Sign Up NowThis Month's Tiny Gems - September 2012

BofI Holding Inc. (BOFI)
Coffee Holding Co. Inc. (JVA)
ZAGG Inc. (ZAGG)

 

 

 

BofI Holding Inc. (BOFI)

 

BofI Holding Inc. (BOFI) is the holding company of BofI Federal Bank, which operates as a diversified financial services company from a single location headquartered in San Diego, offering both consumer and wholesale banking services. Rather than using the traditional branch-based distribution system, the bank distributes deposit products through retail channels, and loan products through retail, correspondent, and wholesale channels. Using online banking technology, the company serves customers throughout the United States, differentiating itself as offering a better value due to lower cost of operation. Interest rates on deposit products are among the highest available, with rates and fees on loan products being low.

 

BofI Federal Bank accepts demand deposits, certificates of deposit accounts, and savings, and specializes in income property lending, providing multi-family housing loans and commercial property lending, along with other home lending products. Apartment Bank, a division of BofI Federal Bank, focuses on apartment buildings of 5 or more units, and mixed-use properties with less than 40% commercial use. The Capital Markets division at BofI Federal Bank provides bulk loan pool acquisitions, C&I loans, structured finance, mortgage loan trading, and secondary marketing/loan sales.

 

Also under the BofI umbrella are Bank of Internet USA, providing individual banking customer online and mobile banking services; UFB Direct, an Internet-only bank that pays airline mileage for everyday banking, redeemed from participating airline partners on the company's Airlines Rewards checking account and Airline Rewards savings account, both of which can be opened online; and AnFed Bank, Annuitants Federal Bank, designed for structured settlement annuitants and lottery winners.

 

BofI Federal Bank lists $2.4 billion in assets, and services approximately 40,000 customers in all 50 states through scalable low-cost distribution channels. The company's common stock is listed on the NASDAQ Global Select Market and is a component of the Russell 3000 Index. The company was recently initiated with an Outperform at Raymond James. BofI Holding, Inc. was incorporated in 1999.

 

 

 

Coffee Holding Co. Inc. (JVA)

 

Coffee Holding Co. Inc. (JVA), based in New York City, produces both roasted and unroasted coffee which they market and distribute in the U.S. and Canada. The company produces corporate branded coffee for private labeling by other companies, as well as producing their own private brands. They also offer unroasted coffee beans imported from all over the world. In addition, the company produces instant coffees, tea, and cocoa products. Their ready to use products are sold to supermarkets and other retailers, as well as wholesalers. Their unroasted products are sold to coffee roasters and coffee shops.

 

Coffee Holding's unroasted coffee products represent specialty green coffee from around the world, cupped prior to shipping, and also upon arrival in the U.S. They include Organic, Fair Trade, Rainforest Alliance, and Utz Kapeh certified coffees. The company can also work with customers seeking a single origin coffee or a special blend.

 

Coffee Holding's private label coffees are for companies that place their own label on the coffee, packed for wholesalers and retailers in the U.S. and internationally. Coffee Holding is one of the leading producers of corporate brand coffee in the country.

 

The company's own branded coffees are sold under various names, including the following:

 

 

 

ZAGG Inc. (ZAGG)

 

ZAGG Inc. (ZAGG), headquartered in Salt Lake City, Utah, produces and distributes a variety of protective coverings and other protective products for a wide range of electronic consumer products. ZAGG's flagship product is invisibleSHIELD, a clear covering originally based upon a film used to protect the blades of military helicopters. The product is used to cover and protect cell phones, laptop computers, digital cameras, and other electronic devices, without degrading appearance or ease of use. Over 7 million invisibleSHIELDs have been sold.

 

The company also produces protective cases for tablet computers and other electronics, protective coverings with scratch resistant images, water-resistant ear buds, and portable batteries for recharging mobile electronics. ZAGG's brand portfolio now includes invisibleSHIELD, ZAGGmate, ZAGGfolio, ZAGGskins, ZAGGaudio, iFrogz, and EarPollution.

 

The company markets a complete line of skins, shields, audio, power, and keyboard case solutions. It sells its products throughout the United States and has been expanding overseas, marketing through direct, retail, and international channels. ZAGG's international office is in Ireland, with an efficient 30,000 square foot facility able to ship products the same day as ordered to customers in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. The company is expanding, using retail partners while promoting the ZAGG brand globally.

 

ZAGG products can now be found at major retailers, including Best Buy, Target, Walmart, RadioShack, Staples, Verizon, AT&T, and many others, as well as in mall kiosks and specialty stores. The company offers its protective coverings in thousands of shapes to fit almost any product. ZAGG was recently named #1 among the 50 fastest growing companies in Utah for 2012.