market. Due to the
rapid pace of change customers’
needs tend to evolve, and it is essential
for brands to keep up with the pace of
those changes. Interactive content is
highly effective in this change because
it directly connects the users with
brands on various levels. Creative and
unique experiences can be rendered
through interactive marketing because
it is personalized to each user. The
engagement will drastically increase,
and the chances of the users seeking out
the brands are higher. One major part
Gavin Finn, President & CEO

7. Our 3D interactive
sales and marketing
applications simplify
our clients’ complex
product or solution stories
giving them the ability to
effectively differentiate
their VALUE at every
customer touch-point.”
“
companies lose deals they should
win is the inability of their sales
teams to explain their competitive
value differentiation consistently.
Complexity in products and
solutions makes it very difficult
for prospects to understand how
these products and solutions
are relevant to the customer’s
specific problems, and how they
are different and better than other
solutions. Especially now, when
salespeople and marketers can’t
meet in person with their prospects
and customers, companies need
digital engagement tools that go
beyond the basic connectivity of
people talking and seeing each other
on a video conference. The customer
needs to be directly engaged and
involved, rather than participating
as an observer of someone else’s
presentation. Even the best-
in-class global companies have
diverse and distributed sales and
marketing teams that are inherently
inconsistent in their effectiveness
at delivering relevant value stories.
They need an agile solution that
helps everyone deliver the right
value message to the right customer
at the right time. Traditional sales
and marketing tools, such as video
and slide presentations, are passive,
lack customer engagement, and are
ineffective at conveying complex
stories.
How efficient and effective
are your interactive
applications at creating
an engaging customer
interaction?
Because customers are directly
engaged with the interactive
applications, and because they are
designed to be non-linear in their
navigation system, each person
has a completely personalized and
unique experience. If they need
detailed product information, they
can explore three-dimensional
interactive product tours. If they
need industry solutions, they can
explore how the solutions apply
to their specific markets. These
sales and marketing applications,
therefore, help each persona in the
buying ecosystem develop their
understanding of the value of the
company’s solution to their specific
needs – all at their own pace.
Research has shown that customers
learn much faster and retain much
more relevant information when
they engage in this manner.
Creating interactive sales
and marketing applications
can be a resource and
budget intensive task - you
need tools, technology,
staff training, customer
understanding, and all of
this can have a high cost.
How do you manage to give
your clients a cost effective
sustained digital solution?
Kaon has its own (patented and
award-winning) platform. We use
this platform as the springboard
for each new customer application.
Therefore, no individual customer
is paying for the totality of the
technology that is delivered – these
R&D and technology infrastructure
costs are shared across the
hundreds of companies that use
the Kaon platform every day. No
other company can provide a rich
set of benefits because the costs of
building these on an application-
by-application basis would be much
higher. This allows Kaon’s customers
to use a wide variety of capabilities
at a fraction of the cost. This results
in incredibly cost-effective solutions
that deliver valuable results in terms
of increased win rates, shorter sales
cycles, and more effective marketing
events.
What is the future of B2B
customer engagement?
In the future, customer engagement
will focus entirely on delivering
the most effective personalized
experiences to each customer using
whatever tools and technologies
make sense for them. From
Augmented Reality to Virtual
Reality, and everything in-between,
customers will be in the driver’s seat
when it comes to their own journey.
Presentations will be phased out,
as customers recognize that those
kinds of passive experiences deliver
no value to them, and as their time
becomes their most scarce resource.
What are your plans for the
future development of your
company?
Our goal is to be mission-critical to
our clients, and we are continuing
to provide architecture and
infrastructure tools and methods
to make Kaon’s solutions scale
dramatically to be available to as
many users as possible within
each of our customers. We see this
evolution as a strategic focus for
Kaon, as we support the digital
transformation strategies of the
world’s leading global companies.
7
SR

8. A global expert in
Asset Performance
Excellence, T.A. Cook
works in the capital
intensive industries
to develop and
implement programs to
increase sustainability
A
sset performance
management (APM)
systems are used to
improve the availability and
reliability of an organization’s
physical assets. This, in turn,
reduces the operating costs and
risks. The APM functions include
predictive maintenance, condition
monitoring, reliability-centered
maintenance, asset integrity
management, and technologies that
assist in the collection, analytics,
and visualization of asset health
data. APM involves application
integration and information
sharing to provide a comprehensive
view of asset performance,
production, and product quality.
The organization’s objectives and
goals can be clearly communicated
with APM; furthermore, it extends
into technology, organizational
structure, and business processes.
Investing in APM can reduce
unplanned downtime, and a firm
known as T.A. Cook specializes
in providing excellent APMS for
enterprises. In December of 1994,
Frank Hess and his partner Thomas
Cook founded T.A. Cook with a
vision of working within capital
intensive industries to develop
and implement sustainable APM
improvements that encourage
long term client profitability. From
the start T.A. Cook established a
unique consulting approach by
stepping away from wall-to-wall
offerings and instead becoming
specialists in maintenance,
Meet the leader behind the
success of T.A. Cook
Frank U. Hess is Chairman and
Co-Founder at T.A. Cook Consultants.
After completing his master’s degree
at the University Zwickau for Engineering
and Economics in Germany he worked for an
international software company as a maintenance
technologist. In 1994 he co-founded T.A.
Cook, a management consulting boutique for
maintenance and asset performance management
(APM). After working more than 30 years in this
field Frank Hess has become an internationally
recognized expert for APM excellence.
“With our long-term
experience in Asset
Performance Management,
we support you in shaping
individual strategies to
increase reliability of your
operations while ensuring
optimal performance at a
lower sustainable cost.”
Frank U. Hess
Chairman & Co-founder

9. reliability, and shutdown &
turnaround management. Today
T.A. Cook serves multinational
companies, mostly in the chemical,
petrochemical, and energy supply
industries, and employs a growing
team of 180 experts in offices in
Berlin, the United Kingdom, Rio de
Janeiro, Paris, and Houston.
T.A. Cook is an internationally
recognized agency in APM. In 2019
the North American ALM Vanguard
report ranked T.A. Cook as a top
leader in APM with high marks in
client impact, depth of consulting
capabilities, needs assessments,
and management systems. Also,
in 2019, The Scientific Society for
Management and Consulting in
Germany recognized T.A. Cook as a
Hidden Champion.
In conversation with
Frank U. Hess,
Co-Founder and
Chairman of T.A. Cook
How does T.A. Cook measure
performance?
T.A. Cook measures the success and
performance of projects through
three primary indicators. The first
is the “more work” indicator. “More
work” refers to a client’s decision
to continue with a new project. As
of today, 90% of T.A. Cook clients
choose more work following the
completion of the first project.
The second primary indicator of
success is performance-based
contracts with the installation of
tangible financial benefits. This
kind of performance ranking is
measured numerically, making it
extremely transparent. In most
cases, T.A. Cook clients experience
no “out-of-pocket” expenses
because of the newly installed
financial benefits. The third
primary indicator is a net promoter
score, which measures how likely
professionals are to recommend
T.A. Cook to someone in need of our
services.
How does T.A. Cook help
clients in developing an
effective and efficient
operational strategy?
Asset failures can impose severe
financial, safety, and environmental
risks to the organization.
Maintenance, reliability, and
shutdown/turnaround projects,
when executed effectively, drive
profits, safety, environmental
performance, and business
sustainability. Each project’s core
focus, independent of a specific
scope, is always to work with
the client to develop an asset
management strategy that addresses
ineffective or inefficient business
practices that lead to asset failures
and high cost. This long-term
vision for asset management is a
subset of the operations strategy.
The process begins by determining
which assets are most critical, which
guides the decision about where to
start implementing improvements.
The bottom line is that improving
asset reliability improves the
plant’s profitability, safety, and
environmental performance.
How does T.A. Cook ensure
that clients are getting the
most from limited available
resources, people, equipment
or facilities?
Clients are always resource-
constrained. The project potential
(i.e., financial results) determines
what resources are required for
the project. Most T.A. Cook projects
deliver annual financial performance
improvements of $25 - $100 million
per client. These improvements
directly hit the organization’s
earnings before interest and tax
(EBIT/EBITDA). The majority of
T.A. Cook’s client engagements are
multinational initiatives.
Extra operations like
rework and unnecessary
handling due to defects,
overproduction, or shortage
are the common yet complex
challenges in warehouse
management. What is T.A.
Cook’s approach in bringing
a more agile management
plan?
T.A. Cook’s service offerings are
focused on asset management
effectiveness. All of these topics
are fair game and targets for
improvement as T.A. Cook guides
clients in their pursuit of operational
excellence. Rework due to poor
workmanship, degradation of parts
and materials due to poor storage
and handling, stock out situations,
etc., all erode asset reliability and
performance, which adversely
affects overall asset performance.
Over the past 25 years, T.A. Cook has
operated from the approach that
real change occurs on the plant floor.
While the board rooms provide
support, the consultants take action
to drive change on the plant floor,
where it counts.
What are T.A. Cook’s plans
for the future?
Over the last 25 years, T.A. Cook has
specialized in asset management
consulting, which has resulted in
incredible growth in knowledge,
resources, and expertise. While
T.A. Cook does consider potential
opportunities to expand its
consulting scope, the company
has decided to remain focused on
asset performance management,
the core competency. T.A. Cook is
currently developing specific apps
within their service models that
will establish a new category of
performance software and bring
asset management to a new level
of excellence. T.A. Cook expects its
business to double over the next
three years.
SR