Sparta has a system to ensure safety

NJBIZ STAFF//December 2, 2013//

Sparta has a system to ensure safety

NJBIZ STAFF//December 2, 2013//

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Sparta Systems seeks to prevent those potential nightmares by helping its customers make safer products. The idea holds value in any age, but perhaps more so today, when news of faulty products can go viral in seconds.

“Let’s face it,” said Sparta Systems CEO Eileen Martinson, “in this world of social media, protecting your brand is paramount in the eyes of our customer.”

Sparta sells quality management software that companies use to ensure their products are developed safely and consistently and in compliance with government regulations. It’s a profitable niche that Sparta soon plans to expand into mobile platforms and the cloud.

The privately held company has seen its revenue approximately double in less than three years to nearly $100 million, fueling its move from Holmdel to larger quarters in Hamilton Township this year. Sparta is now negotiating further expansion of its Waterview Drive offices.

The growth is traceable to a focused strategy: Martinson, who assumed leadership in 2011, said her first priority was expanding Sparta’s appeal to beyond that of a “single-trick pony,” mainly serving the pharmaceutical industry.

Martinson was convinced that Sparta’s flagship software product, TrackWise, could engage more industries, including medical device, electronics and consumer products manufacturers. About one third of Sparta’s new customers this year are from consumer products companies, she said.

“We’re getting some wonderful traction with consumer products,” Martinson said. “Name brands that are at the top of the list, not obscure little companies.”

Sparta doesn’t publicly divulge its clients, which it says include the world’s largest pharmaceutical companies, citing customers’ privacy concerns given the sensitive nature of brand protection.

But the stakes are evident. A simple mistake in the supply chain can easily result in disaster.

Sparta plans to open more opportunities by expanding its product line. The company is about to unveil a mobile version of TrackWise, a business management tool that records things like sign offs and workflow queues.