Long before graduating from high school, Ken Coburn knew that he loved design.

But Coburn realized in college that, as a design major, he likely would be self-employed after graduation. So he chose the summer after his sophomore year to test his entrepreneurial skills.

The business he started was the forerunner of GoEngineer, a Salt Lake-based reseller of product design and engineering software that serves more than 4,000 business customers throughout the Western United States.

Turns out, Coburn's design talents helped him craft a business that has thrived for 20 years in the ever-volatile technology market.

To best serve customers like Disney, Northrop Grumman, K-Swiss, Autoliv and Back to Basics, Coburn and his management team formed a company culture that rewards top performers while encouraging every employee to take small, consistent steps toward continual improvement.

The company's narrow focus on design and engineering software, along with innovative "Jumpstart" services that help companies use that software efficiently, means sales people can gain mastery over every product, driving sales.

In addition, the company has a highly competitive work environment, with no protected salespeople or prospects and public rewards for top performers. But once a salesperson uses his or her initiative to cultivate a potential client, that opportunity is protected and the sales force is highly rewarded to encourage stability and retention.

As Coburn puts it, "Wouldn't you want Michael Jordan on your basketball team?"