Ashco Group, LLC is the holding and consulting company for the business interests of Ash R. Huzenlaub. Ashco Group assists investors with board representation, interim management, acquisition search, startups, turnarounds, and consulting projects that require a "roll up your sleeves" work ethic.
Ashco is rarely a majority shareholder, but rather the operations and/or concept development component of business opportunities. The past portfolio of Ashco Group includes Emergisoft Corporation (minority shareholder - Huzenlaub implemented as turnaround management by investors) and Mexus Airlines (concept development). Contracted consulting engagements have included organic bottled tea company, Sweet Leaf Tea; service awards company, Diamond H Recognition; commercial landscape firm, The Landscape Partners, and the entrepreneurship program at Texas Christian University. Third party references are available through LinkedIn.
Huzenlaub, who has been a featured guest on CNBC's Bullseye, the New York Times Business, and Donny Deutsch's"The Big Idea" was appointed by investors as the COO of Emergisoft Corporation in May of 2002 in the company's 12th year of operations. In the following month, at the age of 26, investors appointed him to the Chairman, President and CEO role for the then publicly held company. Prior to this appointment, Huzenlaub worked with Berlwood Five Ltd., a Texas based private equity investment partnership that had acquired in excess of 98% of Emergisoft for more than $23 mm. Prior to this appointment, Huzenlaub began his first two years out of college as an analyst with Woodcrest Capital.
In Huzenlaub's first year of the turnaround of Emergisoft, a (then publicly held) healthcare information technology firm, his team sunset legacy products and oversaw the completion and rollout of the company's second and third generation Emergency Department Information Systems (EmergisoftED Versions 3.1 and 4.0). From the onset, the team encountered virtually every seemingly insurmountable business challenge imaginable for a turnaround or startup participating in highly competitive and cost intensive industry. In 2003, the team more than tripled revenues over 2002. In 2004, as part of additional restructuring, Huzenlaub initiated efforts to take the software development company private and the company's client base also doubled in the same year. In 2005, the Emergisoft team contracted an 80% increase in recurring revenue over 2004. By July of 2005, the Emergisoft team developed the first fully web based Microsoft .NET framework EDIS in the industry and achieved the highest revenue in the company's 15 year history setting the company on course for its strongest year in 2006. Emergisoft's client base expanded to include hospital networks in CA, GA, RI, MI, OH, NY
and NJ comprising over 800,000 patients processed a year and over
5,000 trained end-users of the Emergisoft system.
In mid November of 2005, at the age of 29, Huzenlaub capped four years as Chairman and CEO of Emergisoft and served as a consultant to investors into early 2006. Upon completion of Huzenlaub’s engagement, he departed a company with an extraordinary team of people and an extraordinary product that aids some of the nation's leading Trauma Centers that have become the front door of the US healthcare system. The company has gained a tenured healthcare executive as CEO and in 2007 completed a long awaited contract to automate emergency rooms in a recovering New Orleans.
In 2004, Ashco Group began investigating opportunities to create a "pure" Low Cost Carrier (LCC airline) offering service between the US and Mexico . The company witnessed an opportunity similar to what had occurred in Europe in the 1990's where low cost models revolutionized the region and felt that the "MEXico - US" routes needed a good strong dose of LCC activity. The market, run by major legacy airlines in bankruptcy was under served and overpriced. Not a single LCC effort was underway in Mexico at the onset of Mexus in 2004. These efforts were conducted through the Ashco Group fully-owned subsidiary, Mexus Airlines, Inc. The Fort Worth, Texas based company developed relationships in all parts of the world and Huzenlaub met with virtually every successful LCC founder/CEO and their investment groups from Texas to across Europe and Asia learning what had made each carrier successful. Mexus' efforts ceased in late February 2006 upon the announcement of Viva AeroBus, a Ryan family (of Ireland) backed launch partnered with Mexico 's largest bus company. Of the numerous efforts that have been announced since 2005 for a Mexico centric LCC, Huzenlaub suggests "betting on the Irish" for their industry dominance and expertise.
Today, through Ashco Group, Huzenlaub spends his full time assisting investors and growing companies with their various business needs through mid to long term contracted engagements. Assignments have ranged from establishing new divisions / regional markets for food and beverage companies to online based marketing initiatives for multiple service industry companies. He is also active in assisting university based entrepreneurship programs in the development of sustainable student and alumni programs.
Huzenlaub serves on the Board of Advisors for Texas Christian University's Neeley Entrepreneurship Center, and previously, Austin, Texas based Sweet Leaf Tea Company, as well as the Collegiate Entrepreneur's Organization of Florida International University. He was the volunteer Chairman and President of the Texas Run To The Cross, Inc . (a 501C3 Fun Run and Concert) Fort Worth youth benefit from 2000-2003. He is a life member of the National Eagle Scout Association, was a 2003 nominee for the Southwest Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award, and was the youngest recipient of the 2003 Business Press 40 Under 40 Award. He has also served as a judge for the Texas Youth Entrepreneur of the Year Awards.
Raised in Tyler, Texas, Huzenlaub has a degree in Finance and Marketing, with an emphasis in international entrepreneurship from Texas Christian University (Fort Worth, Texas). He was a two-time Chancellor's Leadership Award recipient. He completed the Leadership London Studies Program at Regents College in London, England in Summer 1997 and the Caruth Entrepreneurship Certification program at Southern Methodist University in 1998. In addition, he was a Letterman and a four year NCAA Division I distance runner (1500m) for TCU Track & Field from 1994-1998.
Huzenlaub was provided an early introduction to entrepreneurship when, during the Houston oil crunch (1982), his parents taught him how to sell home cleaning and fire safety products door-to-door at the age of seven. By the age of twelve, he started an auto detailing business. By the age of 18, he had published a home Fix-It-Up Guide newspaper and had also created "Recycle Now!," the first door to door recycling service in East Texas.
While a sophomore at TCU, Huzenlaub began publishing "WHAT'SUP TCU!", a student newspaper. By his senior year, he launched an independent study, "The Independent Study of Entrepreneurship" which gained sponsorship from Apple Computer, Southwest Airlines and Marriott. The study paired Huzenlaub in one-on-one educational sessions with Michael Milken, Howard Schultz, John Mars and various other American and British entrepreneurs. The study led to his writing a business plan for the launch of a school of entrepreneurship. This plan and associated lobbying sparked the development of what is today the "Neeley Entrepreneurship Center" at TCU.
While Huzenlaub travels across the country and abroad for engagements, he lives and operates from the Hollywood Hills in Southern California. Ash's main passion in life is world travel. He has experienced the tsunami affected regions of Thailand, townships of South Africa, Singapore, all of Western Europe, Mexico, Canada, England, Australia, and the South Pacific.
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