Companiesfor Research + Innovation / Food + Drink

Charlie Hall’s first job after getting a degree in finance from Miami University, was selling copiers in Chicago. His boss told him he had to make 50 cold calls a day to keep his job. After six months, Hall got fired. Two days after he got fired, Spring Valley, a bottle watered distribution company that had been one of his cold calls, offered him a job.

Cincinnati-born Copper Mountain Beverages developed and sells Hot2Go, a packaged latte that has real milk, is ready to heat and drink and tastes as good as more expensive coffee beverages.