PBX Founders on Why You Can Launch Successfully in Arkansas
Passenger Baggage Xpress of Little Rock is this month's featured Innovate Arkansas client firm in Arkansas Business.
PBX, from brothers Brandon and Michael Eason, is an airline baggage tracking system that aims to connect travelers worldwide with lost luggage in a fraction of the time it currently takes.
They believe it's not only possible to launch a successful tech-based startup in Arkansas, but to succeed big. And that's what they plan to do.
Check out the AB profile here.
An excerpt:
After devising a plan and flow to their network, they pitched it to Innovate Arkansas, the joint venture from Winrock International and the Arkansas Economic Development Commission that nurtures high-tech startups, and were taken on as a client firm.
Since then, PBX has become a mainstay in the Arkansas startup scene. It was accepted into and completed the ARK Challenge startup accelerator in Fayetteville last year, has participated in and won several G60 pitch contests held around the state, and has presented at the 1 Million Cups entrepreneurial education program in Little Rock.
The PBX system will officially launch this month at the state's two primary airports -- NWA Regional in Benton County and Clinton National in Little Rock.
The system was beta tested earlier this year at NWA. Michael said PBX is working with airports across the country to get kiosks placed where airline passengers who download the PBX app can get PBX luggage tags.
"We are connected to the luggage recovery system that over 450 airlines use daily," he said. "Arkansas will be the only state to host the first U.S. supplemental luggage tag connected to airlines luggage recovery system."
The brothers told Arkansas Business they could see nine figure growth within two years. Nine figures. That's, like, $100 million.
"Yes. The right amount of funding allows us to capture the main airport hubs in the U.S.," Brandon said. "Total passenger volume of over 200 million boarding passengers per year. We are the only fully integrated luggage tag in North America."
When the brothers were in college at UCA (where they each received economics degrees) and working for an airline at the Little Rock airport, they hatched the idea for a mobile tracking app for lost luggage that would become PBX. Their idea was met intially with skepticism.
The brothers would go on to take PBX through the ARK Challenge accelerator and win several G60 pitch competitions.
"When our idea was just that, an idea, we were told you can’t build a business in Arkansas because of the lack of resources," Brandon said. "Soon after we reached out to IA, we found that not to be true. Though there is a lot we could do as a state, we are on track today to compete with states like California, New York and others who have invested a lot into attracting new businesses and ideas. "
Michael noted the success and expansion of the ARK and the overall sense of forward momentum that oozes from the state's startup scene.
"This year we have had two accelerator programs in different regions of our state and have attracted some very good talent.," he said. "Because the talent is getting better, we have also attracted both in-state and out-of-state investors that are capable of getting early stage ventures to the next level."
Well said. You might say for the PBX and the Eason brothers, the sky indeed is the limit.