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Who's Who: Rick Malone

Rick Malone moved to Colorado in the early 1980s and never left. While he settled roots in the area, he also started Kiosk Information Systems Inc., a kiosk manufacturing company that is emerging as a fast-growth leader in the state and in the industry.

February 21, 2004

Escaping the rat race - the quest to find oneself while at the same time systematically retreating from the hustle-bustle of the work world - is a common theme in modern life.

In a sense, that is what Rick Malone has done over the past two decades. Though he has never technically left the rat race, he has slowed the other rats down and took many of them off the racetrack.

Malone, having grown up and earned an engineering degree in Southern California, was transferred out of the region by his employer nearly two decades ago. When he was asked to return, Malone balked. He had been sent to Colorado and found no real reason to return.

"I moved out here a couple years out of college; I was transferred up out of my job in LA," Malone said. "I'd been up here a year and was doing really well and they wanted to transfer me back to Southern California. Well, I was single, in my early 20s, and living in Boulder. They asked me to leave and I said `No way.' I thought it was more important to stay here than live in that mess in Southern California."

Southern California's loss has been the kiosk industry's gain. After spending a decade in Colorado, working mostly in the point-of-sale industry, Malone founded Kiosk Information Systems Inc. (KIS) in 1993. The privately owned company designs and manufacturers kiosk, public Internet stations, and other electronic terminals.

Malone could sense a seismic shift occurring in Southern California when he left for Colorado. And once he moved to the Boulder area, he discovered a place that was peaceful and friendly.

"I grew up in Southern California. But when I grew up there in the late `60s and the `70s it was a different place than in the `80s. It really grew in population during the `80s," he said. "Colorado was a little smaller and I liked the attitude of the people. It was more pleasant."

Rick Malone started Kiosk Information Systems Inc. in 1993, and has seen the company achieve steady annual growth.

"I made a lot of friends out here and we had some great times together," he added. "We all got married about the same time and we all coach basketball and hockey teams. That's the kind of environment I like."

But living in Colorado and making a living in Colorado were two different things, Malone said.

"This wasn't an easy place to survive in the mid `80s. Colorado was a difficult place because of the economic conditions. It was really survival of the fittest and a lot of people came up here who couldn't cope. If you weren't good at your job, you couldn't hang here."

A business deal made the move from point-of-sale terminals to kiosks easier for Malone. A POS company he was working for switched owners, and Malone decided it was time to move on. Having gained experience in the POS sector, he saw an opportunity in an emerging technology, kiosks, and decided to take a shot.

"The (POS company) owner essentially sold out from under me and I didn't like the new owner," he said.

"The competitive level in point-of-sales was really high and it seemed a lot more capital intensive than I wanted," Malone added. "As an entrepreneur I wanted to go into a developing business."

KIS, thus was created, but the game has not unfolded the way Malone envisioned it when he fashioned the initial KIS playbook.

"I didn't originally intend it to be this way. I thought I'd be in and out (of the business) in five years, but a couple things didn't happen," he said. "For one thing, kiosks didn't take off like I thought they might, but that may have been a blessing in disguise because it allowed us to grow the business more gradually.

"Now I don't see a reason to leave," Malone continued. "I kind of enjoy the position we're in."

KIS, indeed, has found itself in a dynamic position in recent years. Earlier this fall, the consulting and professional services company Deloitte & Touche named KIS 19th on its list of the 50 fastest-growing technology companies in Colorado. KIS was cited for having revenue growth of 575 percent over the past five years.

Malone said the company has experienced revenue growth of about 50 percent each year until 2001, where the company has been affected by the overall economic slowdown.

Besides, the company is putting the finishing touches on a new 90,000 square-foot facility. Malone said KIS would move into its new building next February or March. It is the sixth move for the company in nine years, and Malone joked that it was designed to benefit his commuting schedule.

"What I'm doing is moving it closer to my house," he said. "It'll be about six minutes from home to office, whereas right now it's about ten."

Staying close to home allows Malone to spend plenty of time with his wife and two teenage sons. He also gets to indulge in his other favorite pastimes, including golf and off-road four-wheeling.

"If you get an opportunity to get to know him, you will meet a gent who is definitely one of the absolutely best `good guys,' a great family man, and a real pleasure to listen to," said Craig Keefner, Kiosks.org Association executive director. "His only failing would be in keeping those 300-yard drives in the fairway when we are playing golf. Rumor has it he is designing his own set of clubs."

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