Xytech Systems Corp. starts the new year having just marked 30 years in business. The Chatsworth tech firm for the entertainment industry has developed software called MediaPulse that automates business functions at scale for everything from a one- to two-person production or post-production facility all the way up to largest studios and broadcasters in the world. Greg Dolan, the chief operating officer, said the company stays healthy and vibrant by serving a specific customer base with a specific product. “Being a relatively small company and having a singular focus and a good breadth of clients has allowed us to understand where our clients want to be and to develop code before they ask for it,” he added. Dolan believes that if you are solving today’s problems you will be out of business tomorrow. Management needs to look at where things will be in 36 months. The leadership at the company is able to project out what customers will need by studying industry trends and attending conferences and trade shows put on by Hollywood professional associations, including the Society of Motion Picture and Television Engineers, the National Association of Broadcasters and the International Broadcasting Convention. But the executives also put in a lot of phone calls and shoe leather in meeting with clients and constantly talking with them about where they need to be in a couple of years, Dolan said. “That allows us to take our theoretical ideas about what we think we want to do and forging it into concrete product ideas,” he added. While he doesn’t expect to be around for all of the next 30 years of Xytech’s history, Dolan pointed to cloud computing, artificial intelligence and machine learning as the future. Having a system that can create, say, a schedule or know the best circuit pathway to get a signal from L.A. to New York is of benefit to its clients, Dolan said. “The idea is we can tie all of these into the AI tools that are coming our way,” he added. “That is incredibly exciting. It’s a long way from the computer white board from 30 years ago.” Entrepreneurial Honor GeoLinks was among the eight small businesses from the San Fernando, Santa Clarita and Antelope valleys and Ventura County region named as among the best entrepreneurial companies in the nation by Entrepreneur Magazine. The Camarillo internet service provider was recognized as a well-rounded company that has mastered a balance of impact, innovation, growth leadership and value. It was No. 109 on the Entrepreneur 360 list. Chief Executive Skyler Ditchfield said the GeoLinks team was thrilled to be named to the list. “From helping to close the U.S. digital divide, to deploying wildfire detection, prevention, and situational awareness systems, to offering pro-bono circuits to Red Cross shelters during times of disaster, to creating an exceptional company culture, everything GeoLinks sets out to do is ultimately aimed at making both our community and the world a better place,” Ditchfield said in a statement. The companies, whose locations range from North Hollywood to Camarillo to Palmdale, were evaluated by the publication based on impact, innovation, growth, leadership and business valuation. Coming in at the highest at No. 30 was the Beverly Hills Teddy Bear Co., in Santa Clarita, a plush toy manufacturer, followed at No. 44 by TLK Fusion, a North Hollywood marketing and public relations agency. Rounding out the Valley areas companies were real estate marketing firm Show My Inc., in Studio City, at No. 122; marketing company Elevate My Brand Inc., in Toluca Lake at No. 258; natural and organic health and beauty company Raw Sugar Living, in Sherman Oaks, at No. 268; construction firm JNR Home Improvements Inc., in Palmdale, at No. 299; and private tour provider Friendly Local Guides LLC, in North Hollywood, at No. 360. Drone Detectors US Nuclear Corp. has sold a fleet of drones carrying radiation and chemical detection equipment to the Saudi Arabia Civil Defense. The Canoga Park manufacturer of the detection equipment uses the Neo and Zoe drones offered by FlyCAM UAV, in Chatsworth. The aircraft are rugged and weatherproof and can withstand winds up to 40 miles per hour. The Saudis will use the drones for national security purposes. US Nuclear has three subsidiaries – Technical Associates in Canoga Park, which makes radiation detection equipment; Overhoff Technologies in Milford, Ohio, which specializes in tritium detection equipment; and Electronic Control Concepts, which makes voltmeters to check industrial and medical X-ray machines. FlyCAM was founded in 2014 by Operations Manager Jeff Barnett and Chief Executive Jeri Donaldson. The company has North American distribution rights to the Zoe quadcopter and the eight-blade Neo drone, made by AceCore Technologies B.V., in the Netherlands. Staff Reporter Mark R. Madler can be reached at (818) 316-3126 or [email protected].