Kentucky Small Business Development Center

Hitcents

Bowling Green, KY

Owners: Chris and Clinton Mills
Center: WKU SBDC
www.hitcents.com

A verbal command system, designed by EyeOn Automation a division of Hitcents, is installed in home to be featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition. Read more

Hitcents Named One of America’s Fastest Growing Companies by Inc Magazine

Hitcents founders, twin brothers Chris and Clinton Mills, started their technology careers early in life. As children in Arlington, Texas, Chris and Clinton had a knack for taking apart their toys and analyzing them. They had more of a desire to see how things worked than to actually play with them.

In 1994 while in the fifth grade, they received their first computer. The twins began to learn the internal workings as well as the programming side of a basic computer. They started programming in GW Basic - a command line programming language.

Chris and Clinton moved from Arlington to Bowling Green, Kentucky in 1995 when their father was transferred by his employer, General Motors. Chris and Clinton happened to move in next door to an electrical engineer who helped guide their constant pursuit to learn more about technology.

In 1996, and in seventh grade, they went to work at a company designing Visual Basic programs to monitor machinery with optic eye systems and conveyor belts. That year they also created their first webpage working with PERL, a backend web programming language that is still one of the languages Hitcents enlists today.

As high school sophomores, in 1999, Chris and Clinton started Hitcents, which at the time was a company focused in Internet advertising. When the company first began, Hitcents paid clients on a cents-per-hit basis, hence the company name.

As high school juniors, Chris and Clinton interned with the WKU SBDC. In addition to the internship, the WKU SBDC assisted the business with start-up questions and continued to help the business over the years. Most recently the SBDC assisted in their efforts to become familiar with and obtain government procurement.

In 2001, WKU SBDC Center Director Rick Horn, nominated Chris and Clinton for the U.S. Small Business Administration’s Kentucky’s 2001 Young Entrepreneurs of the Year. The men received the award, an honor given annually to a business founder under the age of 36.

Hitcents was acquired by Houchens Industries in 2003. Since its inception, Hitcents has grown from two founders to over 57 employees and occupies office space in Western Kentucky University’s Center for Research and Development.

Today, Chris and Clinton manage company operations while waiting to execute their next big idea. They continuously seize opportunities to initiate and implement new business models with existing and new clients in their relentless desire to be a leader in the always dynamic technology industry.

Chris and Clinton believe in working hands-on with all employees and can still be found programming code themselves. Step into the Hitcents office and you might find them leaning over any employee’s desk offering advice on the most effective programming language to solve a particular issue.

Hitcents is well known locally for their website development services. The scope of the business includes solutions for website development, technology, online marketing, kiosk development, creative design, software development and much more. Their software development has spawned three subsidiaries of Hitcents: EyeOn Automation, Utopia Self-Scan, and Omniprise ERP. See the Solutions information on this website for more information on each business model.

The Mills brothers stay connected with their seven department managers. They understand the responsibilities of each employee and remain apprised on the status of all projects large and small. Chris and Clinton are motivated by helping clients realize their dreams. Hitcents is reinvented with every new client, as they offer truly versatile customization and original services to fulfill each client’s needs.

Hitcents continuously strives for superior customer service. Every client is unique and Hitcents does not simply provide “one-size-fits-all” products. Their success comes from creating innovative and insightful custom solutions for every client.

In 2007, the brothers and Hitcents had a tremendous year, both being recognized by Inc. Magazine. Hitcents was ranked 191 on Inc Magazine’s LIst of 500 Fasteast Growing Businesses. Chris and Clinton Mills ranked 5th on Inc.’s list of Top CEOs under 30. Additionally, Hitcents installed an EyeOn Automation system, a subsidiary product, in a home featured on ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition.