...but not by nature In the spring 2002 edition of UC Alumni, Maria Hand wrote: They call themselves "web developers with zest" and the Hairy Lemon team of young professionals is fast becoming a leading development house after only two and a half years in business. So, there is definitely no sour taste in the mouth of director Sue Wilkinson. Hairy Lemon was founded in February 2000 in Christchurch by Sue Wilkinson and partner Graham Dockrill - both Canterbury graduates. The pair met while at University - Graham, studying computer science and Sue, engineering - and started the business in Graham's last year of study. The services they provide include web marketing, web applications, website construction and maintenance, and e-commerce design and implementation. They have a growing local, national and international client base. So, why the name, you may ask, as many others have? Sue replied coyly that it was a "very long story". "It works extremely well for us. It distinguishes us and is not a name people forget." There are six full-time staff and three part-time (with four Canterbury alumni included in that mix). Contractors are used to enable Hairy Lemon to draw on a wealth of expertise to meet the needs of clients. Ms Wilkinson lists the company's successes to date as their rapid growth and the high profile clientele they have secured. "We've made quite successful inroads into local government," she said. Hairy Lemon developed the Buller District Council website and successfully tendered for the Westland District Council's web page. On the local front, one of their biggest clients is Environment Canterbury, for which Hairy Lemon develops websites to educate children. Hairy Lemon's overseas clients are in Japan, Ireland, Australia and the United States. "Ex-pat networks are proving to be very strong for us," Sue said. There are many more exciting projects in the future but she could not reveal them yet, she said. "We are unique in terms of our growth. Plus we are solution finders. Some companies have certain 'packages' but the projects we take on are quite varied. And thirdly what makes us special is our communication and people skills. Computer based environments are often run by people with the technical know-how but not always with the ability to communicate this effectively. Our staff have both."