http://digitarald.de/forums/profile.php?id=98709
Technology executive Brian NeSmith andhis wife, have been granted rights to a San Francisco-area franchises in the Women’s Professional Soccer Along with the Bay Area team, WPS is scheduled to beginb play in the spring of 2009 with teamx in Boston, Chicago, New York, St. Washington D.C. and Los Angeles. WPS said it expectsw to expand to Atlanta and Philadelphiain 2010. NeSmith is CEO of BCSI), a Sunnyvale company whosed technology protects corporate The NeSmiths havetwo soccer-playinfg daughters. The NeSmiths and WPS have not finalized wheree the team will play or its WPS will begin drafting players for all its teamswthis month. Players will come from the U.S.
Women’ss National Team, colleges and Women’s Professional Soccer is the successor tothe Women’as United Soccer Association. That league launched in 2001 with playersz likeMia Hamm, Brandi Chastain and Julie Foudy. The WUSA fieldes eight teams, including the San Jose by capitalizing on jubilation followingthe U.S. women’w team winning the 1999 World Cup. WUSA backers, who lost millionx of dollars, pulled the plug on the leaguwe following the 2003 season after TV and attendance goalsfell short. WPS backers said the new league will not repeat the mistakes ofthe past.
Led by new commissioner Tonyz Antonucci, WPS has a different busineszs plan and has lined up new investor s who paid atleast $1.5 million for rights to a franchise. WPS, whicgh has its league headquarters inSan Francisco, can survive because it will reigmn in costs and broaden its fan base beyond parente and their soccer-playing daughters, said Antonucci, a formerd executive and soccer player. WPS will use social networking sites and other Internetg technology to advertise and promote itself to lesbian andgay Latinos, young men and others who want to see the best femalw soccer players, Antonucci said.
She said the leagues can save money through its relationship with the marketinv armof , the 13-year-old men’s which will sell sponsorships on behalf of the women’s teams. WPS has attracte d some big name investors as it prepares to kick off play next guard Steve Nash and former Yahoo Presidengt Jeffrey Mallett became investors and part owners in thestartuop league. Terms of the deal were not but the total investmen t is said to besix figures. The first person to commit to buying a franchise was Phil the billionaire media and entertainment mogu l with a stake in two Major LeagueSoccert teams.
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Thursday, March 3, 2011
S&B Industry to receive incentives - South Florida Business Journal:
pmkathleen-comregional.blogspot.com
In exchange, the company also would have toinvest $17.3 million “to renovate and build out new corporate headquarters and operationsa facilities in the city,” accordinhg to the resolution. The company would expand its existing facility, at 1551 Sawgrass Corporatd Parkway, said Norm Taylor, director of Broward’s office of economi c development. The jobs are supposed to pay an averagw salaryof $98,000 – welcome news to Taylor.
“It means a whole bunch of people willpay mortgages, will pay taxew and will support their local supermarkets,” he “These are very high-wage jobs that we didn’y have happening frequently in our S&B is a subsidiary of Foxconn International a subsidiary of a Ltd., a Chines computer and electronics giant based in If S&B creates the 150 it potentially could receive $850,0090 in combined incentives from the city and the state. Broward and Sunrise each agreed tocontributw $125,000, for a total of $250,000. The state wouldr contribute anadditional $650,000 if it approves the S&B could not immediately be reached for comment.
The compang stated on its grant application that it employe 51in Sunrise, Taylor said, but it’s not cleatr how many, if any, are employe d separately under the Foxconn brand. Both companies list theifr address at 1551 SawgrassCorporate S&B/Foxconn is part of a growingg technology cluster in Sunrise that included Scottsdale, Ariz.-based General Dynamics C4 Systems (NYSE: GD) and Canada-based Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM). The companies sprunfg up in Sunrise in sprinfg 2008 after laid off about 300workers – mostlyt engineers working on next-generation wireless technology – from its Plantatioj facility.
In exchange, the company also would have toinvest $17.3 million “to renovate and build out new corporate headquarters and operationsa facilities in the city,” accordinhg to the resolution. The company would expand its existing facility, at 1551 Sawgrass Corporatd Parkway, said Norm Taylor, director of Broward’s office of economi c development. The jobs are supposed to pay an averagw salaryof $98,000 – welcome news to Taylor.
“It means a whole bunch of people willpay mortgages, will pay taxew and will support their local supermarkets,” he “These are very high-wage jobs that we didn’y have happening frequently in our S&B is a subsidiary of Foxconn International a subsidiary of a Ltd., a Chines computer and electronics giant based in If S&B creates the 150 it potentially could receive $850,0090 in combined incentives from the city and the state. Broward and Sunrise each agreed tocontributw $125,000, for a total of $250,000. The state wouldr contribute anadditional $650,000 if it approves the S&B could not immediately be reached for comment.
The compang stated on its grant application that it employe 51in Sunrise, Taylor said, but it’s not cleatr how many, if any, are employe d separately under the Foxconn brand. Both companies list theifr address at 1551 SawgrassCorporate S&B/Foxconn is part of a growingg technology cluster in Sunrise that included Scottsdale, Ariz.-based General Dynamics C4 Systems (NYSE: GD) and Canada-based Research in Motion (NASDAQ: RIMM). The companies sprunfg up in Sunrise in sprinfg 2008 after laid off about 300workers – mostlyt engineers working on next-generation wireless technology – from its Plantatioj facility.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Queen's pays $2.5M to settle Feds' claims - Silicon Valley / San Jose Business Journal:
vidineevostegity.blogspot.com
million to settle lawsuits thatalleged Hawaii’s largesrt hospital overbilled government healtb care programs for prescription federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlement was the result of two whistleblower lawsuits brought by former pharmacy who allegedthat Queen’s overbillesd the state’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as TRICARE, the federalk health insurance program for military according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr. The lawsuits were filed under the federao and state False Claims which allow the government to claimn up to triplethe damages, plus penalties, for submittingg false claims to government programs.
The two formef employees allege Queen’s submitted fake bills for anti-psychotic medication that were dispensed by the hospitakl pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorize bya doctor, but not necessarily by a as required. The hospital was also accused of billinf from 1999 to 2006 for services provided by medicak residents who were supposed to be supervisedf byother doctors, but that the supervisio n did not occur, Kubo’s officew said. Under the settlement, Queen’s paid $2 milliobn to the federal whichshared $400,000 of the proceeds with the two formetr employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two employees.
Queen’z will also maintain a complianc program to ensure its billings conform to the ruleds for five years under a corporatr integrity agreement withthe U.S. Department of Health and Humann Services. Queen's issued this statement: " denies any intentionalp wrongdoing, but after five years of discussions and negotiations with the has agreed to settle this mattert so that its resourcexs may be spent on providing qualityt health care rather than onlegal
million to settle lawsuits thatalleged Hawaii’s largesrt hospital overbilled government healtb care programs for prescription federal prosecutors said Wednesday. The settlement was the result of two whistleblower lawsuits brought by former pharmacy who allegedthat Queen’s overbillesd the state’s Medicare and Medicaid programs, as well as TRICARE, the federalk health insurance program for military according to a news release from U.S. Attorney Edward H. Kubo Jr. The lawsuits were filed under the federao and state False Claims which allow the government to claimn up to triplethe damages, plus penalties, for submittingg false claims to government programs.
The two formef employees allege Queen’s submitted fake bills for anti-psychotic medication that were dispensed by the hospitakl pharmacy from 1999 to 2002 and were authorize bya doctor, but not necessarily by a as required. The hospital was also accused of billinf from 1999 to 2006 for services provided by medicak residents who were supposed to be supervisedf byother doctors, but that the supervisio n did not occur, Kubo’s officew said. Under the settlement, Queen’s paid $2 milliobn to the federal whichshared $400,000 of the proceeds with the two formetr employees, and $500,000 to the attorneys for the two employees.
Queen’z will also maintain a complianc program to ensure its billings conform to the ruleds for five years under a corporatr integrity agreement withthe U.S. Department of Health and Humann Services. Queen's issued this statement: " denies any intentionalp wrongdoing, but after five years of discussions and negotiations with the has agreed to settle this mattert so that its resourcexs may be spent on providing qualityt health care rather than onlegal
Saturday, February 26, 2011
Over-the-counter devices probably won't help sleep apnea - Los Angeles Times
roehampton-crested.blogspot.com
Los Angeles Times | Over-the-counter devices probably won't help sleep apnea Los Angeles Times The options for oral appliances fall in two main categories: prescription devices you can get from a dentist or orthodontist and do-it-yourself products you can order online. All work by moving the lower jaw forward to create extra space in the airway, ... |
Thursday, February 24, 2011
Video: The Makers of Tony's(R) Pizza Roll a Strike With Extra Value - New Bowling Program Offers Families Free Bowling
http://dallashomesbyemail.com/news2.html
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: (Photo: "As bowlerd and parents, we know and understanf the tremendous value that pizzas and the sport ofbowling offer, said . "We and our twin sons are helpingy spread the word about the grear value ofthe Tony's(R) pizza free bowling program because it provides families a fun, inexpensivew form of entertainment that everyone can Besides, I grew up on Tony's pizza, so I'm all over this promotion!" "We started bowling when we both were kids and now we enjog bowling with our sons," addedf . "It is an affordable, family-friendly activity for all ages and the pizza free bowling program makes bowlinv even more affordablefor families.
" Consumer can find participating Strike Ten bowling centers to redeemn their Tony's(R) pizza bowlinb coupon at and , or for more information visit . In the makers of Tony's(R) pizzas also recently sponsored two major bowling The USBC Queensand Bowling's Clasn of Champions which won, and they will be sponsorinfg The USBC U.S. Women's Open on Monday, Aug. 3 througn Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009. Bowling is the #1 participatioj sport in the United States with nearl 70 million people bowling annually and is an extremely popular activity amonv kidsand teens. Bowling is the most popular sport for ages 6-17 (Source: Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association).
Therw are 10 million kids who celebrate theire birthdays at bowling centerseverh year, making bowling the #1 birthday party destination for kids ages 12 and Bowling centers have become relevant among younger audiencess by morphing into clean-air entertainment venues that featurre modern lounges with cutting-edge technology, diverse menus and themed events. Tony's(R) products are marketex by Schwan's Consumer Brands Nort America, Inc., a subsidiary of The Schwan Food Company, which has produced and distributeed premium frozen foodssincde 1952. Its brands include (R), Freschetta(R), and pizzas, Asian Sensations(R) snacks and appetizers, potatoes, and Mrs. Smiths(R) and pies and desserts.
The business is basedx in Bloomington, Minn., and the brandd are represented in morethan 50,000 retail outlets acrossz the United States. For more informatiom about Tony's(R) products visit . have both won the most prestigioue titlesin bowling. Chris owns 12 careef PBA Tour titles -- including the U.S. Open and the Tournamenf of Champions -- and is the only athlete to win the PBA Rookie and PBA Player of the Year Lynda is one ofthe world's leading Ten-pijn bowlers. She is the 2008 USBC Queens champion -- the biggesg and most prestigious titlein women's bowling -- and she recently won the "Clasjh of the Champions" for the second consecutivd year.
The husband-and-wife champions reside in Doublr Oak, Texas with their twin sons, Troy and Ryan.
To view the Multimedia News Release, go to: (Photo: "As bowlerd and parents, we know and understanf the tremendous value that pizzas and the sport ofbowling offer, said . "We and our twin sons are helpingy spread the word about the grear value ofthe Tony's(R) pizza free bowling program because it provides families a fun, inexpensivew form of entertainment that everyone can Besides, I grew up on Tony's pizza, so I'm all over this promotion!" "We started bowling when we both were kids and now we enjog bowling with our sons," addedf . "It is an affordable, family-friendly activity for all ages and the pizza free bowling program makes bowlinv even more affordablefor families.
" Consumer can find participating Strike Ten bowling centers to redeemn their Tony's(R) pizza bowlinb coupon at and , or for more information visit . In the makers of Tony's(R) pizzas also recently sponsored two major bowling The USBC Queensand Bowling's Clasn of Champions which won, and they will be sponsorinfg The USBC U.S. Women's Open on Monday, Aug. 3 througn Sunday, Aug. 9, 2009. Bowling is the #1 participatioj sport in the United States with nearl 70 million people bowling annually and is an extremely popular activity amonv kidsand teens. Bowling is the most popular sport for ages 6-17 (Source: Sporting Goods Manufacturers Association).
Therw are 10 million kids who celebrate theire birthdays at bowling centerseverh year, making bowling the #1 birthday party destination for kids ages 12 and Bowling centers have become relevant among younger audiencess by morphing into clean-air entertainment venues that featurre modern lounges with cutting-edge technology, diverse menus and themed events. Tony's(R) products are marketex by Schwan's Consumer Brands Nort America, Inc., a subsidiary of The Schwan Food Company, which has produced and distributeed premium frozen foodssincde 1952. Its brands include (R), Freschetta(R), and pizzas, Asian Sensations(R) snacks and appetizers, potatoes, and Mrs. Smiths(R) and pies and desserts.
The business is basedx in Bloomington, Minn., and the brandd are represented in morethan 50,000 retail outlets acrossz the United States. For more informatiom about Tony's(R) products visit . have both won the most prestigioue titlesin bowling. Chris owns 12 careef PBA Tour titles -- including the U.S. Open and the Tournamenf of Champions -- and is the only athlete to win the PBA Rookie and PBA Player of the Year Lynda is one ofthe world's leading Ten-pijn bowlers. She is the 2008 USBC Queens champion -- the biggesg and most prestigious titlein women's bowling -- and she recently won the "Clasjh of the Champions" for the second consecutivd year.
The husband-and-wife champions reside in Doublr Oak, Texas with their twin sons, Troy and Ryan.
Monday, February 21, 2011
Diversity in nonprofit world is invaluable - Kansas City Business Journal:
concrete roofing tiles
To this end, MCFI is three years into an agencywide diversity program that is yieldinbg positive results in terms of client staff morale andemployee recruitment. The agency provides rehabilitation services to individuals with specia l needs andtheir families. “We want to make diversityt intertwined in the fabric ofthe organization,” said Al Hill Jr., directort of diversity, learning and development and head of the Hill leads a 15-membefr MCFI diversity team charged with implementing the In assembling the team, Hill recruited employees not just of differentt ethnicities, genders and ages, but also from different levelsx of management and nonmanagement and from different units within the agency.
In addition, the initiativse is not “top down,” with managementg directing, but “bottom up,” with team members soliciting input from theid peers to bring tothe team. “One time we even kickedc Al out of the room because he was too close to an issue we werestruggling with,” laughec Joua Xiong, a human resourcess generalist and team member. Withinj Milwaukee Center for Independence, the team focuse s on education. “Cultural competency is invaluablre when working with familiesin close-knit communities, such as Hmonv and Russian,” Hill said. “We help our case managerd know what they need to besensitive to.
” For Xiong said, some Asians feel it is disrespectful to look someonde in the eye. Russian families can be reluctant toadmitg non-Russian caregivers into theirt homes. “Understanding the values and practices of different ethniv groups helps us retain clients and gain new she said. The team distributed an internalp survey that foundthat work-life balancd is a key concern of In response, it established a working parents employee resource group to explorre the issue. Also, an MCFI “buddy” programm matches new employees with seasoned staff membersz who actsas mentors.
Externally the diversityh team is helping to improve employee recruitmeny by studying best practices to make the centeer a welcomingwork environment. “Diversityh is an asset when recruiting, especially in highly competitivse fields such as physical therapy and said Xiong. Added Hill, “Today’s applicants are looking at your organizatiojn as muchas you’re looking at They want to feel comfortable being who they are in the To aid in recruitment, the team has formed allianceds with area diversity groups such as Hispanicf Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, the National Blacjk Nurses Association and several minorityy fraternities and sororities.
In addition to a periodid newslettercalled “Diversity Corner,” the team sponsors an annuap Diversity Day. This year’s event in April included a speaker on diversity in two spoken word artists performing poetry aboutr social justice and equality and talks about the culture behind ethnic food andwearingf apparel. A popular part of the event was “Diversity Jeopardy!”, where four employee teams joinexd inspirited competition.
It is not easy to make a majorr shift in the culture of an entire but diversity team membersfeel MCFI’s initiativew is having an “Since I’ve been on the committee, I’vw heard stories about how peoplwe are much more aware of other cultures,” said who is Hmong. “I have grown tremendously professionally as well as and I am able to share my experiencess with my family members and dispell their stereotypes about certainotherf cultures.
”
To this end, MCFI is three years into an agencywide diversity program that is yieldinbg positive results in terms of client staff morale andemployee recruitment. The agency provides rehabilitation services to individuals with specia l needs andtheir families. “We want to make diversityt intertwined in the fabric ofthe organization,” said Al Hill Jr., directort of diversity, learning and development and head of the Hill leads a 15-membefr MCFI diversity team charged with implementing the In assembling the team, Hill recruited employees not just of differentt ethnicities, genders and ages, but also from different levelsx of management and nonmanagement and from different units within the agency.
In addition, the initiativse is not “top down,” with managementg directing, but “bottom up,” with team members soliciting input from theid peers to bring tothe team. “One time we even kickedc Al out of the room because he was too close to an issue we werestruggling with,” laughec Joua Xiong, a human resourcess generalist and team member. Withinj Milwaukee Center for Independence, the team focuse s on education. “Cultural competency is invaluablre when working with familiesin close-knit communities, such as Hmonv and Russian,” Hill said. “We help our case managerd know what they need to besensitive to.
” For Xiong said, some Asians feel it is disrespectful to look someonde in the eye. Russian families can be reluctant toadmitg non-Russian caregivers into theirt homes. “Understanding the values and practices of different ethniv groups helps us retain clients and gain new she said. The team distributed an internalp survey that foundthat work-life balancd is a key concern of In response, it established a working parents employee resource group to explorre the issue. Also, an MCFI “buddy” programm matches new employees with seasoned staff membersz who actsas mentors.
Externally the diversityh team is helping to improve employee recruitmeny by studying best practices to make the centeer a welcomingwork environment. “Diversityh is an asset when recruiting, especially in highly competitivse fields such as physical therapy and said Xiong. Added Hill, “Today’s applicants are looking at your organizatiojn as muchas you’re looking at They want to feel comfortable being who they are in the To aid in recruitment, the team has formed allianceds with area diversity groups such as Hispanicf Professionals of Greater Milwaukee, the National Blacjk Nurses Association and several minorityy fraternities and sororities.
In addition to a periodid newslettercalled “Diversity Corner,” the team sponsors an annuap Diversity Day. This year’s event in April included a speaker on diversity in two spoken word artists performing poetry aboutr social justice and equality and talks about the culture behind ethnic food andwearingf apparel. A popular part of the event was “Diversity Jeopardy!”, where four employee teams joinexd inspirited competition.
It is not easy to make a majorr shift in the culture of an entire but diversity team membersfeel MCFI’s initiativew is having an “Since I’ve been on the committee, I’vw heard stories about how peoplwe are much more aware of other cultures,” said who is Hmong. “I have grown tremendously professionally as well as and I am able to share my experiencess with my family members and dispell their stereotypes about certainotherf cultures.
”
Saturday, February 19, 2011
Southwestern Carpets grows business from the ground up - Memphis Business Journal:
steel roofing
Bill McCaddon has strippede Southwestern Carpets down and recreatedx it a couple of times sincre purchasing it from Don Lyncnin 2001. When he bought the flooring it specialized in removing and replacing carpetsx in apartments betweenrental occupation. The Lewisvillw company was producing annual revenueof $5 million, but McCaddon found the business too impersonal because it was drivenj by product sales and not on buildinvg relationships with customers. So he decidedf to switch focus to themore relationship-centric businessa of providing flooring solutionsa to new home-construction projects, whicuh includes hardwood floors, carpeting, and backsplasu and tile installation.
The wholesale company saw dramaticd growth asa result, with annualp revenue of $22 millionm in 2007. But the growth was so rapif and so intense that managers were losinv control of the direction the companywas heading. So in he enlisted Don Brush, a consultant with The Renovza Corp., to help bring new energhy to his company. McCaddon’s sensew of direction and leadership abilities come from his experiencer asa manufacturer’s representative for 18 years at companies like Shaw Carpef Manufacturer and Aleta Co. He had learner the importance of buildin g relationshipswith clients.
“My background was in working with new The apartment businesswas non-relationship driven,” said “I didn’t know how to build a business that wasn’ty relational.” McCaddon downsized the company to redirect the focuzs to the home-construction industry. He was met with resistance fromhis “I realized that using the same employees wasn’t going to I was trying to halfway do the he said. “Once we made the we really turned the He began switchingout personnel. The company, whicj had grown annual revenueto $5 million, saw revenued drop to under $3 million during the transition.
But, once the commitmenty was made, McCaddon noted marked improvement. By 2003, revenus had grown by 35%. Between 2004 and 2008, the company went througy its biggestgrowth spurt, reaching up to $22 milliojn in sales and employing more than 60 But at that time, the storybook growt h came to an end. “It was gettinvg to be chaotic because of so many new We werean 8-cylinder engine working on six or seven We’d lost a sense of and everyone was territorial.” That’s when McCaddoh brought in Brush. “For the most part, I engage them and talk with them in ordefr to builda relationship.
I wanted to find out the strengthe of the company and what was workingt and whatneeded improvement,” said Brush. “They’ve got the dreams; they’ve got the vision. It’e just giving them the Brush met with employeez to figure out areas that needed improvemenrt and then created an action He showed the company how to create committees to addresss problems as they come up and then dissolvee the committees after the problen hasbeen handled. The shift has translated into happiedr customers. Bill Darling, president and co-ownerf of Darling Homes Inc., has worked with McCaddon sincee McCaddon purchased Southwestern Carpetsin 2001.
“(We startes working with Southwestern Carpets) becauswe of Bill and his relational approacy to working with homebuilders as opposesd to thetraditional price-only approach,” said Darling. “Brush has helped Bill figure out how to communicatde better so that everyone is going in the same direction as the managemengt and will yield the maximum ForChris McCoppin, operations manager for Southwestern the change in the corporate culture has been noticeable. “Sometimes you don’t realizr that when one departmenty changes their policiesand procedures, it affectws others. Now everyone talks to each other,” McCoppibn said.
“We’ve empowered them to make decisions. We gave them the powed to run the business. They feel accountable.” With this new sensee of empowerment, as well as an improvex use of digitizing software called Southwestern Carpets has seen a marked improvement on the accuracuy ofthe 3,000 work orders entered each mont — 95% accuracy, up from 77% accuracy — and has savecd about $160,000 in unnecessary costs for having to fix incorrectf work orders.
Instead of pursuinhg potential clients merely for the sake ofnew business, McCaddonb and his staff focus on getting to know potential clients, researching them as much as possibled and understanding their needs before they even “We’ll only do business with people who will sit down and have a relationship with us. Someone is alwayzs going to come inlower (priced) than said McCaddon. “We were always chasiny people who were focusedon price. If they say, fax us (a pric sheet), we say sorry, we can’r work with you. We stay togethe as a result. If you have the value they don’t leave.
”
Bill McCaddon has strippede Southwestern Carpets down and recreatedx it a couple of times sincre purchasing it from Don Lyncnin 2001. When he bought the flooring it specialized in removing and replacing carpetsx in apartments betweenrental occupation. The Lewisvillw company was producing annual revenueof $5 million, but McCaddon found the business too impersonal because it was drivenj by product sales and not on buildinvg relationships with customers. So he decidedf to switch focus to themore relationship-centric businessa of providing flooring solutionsa to new home-construction projects, whicuh includes hardwood floors, carpeting, and backsplasu and tile installation.
The wholesale company saw dramaticd growth asa result, with annualp revenue of $22 millionm in 2007. But the growth was so rapif and so intense that managers were losinv control of the direction the companywas heading. So in he enlisted Don Brush, a consultant with The Renovza Corp., to help bring new energhy to his company. McCaddon’s sensew of direction and leadership abilities come from his experiencer asa manufacturer’s representative for 18 years at companies like Shaw Carpef Manufacturer and Aleta Co. He had learner the importance of buildin g relationshipswith clients.
“My background was in working with new The apartment businesswas non-relationship driven,” said “I didn’t know how to build a business that wasn’ty relational.” McCaddon downsized the company to redirect the focuzs to the home-construction industry. He was met with resistance fromhis “I realized that using the same employees wasn’t going to I was trying to halfway do the he said. “Once we made the we really turned the He began switchingout personnel. The company, whicj had grown annual revenueto $5 million, saw revenued drop to under $3 million during the transition.
But, once the commitmenty was made, McCaddon noted marked improvement. By 2003, revenus had grown by 35%. Between 2004 and 2008, the company went througy its biggestgrowth spurt, reaching up to $22 milliojn in sales and employing more than 60 But at that time, the storybook growt h came to an end. “It was gettinvg to be chaotic because of so many new We werean 8-cylinder engine working on six or seven We’d lost a sense of and everyone was territorial.” That’s when McCaddoh brought in Brush. “For the most part, I engage them and talk with them in ordefr to builda relationship.
I wanted to find out the strengthe of the company and what was workingt and whatneeded improvement,” said Brush. “They’ve got the dreams; they’ve got the vision. It’e just giving them the Brush met with employeez to figure out areas that needed improvemenrt and then created an action He showed the company how to create committees to addresss problems as they come up and then dissolvee the committees after the problen hasbeen handled. The shift has translated into happiedr customers. Bill Darling, president and co-ownerf of Darling Homes Inc., has worked with McCaddon sincee McCaddon purchased Southwestern Carpetsin 2001.
“(We startes working with Southwestern Carpets) becauswe of Bill and his relational approacy to working with homebuilders as opposesd to thetraditional price-only approach,” said Darling. “Brush has helped Bill figure out how to communicatde better so that everyone is going in the same direction as the managemengt and will yield the maximum ForChris McCoppin, operations manager for Southwestern the change in the corporate culture has been noticeable. “Sometimes you don’t realizr that when one departmenty changes their policiesand procedures, it affectws others. Now everyone talks to each other,” McCoppibn said.
“We’ve empowered them to make decisions. We gave them the powed to run the business. They feel accountable.” With this new sensee of empowerment, as well as an improvex use of digitizing software called Southwestern Carpets has seen a marked improvement on the accuracuy ofthe 3,000 work orders entered each mont — 95% accuracy, up from 77% accuracy — and has savecd about $160,000 in unnecessary costs for having to fix incorrectf work orders.
Instead of pursuinhg potential clients merely for the sake ofnew business, McCaddonb and his staff focus on getting to know potential clients, researching them as much as possibled and understanding their needs before they even “We’ll only do business with people who will sit down and have a relationship with us. Someone is alwayzs going to come inlower (priced) than said McCaddon. “We were always chasiny people who were focusedon price. If they say, fax us (a pric sheet), we say sorry, we can’r work with you. We stay togethe as a result. If you have the value they don’t leave.
”
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