WINSTON-SALEM, N.C., Sept. 17, 2001 (PRIMEZONE) -- Sixteen-year-old Jerry "J.D." Guess is the founder/CEO of J.D. Guess Holdings, Inc., a business holding company located in Winston-Salem, N.C.
J.D. has owned businesses since the age of 11. His very first company was a promotional and novelty button manufacturing business. His company produced promotional buttons for the promotions of Clinique, Estee Lauder, Lancome and other cosmetic lines.
Guess continued to grow his interest and later expanded to create a public relations and marketing firm. What started out as a firm that primarily was engaged in print media services has expanded to provide print media, mass media, Web development, business consulting, and strategic planning, among other services. The firm has more than 20 clients, some of which are multi-million-dollar operations. The reason for the firm's rapid growth is a result of J.D.'s philosophy of simplicity in business, not complicating things. His firm charges clients a flat rate for services and recently engaged in offering prepaid marketing and public relations services.
In June of 2001, J.D. Guess formed J.D. Guess Holdings, Inc. The company was started with the help of some of J.D.'s closet friends, which consisted of executives of local companies and a few retired individuals. For a minimum of $6,000, they received shares of stock in the company and also a seat on the company's board of directors. The company has a total of eight (8) individuals on the board. Guess is majority shareholder with 52% ownership of the company. The company has a portfolio of 10 entities. Those entities are involved in the business sectors of: technology, business services, consumer services, transportation, entertainment, retail, and apparel. In six months, Guess plans to engage in business opportunities in the food sector. According to the company business plan, Guess will open 20 companies a year for the next four years. Once that is achieved, in 2005 Guess plans to go public with a portfolio of 80 companies that yields $700-800 million in annual revenue. The company will issue 100 million shares of stock for $20 per share to obtain a market capitalization of $2 billion. "I want this to be the fastest-growing company in America," Guess said in reference to his plans. Already, the company has landed a $1.9 million contract with one of the companies involved in the retail sector. The company currently employs 12 individuals and plans to get that up to 50 employees by the end of fourth quarter. Guess is a huge fan of Jack Welch, former GE Chairman/CEO and he uses a lot of the same practices and principles in his company. Already Guess, from reading one of the GE Way books, has enacted the work-out in his company. Sales meetings are called Powerhouse.
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CONTACT: J.D. Guess Holdings, Inc.
Rachel Beauchamp, Administrative Assistant
(336)759-2457
E-Mail: jdguess@alltel.net