Business View Magazine | December 2018

216 217 BIG ELK ENERGY SYSTEMS LLC project management, rigorous quality assurance, and impeccable customer service, ensures success- ful results for clients, every time. Founder and CEO of Big Elk Energy Systems, Geoff Hager–a born storyteller–describes his very personal attachment to the business he founded, and the reason for the unusual name it carries. Hager relates,“It can be very difficult to come up with a name when you’re starting a company. I had a handful of people I’d known for a long time from a variety of different backgrounds that I was bounc- ing names off.This was around the end of 2012.My maternal grandmother had just passed away and I was at her traditional Osage funeral with family and folks I hadn’t seen in a long time. I knewmy family name was Big Elk, but I hadn’t heard it much since I was a kid.” Hager’s grandmother was born with Big Elk as her last name, but her generation of the family was almost completely women.As they got married their last name changed and Big Elk wasn’t heard in that context, anymore.However, at her funeral, the name was mentioned several times from a family heritage standpoint.“I felt something on the inside driving me towards that name,”Hager recalls,“that this was the way to pay homage to that great heritage and make the name relevant again. So, I discussed using Big Elk with my group and everybody rallied around it.The rest is history.The whole company culture, ev- ery aspect, has embraced all that the name means. It’s something very special.” Hager resigned from a previous company in Sept. 2013 and formed Big Elk Energy as an LLC but didn’t actually open for business until Oct. 2014. It took a full year to lay the groundwork to launch, due to the high cost for entry into that particular market BIG RED FASTENERS is the larg- est manufacturer of industrial stud bolts (B7, B7M, B8, B8M, B16, L7) in Oklahoma. We inventory both 100% domestic (back to the melt) thread- ed bar stock, as well as import bar, to meet any of your customers country of origin requirements. We have also just completed a move into our new 24,000 Sq. Ft. manufacturing and dis- tribution offices/warehouse in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma, where we have a stocking inventory of 1.5 million in car- bon, stainless, alloy & coated industrial fasteners & related items. Our central location in Broken Arrow, Oklahoma provides us the capabili- ty to quickly ship product anywhere throughout the United States. We will offer competitive pricing along with prompt, knowledgeable and professional customer service and inside sales support. We welcome the opportunity to dis- cuss what we can do to assist you with your industrial bolting/fasteners re- quirements. Please feel free to contact our staff for further information. Your consideration is greatly appreciated.