While navigating their way toward accounting careers at Towson University, Mike and Greg Kenneally thought of lacrosse as nothing more than a passion and a hobby. Six years later, the brothers have expanded their high-performance lacrosse equipment company, East Coast Dyes (ECD), exponentially due to its innovative technology and Maryland location.

"Greg was always the go-to person in college for fixing equipment issues," said Mike. "When he told us he was going to tackle the issue of lacrosse mesh failing in wet weather, we said go for it. He made the whole house smell awful while coming up with the wax mesh solution."

But the results were undeniable.

The product generated more than 800 orders during the company's first Cyber Monday sale in 2012. Mike told his brother they had created something special and the CPA duo took an unexpected change in careers. What started as a group of college buddies cranking out orders in their Baltimore County home transformed into a full-scale operation at a 2,000-square-foot facility in Lutherville by May 2013.

"Mesh hadn't really been innovated until we played with the wax idea," Mike said. "Between that technology and our ability to network in a state with a deep history rooted in lacrosse, we've been able to expand our presence across the country."

Last year, ECD relocated a third time to a 21,000-square-foot facility with a built-in turf field in Towson. The company acts as a manufacturing and wholesale online retailer for dealers locally and nationally with buyers including LAX World, Lacrosse Unlimited, and lax.com. They are also the proud sponsor of University of Maryland, Loyola, Towson, and Navy lacrosse teams. ECD is looking to be the go-to source for athletes seeking the best in equipment.

"We want to make the best shaft, head, and mesh combo in the business," Mike said. "Our recent expansion and Maryland's job pool of lacrosse savvy employees is going to make that possible."

ECD is a recipient of the Baltimore County Boost Fund, a loan program provided through the Maryland Department of Commerce that puts revenue from the state's video lottery terminals to work for small, minority, woman, and veteran-owned businesses. For more information about ECD visit eastcoastdyes.com.