Kayaking, Partying & Profits

Owner/president Eric States, who in a former life made a bundle in real estate, has invested a fair amount of that in this $5 million business to reach a money-making position. He’s weathered many storms. For instance, the first edition of After 5, which happened to be printed on Sept. 11, 2001, dropped later that fall just as letters were turning up in Washington and New York laced with anthrax.