Viewpoint

Our success can be traced back to the three things I abide by in running our business.

One is trust. Without hiring people around me that I trust and believe will push the company upward, we would not be in the position we are today. Over the years, there were a few people that fit that role. Today it is my daughter, Tonya. Having experienced, smart, and passionate people around me that I trust running the business has been a must for me over the years.

Two is taking risks—not just risks, but calculated risks. In my time as a leader at HP, we have expanded our production facility, invested in new equipment, and created a world-class training facility and client suite on our campus. Those were decisions that were made with analytics, market research, planning, thought, and advisement. It is these calculated risks that have helped make us who we are today.

Finally, a passion to succeed is something that I have always run my business with. I spent countless sleepless nights early on in my career making sure we did everything necessary to exceed our clients’ expectations. I did whatever it took to win. It is something that now, as I have slowed down from the day-to-day operations of the company, I see in Tonya; our vice president of sales and marketing, Joe Morelli; our director of finance, Kathy Carter; and our vice president of manufacturing, Don Ellis. Their drive to make Huston Patterson succeed is something I am very proud of. — Thomas W. Kowa, CEO/Chair, Huston Patterson

That is the easiest question to answer but oftentimes the hardest to implement—that of finding the very best people that always put the customers first. At Advantzware, we have a singular approach to our business: “Customers First, Customers for Life.” By serving our customers with this approach, we not only become a partner with our customers, but also share in the mutual success of a relationship that is built with passion, commitment, integrity, and trust. Anything short of having their best interests at the forefront of every decision you make can lead to distrust, animosity, or even having the customer find another vendor that will take care of them in the future. Finding the right people to live this approach every day is not only a challenge, but is something that requires constant focus and commitment—to always work with your employees to get better, no matter what. — Jay Farr, CEO and partner, Advantzware

When hiring new employees, I explain two rules/expectations I have: I do not like surprises—bad news does not age well. Secondly, I want everyone to enjoy coming to work. Employees that dread getting up and embracing the challenges of a new day, I will let them know that this is not the job for them. I would also like to add a golden rule: A successful business thrives by taking care of its employees and its customer base. This is one that we all live by. — Chad Tyson, director of Virginia operations, Corrugated Container Corporation

“To work harder than anyone in the industry to make our customer happy.” It’s painted on my wall. — Jeff Pallini, president, Fosber America Inc.

• Provide only products that can have a significant positive impact to our customers, to their production capabilities, and to a safe work environment for their employees.
• At every opportunity, to listen to our customers and offer and discuss all possibilities where CST can improve their production processes while cutting their production costs. — Reimund Brettschneider, president and CEO, CST Systems Inc.

Philipp Lithographing Co. has five hard and fast rules for running our business:

• Rule #1: Provide print solutions; not just printed sheets. In today’s industry, anyone can print ink on paper. What sets us apart is our collaboration and partnership with our customers. We take pride in the knowledge of our team members, our flexibility to meet customer demands, and our value-added service.
• Rule #2: Every customer is the most important customer. No matter what, every customer is and must be treated as the most important customer.
• Rule #3: Quality is key, and time is of the essence—always. Quality is always at the forefront of each of our operations. In addition, we understand the quick-turn nature of the print industry, and we continue to find ways to be more efficient in our processes.
• Rule #4: Innovate, update, and upgrade. At Philipp, we are committed to keeping our pressroom and prepress departments current through regular maintenance, upgrades, and updates.
• Rule #5: Honesty, trust, respect, and integrity. Honesty, trust, respect, and integrity are the four pillars upon which Philipp Litho conducts all operations and transactions, and they are the core values upon which our team develops relationships with customers, co-workers, suppliers, and business partners.

  — Stacy Buening, executive vice president/general counsel,

  Philipp Lithographing Co.

Safety, people development, and customers (in that order) are the highest priorities. Without the well-being of our people and the right talent in the organization, we can’t help our customers. From there it comes down to focusing on and executing the activities that make us better. We emphasize to all of our associates that to improve means maximizing time in front of customers or in our plants with our people and suppliers. It’s difficult to add value in your office in front of a computer. — Timothy L. Bergwall, division president, paper packaging and Soterra land management, Greif Inc..

Employee engagement is the most important factor in our business. Our industry is experiencing revolutionary changes with the advent of high-graphics machines and endless digital developments. It is vital that every employee understands the direction we must travel to continue being an industry leader. This includes critical choices regarding capital expenditure, essential suppliers, and quality of materials. In many cases, we advise customers to step beyond their normal operating window in order to compete, and this requires an understanding on the customer’s part that we are achieving or exceeding those same goals internally. — John Burgess, president, flexo division, Pamarco

1. Foundation of respect and integrity. It starts at the top. Our team of ethical, trusted, reliable experts leverages our firm and gives us a competitive advantage.
2. Team interoperability, based on great communications, is paramount. Each of our departments—sales, operations, marketing, and customer support—works seamlessly to provide ongoing service excellence to our clients.
3. Discipline thought, discipline action. Our leadership team collaborates with our sales consultants to establish clear, achievable goals that benefit the entire business. We use technology to set expectations,

   track activity, and monitor each customer’s customized account. — Walter Moore, president and CEO, APPI Energy

No matter what happens, you must run your business with a smile on your face. — Rob Callif, president/COO, BCM Inks

1. Focus on your core competencies; do not get distracted by short term opportunities
2. Do not confuse who your client is, where loyalties lie
3. Payables are paid on sight; credit is not extended—you are not a bank. — Chris Heusch, ARCH Inc.

The hard and fast rules we abide by in running our business are found in our mission statement:

1) To continually improve our processes, products, and services in order to meet the needs of our customers and employees, allowing the Jamestown Container Companies long-term growth and prosperity. The other rules that follow specifically reflect that statement.

2) Service our customers first, last, and always and make them a priority in all that we do—be innovative thinkers, problem-solvers, and partners with them. Jamestown Container shall work with its customers in ascertaining and meeting their environmental needs and goals consistent with Jamestown Container’s environmental policy and sustainability programs.

3) We will continue to develop long-term, trusting relationships with all our customers and vendors.

4) Develop and support our people so that they grow and prosper in our organization and facilitate an environment where they provide ideas and input in how to achieve our goals – we will provide training and advancement opportunities for them in this regard.

5) We will be good corporate citizens, supporting our community and our industry using the highest ethical standards.

6) It is the policy of the Jamestown Container Companies to conduct its operations in a manner that is environmentally responsible and befitting a good corporate neighbor and citizen. Jamestown Container shall operate its facilities in compliance with all applicable environmental, health and safety laws and regulations, in a way that is protective of the health and safety of its employees and the surrounding communities and environment. — Bill Madl, director of marketing and product development, Jamestown Container

As far as hard and fast business rules, we basically have two:

1. Always listen to your customers and make their concerns/comments your priorities.
2. Always respond immediately to a customer’s question, concerns, and problems, even if the response is bad news.

Customers want to work with suppliers who care about their success, and by listening and then responding, successful businesses move past one-time events and onto true partnerships that result in mutual success and benefits. — Robert Morgan, president, Geo Martin Company

SUN, over the last couple of years—under the new leadership of our President Ron Diedeman who came out of retirement in late 2014—re-evaluated our focus on customer service. Unfortunately, we had taken our eyes off the customers’ needs and placed them more on what we thought would be best. With Ron’s vision, the senior leadership team recommitted ourselves to get back to the foundation of our past success, and to serve the customers in the manner they deserve, and quite honestly demand. The top rule we at SUN run our business is to listen to our customers and employees, care and respond for them both, and the rest will take care of itself. — Greg Jones, director of sales and marketing, SUN Automation Group

The Customer is our boss. They get what they want, when they want it. — Neil MacDonald, president/CEO, Independent II

You cannot achieve anything without having a motivated workforce. We all spend a very large part of our lives at work, so it is important that we all enjoy going to work! At BCS, we strive to generate a working environment where our associates feel secure and valued. In return, we get greater productivity and a “can-do attitude” that resonates through to our customers. — Barry Tabor, managing director, BCS Corrugated

• Culture counts
• Invent and innovate
• Transform products and customer relationships — Cosmo DeNicola, owner and president, Amtech Software

As someone who recently started a business, my rules before I started were to make sure it was something I was passionate about—not just a vehicle for financial success. I had to really believe in the product and that digital printing is the next step for not just the corrugated space, but most other printing applications.

Second to me is support your customers. Listen to their needs and be as responsive as possible. Look for ways your competition either can’t or won’t fill that space.

Respect in all phases is also something I find critical. Whether it’s your customer, employees, a supplier, or even your competition, respecting their time, resources, concerns, etc. all play a huge role in your ultimate success. People generally won’t deal with you if they don’t feel respected—nor should they. — Garrett Bradley, president, Gemini North America

We all look for our businesses to operate around some fundamental understandings and rules that help guide us in what we do every day. There are many levels that could be discussed with each of these points, and based on my values and experience, I think they form an excellent foundation to support a company structure:

• Safety—Legal: Everything we do must be pinned to a solid respect of safety for our workers, our customers, and our environment. We must respect all laws that govern each aspect of our business, at all levels.
• Customer Focus: We all know that customers are what drive the success of our business. Being customer focused in everything we do will provide us the opportunity to carry this success forward.
• Attitude: Treat employees, co-workers, customers, and all you come in contact with as you would want to be treated.
• Innovation: In all aspects of the business, anyone can have an innovative idea to make us a better company. Technology is of great importance, but innovative ideas aren’t all about technology. Our work environment must encourage innovation. Good customers demand it.
• Confidentiality—Trust: This goes for the entire supply chain. Our customers, our employees, our suppliers, and our end users. Confidentiality and trust are without compromise or we will never achieve the relationships and open communication needed to excel.
• Honesty—Integrity: This goes along with attitude, and these are a must. All aspects of our business and our relationships have to be conducted with honesty and the highest level of integrity every day.
• Profitability—Value: We need to be profitable in order to sustain our present status and grow. This is a must for a company to survive and to provide value to our customers, our employees, and our suppliers. An unhealthy company helps no one in the long run. — James Wegemer, director national accounts, INX International Ink Co.

 

1. Always Think Long Term. As a family business, it is important for us to keep in mind the long-term success of the company, while also meeting the short-term demands of the marketplace. Adaptability and willingness to challenge the status quo, are necessary in order to grow and stay relevant in an increasingly dynamic environment.
2. People Are Your Most Important Asset. While investing in new technology and equipment is an essential component to enhance future growth, it is equally important to invest in your employees by providing tools, resources, and training to maximize their productivity.
3. Assume That Things Will Change. If there is one thing that you can assume, it is that things will change. Don’t assume what worked in the past will work in the future. We strive to continually evaluate and update our processes so that we can continue to perform at the level our customers come to expect.
4. Be Open To Feedback. You can’t solve a problem if you don’t know that it exists. It is important to create an environment where information can be openly shared and can be resolved.
5. Meet Commitments. Enough said. — Jay Carman, president, StandFast

First off, there should be very few hard and fast rules or you will never be flexible enough to grow and evolve. But there are some pretty standard guiding principles. For example, the opening line of Vanguard’s Mission Statement states that “…we are a for-profit corporation…”. While it may seem odd to state the obvious, it is amazing how many decisions we make in a year that don’t support that core principle. So, the first guiding principle is to be profitable enough to stay in business. That’s not always as easy as it sounds.

The next guiding principle is also obvious but often ignored. Anybody can go out and buy converting equipment. The only thing that separates you from your competitors are your people. Your business can never be any better than the people who operate it on a daily basis so remember that when you make new hires, advance somebody up the chain or make wide-ranging personnel decisions.

The last guiding principle to remember is that it is always about the customer. Daily we make decisions that support our customer relations or are designed to meet or exceed their expectations. But some customers just aren’t worth the created in working with them. Rarely, but sometimes, you simply need to fire a customer or as I have heard it said, “release their volume back to the marketplace.” All corporations have a finite amount of resources and they shouldn’t be wasted on accounts you can never satisfy or who constantly make difficult demands. Notice I didn’t say anything about cheap prices. Customers with cheap prices are your fault—not theirs.

If there is one hard and fast rule, I think it would be to remember to shut off the work day in your mind before going home at night. Your spouse and kids don’t need you to come home with all of the baggage of the day still with you. They simply want you. Leave the baggage at the office door. — Mark Mathes, CEO, Vanguard Packaging

Equipment Finance Corporation has the following hard and fast rules in our business:

• Treat our clients in the manner in which we would want to be treated.
• Our clients are our partners in success.
• No transaction is more important than a relationship.
• We love demanding customers.

While the above are self-explanatory, although we are a lending institution, we are more than that to our clients—we are a service provider. Approximately 80 percent of our volume represents repeat business through existing relationships. We want demanding customers who value our service and expertise in providing the best short- and long-term solutions to their specific financial needs and requirements. — Ed Gargiulo, executive vice president, Equipment Finance Corporation

There is really only one “hard and fast” rule I try to abide by in our company’s day-to-day management.

“Do unto others as you would have them do unto you.”

This phrase, first recorded in the Gospel of Matthew, is often referred to as the Golden Rule. I try to apply this principle when dealing with all our business constituents—shareholders, associates, customers, and suppliers.

For our shareholders, I try to be the kind of steward of our company’s assets I would want overseeing my own. Shareholder value is a treasure to be guarded.

As company associates, we all deserve to be treated with respect and humility; the very attributes all of us are drawn to in how others treat us. No amount of compensation and benefits can right the wrong of an abusive employer.

Customers deserve our best at every level, just like I expect the best from any purchase I make. As basic as this sounds, we all can identify that “are you kidding me” moment when you have been wronged as a customer. Doing to customers what you would have them do to you is not a static concept.

Finally, suppliers are often not extended the same respect and courtesies we expect from others. However, they deserve the same consideration as any of our other constituents. — Robert Shafer, president, Kolbus America