Corp America December 2016

DECEMBER 2016

Driving Business Through Technology – M3 USA Corporation Craig Overpeck

Richard

Tyler

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Your Essential Guide to Building a Profitable, Sustainable Business in Today’s Marketplace.

– B. Scott Smith Sonic Automotive

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Also in this issue...

Making a Difference - NavCare Life at the Top - Wayne’s Roofing, Inc.

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EDITOR’S NOTE

, Welcome to the December issue of Corp America Magazine.

Following an exciting year, we showcase the very best of the best from throughout 2016; from our CEO of the Year section, which profiles some of the best Chief Executive Officers from across the corporate landscape, through to our Small Cap awards which highlight the most dynamic firms which fall into this company category.

In order to make the New Year even better than the last we invited Richard Tyler, the leading business author, to provide us with the definitive guide to building a profitable, sustainable business in today’s marketplace.

For those who had a stressful holiday season, Corp America has the answer: Shahla Day Spa & Threading in Connecticut, a spa which is on a mission to popularise the concept of threading.

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As 2016 draws to a close we would like to wish all of our readers a very Merry Christmas and a bright and prosperous new year.

CONTENTS

, K Leadership 6. Your Essential Guide to Building a Profitable, Sustainable Business in Today’s Marketplace 10. How Effective Coaching Can and Must Work to Enhance Employee Engagement Support Services & Tech 12. Supporting Women in IT 14. Sonic Automotive 16. CEO of the Year - USA Building Services 18. Life at the Top Marketing & PR 22. Innovating in Market Communications Medical & Pharmaceutical 24. Driving Business Through Technology 28. Making a Difference 30. Mary’s Center: Mastering Marketing to Make an Impact Sustainability & Eco 32. Success in Sustainable Energy Law 34. Practicing Law While Innovating Recruitment 36. All Systems Go Hospitality 38. Bringing European Pampering to Connecticut 40. Winners Directory

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CEO of the Year - Supplement

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Richard Tyler

Your Essential Guide to Building a Profitable, Sustainable Business in Today’s Marketplace

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TYLER TIPS® 21st Century Edition,

by Richard Tyler Company: Richard Tyler International, Inc.® Name: CEO: Richard Tyler Address: 5773 Woodway Dr., Suite 860, Houston, TX 77057-1501, USA Phone: +1-713-974-7214 Websites: www.RichardTyler.com www.SalesImmersion.com www.RichardTylerTechnologies.com

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Your Essential Guide to Building a Profitable, Sustainable Business in Today’s Marketplace Flat or declining sales are what many companies and salespeople are facing today. Let’s face the facts - there is a lot of uncertainty right now. All that uncertainty leads to individuals and businesses holding on to their money.

So, what can you do about it? I’m going to give you 7 reasons why sales are flat or declining and what you can do to make your sales begin to soar! I guaranteed that if you commit to these changes and begin to always look for new ways to improve, your sales skills you will see improvement.

2. SALES CYCLE Identify the length of your Average Sales Cycle. A Sales Cycle is calculated by determining the length of time from your first contact with a customer until the customer invests in your products or services. This will vary greatly by business type. To illustrate this point, here are some examples: If you are a Quick Lube retail store, your Sales Cycle is 10 minutes. If you are a Real Estate Agent, it may be several months.

If you are selling complex enterprise solutions it may be a few months to over a year.

You get the idea. It will vary but you need to determine yours.

In each of these cases you will have variances as well. One of your sales may take 7 days, another 14 days and another 30 days. Adding up all the time each sale took and dividing by the number of sales determine your Average Sales Cycle.

In the example I just used, you would add the 7 days plus the 14 days plus the 30 days, which would total 51 days. You then divide that by the total number of sales (in this case 3). You have 51 days divided by 3 sales, which leaves you with an Average Sales Cycle of 17 days.

Each time you make a new sale, add the time that sale took to complete to the previous total.

Then divide by the new total number of sales. If you do this every time you will keep your Average Sales Cycle up to date and perpetual.

This information is vital because one of the ways to get more time to get more customers is to reduce your Average Sales Cycle (without reducing the dollar amount of your Average Sale).

If you do not track and know

your Average Sales Cycle, you will have little or no impact on it.

This is just as true for a business as it is for an individual.

3. CHANGING PERSONNEL Clients are always going to have people who leave as your main point of contact. Some will quit, some will retire, some will be promoted, some will be demoted, some will transfer, etc.… The main point is they will no longer be your main decision maker. In some cases, they will stay; however, for some reason they will be unwilling or unable to make decision you need. In

“Remember, your success tomorrow is in direct proportion to your “Commitment to Excellence®” today.”

order to make sure your sales don’t stall out and go flat, you will need to identify all the decision makers and establish relationships with each. At every visit, you need to expand your points of contact and look for new decision makers.

4. CAN’T GET AN APPOINTMENT Remember, there will always be times when you just won’t get an appointment, no matter what you do. However, most often not getting an appointment is a result of lack of preparation and confidence.

To remedy this, first you have to project yourself in the role of a confident, trusted, well-prepared business advisor and professional.

Nothing breeds confidence more than having a plan of action.

For example: think of 10 reasons why a customer could object to meeting with you. Then write out the answer to each objection.

Keep in mind that the answers must address why meeting with you would be beneficial to your potential client.

Once you have the answers, script a role-play (write a script as

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1. TIME MANAGEMENT Look at the existing technology that is available to you, and use it! To grow your sales, you will need to put dedicated time into all the necessary actions, such as: prospecting, contacting, followthrough, relationship building, personal development, marketing (traditional and social media), networking, research, planning, competitive analysis and roleplaying practice, just to name a few. Each needs to be scheduled so that nothing gets missed.

Your Essential Guide to Building a Profitable, Sustainable Business in Today’s Marketplace

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, if two actors where going to act it out) on how you can get them to see their way clear to meet with you. Practice the answers in role-play form with someone else until you are smooth and confident. If you are in retail and the customer comes to you, for all intents and purposes you have the appointment.

In this case, you need to go through the same exercise.

However, your 10 reasons should address why a customer might delay making a decision on owning your product or service today.

5. PRICE CONCERNS You have got to present only what has value to your customers. Average salespeople will tell a customer everything about their product and/or services without finding out what the problem is the customer is looking to solve. Before presenting anything about your products or services, you must find out the problem for which the customer needs a solution.

This is done through the use of Wants and Needs Analysis™ questions. Once the problem has been diagnosed properly, excellent sales professionals present only the Features, Advantages and Benefits (F.A.B.’s) that represent value to the customer in solving their problem. Presenting anything else means the customer is paying for F.A.B.’s that have no real value to their situation.

Anytime someone feels they are paying for something they will not use or will not get value from, a Price Concern will always be the result.

6. CUSTOMER CAN’T GET APPROVAL If you have gotten this far, maybe you didn’t ask the ‘Right Questions’ up front. Make sure that whom you are talking to makes the decisions in this area.

Determine through proper Wants and Needs Analysis™ questions what products they want and/or need and what they can afford.

Remember, there are only two things that need to be present in order for a sale to happen:

1. You have to have a product or service that your customer Wants and/or Needs, and 2.

They have to have the ability to pay for it. Both of these conditions must be met at the same time.

7. NOT ENOUGH PROSPECTS It is important to always be adding potential customers to your sales pipeline. They must be companies or individuals that can legitimately benefit from what you offer. It is true that it is harder and more expensive to find new customers than to keep and expand business with the ones that you already have.

You must both find new customers and expand business with existing customers in order to keep your sales growing. For the customers that you have now, look for new ways to do business with them (i.e. look at their different departments and different locations). They may not know that you offer some of the products and/or services that they are currently getting somewhere else. You can find all this out by asking the ‘Right Questions’.

As for companies that you have no business with now, look at the companies your direct competitors do business with as the first source of prospects.

They should all be potential customers for you. Thoroughly examine all the capabilities of your company and its products or services.

The food service company was used to this request since they had worked predominately with airlines for years, and the portion size was always a concern for the reasons already mentioned.

When the airline industry had a huge downturn, the company’s sales reacted accordingly.

Fewer flights meant fewer boxed lunches. When we first discussed with them the idea of looking outside their industry, it was met with resistance. But after some effort they began to look at other places where small packages of fresh fruit or vegetables could solve some problems. To make a long story short, several prepared packaged lunch programs for schools had this need. Better still, the need existed in programs all across the country.

The resulting sales grew to be even larger than the sales to the airline industry and were not as fluctuating due to the economy.

If it made sense that prepared school lunches were using the small packages of fresh fruit or vegetables, then what about lunches being made at home?

That question led to sales with national, regional and local grocery stores.

So today, the company is much larger than it previously was. It has a much more diverse base of customers, it has stabilised its income stream; it has expanded its offerings, and their products

are available everywhere. All this happened because this food service company asked the ‘Right Questions’ and looked outside their traditional customer base into other industries to see who else might have similar problems to solve.

They continued this process to expand into new sales channels, which greatly enhanced the company’s revenue and profits.

There are many reasons why sales may decline or be flat. Some are out of your control. However, the 7 reasons that I have listed here are in your control. Address them with the positive action steps we recommend, and you will see results begin immediately. Keep in mind, success is an ongoing lifetime journey not a destination.

Now get busy making yourself the best you can be!

Richard Tyler is the World’s Top Sales and Management Expert.

Subscribe to Tyler Tips® for more Personal and Professional development principles at www.TylerTips.com ©1989-2016, Richard Tyler.

All rights reserved. Except as permitted under the United States Copyright act of 1976, no part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means or stored in any database or retrieval system without prior written permission from Richard Tyler.

Some may be under-utilised and can be developed with a little effort. Investigate other industries that are using similar products or services. It is not uncommon for many industries or groups to have similar needs and problems. As an example, to illustrate this: a number of years ago, a food services company was working with an airline. The airline wanted fresh vegetable snacks included in their boxed lunches to be passed out on the plane. The packs needed to be small so that costs could be low and so there would be little waste and no storage issues in the limited space available.

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How to Enhance Employee Engagement For Greater Results In this last of four installments in Corp America Magazine, Jayne Jenkins, Executive Coach at the Churchill Leadership Group and Executive Coach of the Year, explores another essential aspect of her market, which has a direct impact on the success of a business and its leadership: Employee Engagement. What exactly does Employee Engagement mean, and why are business leaders so interested in it?

To Jayne, the be-all and endall of employee engagement is to drive better results and to empower employees to be at their very best. Jayne distinguishes highly-engaged employees through their distinctive behaviour.

Jayne describes employees who are fully engaged are passionate about their jobs, are committed to their company, and choose to put discretionary effort into their work. Employee engagement is not the same as employee satisfaction (For example, an employee might be satisfied with showing up at work and enjoying spending 30% of their time on social media which has no benefit to the company!). A highly engaged employee performs tasks that will benefit the company, helps their peers, drives solutions and results forward, and demonstrates a higher level of overall commitment. In turn an engaged employee benefits as there is a greater sense of purpose in their job and they enjoy their work more.

Having distinguished what engagement means to an employer and how it benefits a company, Jayne reveals that

there is way of discerningly measuring it. “The most common way is through an engagement survey, which companies typically conduct once or more a year.

It is becoming more common for companies to do them with greater frequency, such as biannually or once every quarter.

The tool utilised by the Churchill Leadership Group is the well established and highly popular Q12 by Gallup. Gallup’s researches have spent decades surveying more than 25 million employees from around the world, to ensure the wording and order of the Q12 questions accurately measure employee engagement.

The 12 questions that arose from this meticulous research measure how the the most important needs of employees are being met with Churchill’s clients. Jayne describes “some of the more basic needs include having the right equipment to do their job, and the desire for regular recognition. In addition it measures needs related to what they get from their manager, how they work with their team and how they professionally grow. ” “The great thing about the Q12 is that we can tailor it to each unique client’s needs and

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measure subsets of groups that the client desires (as long as each group is a size of 4 or more to maintain confidentiality for the survey participants).

As a point of reference, the percentage of U.S. workers in 2015 whom Gallup considered to be “engaged” in their jobs averaged 32%. The majority (50.8%) of employees still had some of their fundamental needs unmet and so were termed “not engaged,” while another 17.2% were ‘actively disengaged’ - physically present, but psychologically absent. The 2015 averages are largely on par

“The great thing about the Q12 is that we can tailor it to each unique client’s needs and measure subsets of groups that the client desires.”

with the 2014 averages and reflect little improvement in employee engagement over the past year.

“When a team leader is trained on Employee Engagement (which is what Churchill Leadership Group Inc. does for clients) then the leader knows what these the 12 questions mean and he or she can work with their team to improve engagement so that everyone benefits. We prepare leaders for “State of the Team” meetings - a collaborative and high impact team meeting where together the team creates an engagement action plan.

Once leaders are experienced and know how to engage team members they are no longer thinking of Employee Engagement as an annual survey, rather something they need to thinking about daily. It is not hard for a leader to cause high engagement, but we find leaders are not getting the necessary training to be a “Great Manager,” that is when clients call Churchill Leadership Group Inc. Jayne states. “Leaders need to have regular and highly effective conversations with team members to make sure that they get what they need, using these 12 questions by Gallup as a guide.”

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How Effective Coaching Can and Must Work to Enhance Employee Engagement

What comes next for a company, after having conducted an engagement survey?

Jayne explains that the thing that all companies should avoid is a situation where they hold a survey and then do nothing. “As obvious as that sounds,” she makes clear, “it happens more frequently than many people might think.

Doing that results is more likely to cause disengagement because employees have placed their trust in their employers by honestly participating in the confidential survey, and if there is no discernible outcome or noticeable changes, then employees question how much their employer really cares?.

“What companies should do,” Jayne continues, “is to thoroughly review their Q12 results, communicate the results with context and we help a company do that effectively.

We also provide coaching and training to set leaders up for their ‘State of the Team” meetings plus work with organizations on any necessary skill building their leaders may need e.g. “How To Set Clear Expectations” and how to “Give Meaningful Feedback.”

In addition one of the questions asks if an employee gets to do what he/she does best everyday and that is where our Churchill Leadership Group Clifton StrengthsFinder® programs come in. He help leaders and teams identify and maximize their strengths at work which in turn increases Employee Engagement.

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In conclusion, Jayne sees employee engagement as the extent to which employees feel passionate about their jobs, are committed to the organization, and are willing to put discretionary effort into their work. As a distinct and arguably more important metric than employee satisfaction, Jayne underpins that it is an increasingly important aspect of any successful business that its leaders know what it takes for employees to be engaged and in order for the team / organization to deliver at its best.

Company: Churchill Leadership Group Contact: Jayne Jenkins Website: churchillleadershipgroup.com Telephone: +1-813-956-3445

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Supporting Women in IT

Company: Davis Unlimited Information Technologies, Inc. (DUIT) Contact: Denise L. Davis, CEO Email: duit@duit.us Telephone: +1-844-NOW.DUIT Website: www.duit.us

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Supporting Women in IT Davis Unlimited Information Technologies, Inc. (DUIT) is a woman owned and minority owned small disadvantaged business information technology consultant Company that provides information technology services for systems engineering, software development, program management and IT modernization. We caught up with CEO Denise Davis to find out more.

DUIT provides i n f o r m a t i o n technology services in Maryland, DC and Virginia, adding value to its services by offering a skilled and committed team of employees whose professionalism and ingenuity is what helps set the firm apart from others, as Denise explains.

IT trends out there but Denise sees this as a vital focus for the company and therefore her employees choose disciplines to focus on in their area of expertise, ensuring that this workload is spread out across the company.

Denise discusses the importance of keeping up to date with the latest developments and how her firm achieve this.

“Fundamentally it is DUIT’s superior talent that adds value to any team by providing knowledgeable professionals.

We only hire experienced IT professionals who understand the customer’s unique mission to provide enterprise systems engineering, architecture, systems design and software engineering capabilities.

“Companies who continue to use legacy software, tools and services run the risk of becoming obsolete and irrelevant. One of DUIT’s mottos is “Keep it Relevant”, and in order to achieve this we have a culture that fosters education and training. Our employees are constantly training, obtaining certifications, attending seminars and conferences to make sure that they stay relevant in this ever changing world of technology.

“As a company we have previous experience working for the federal government, the Department of Defense, academia and industry. DUIT works closely with stakeholders to gather requirements to design systems and develop software solutions using repeatable processes and reusable artefacts for performance and efficiency.”

Since DUIT is an IT modernization consultant company, it is very important that the firm remains at the forefront of the latest technology developments and trends in order to stay relevant and marketable. As new technology is released it becomes more and difficult to keep up with all of the

“In addition DUIT does market research, utilize social media, engage focus groups and we work with our partners and customers and utilize best practices and IT, program management, systems engineering and software development industry standards.

DUIT also attends conferences, trade shows, training, and various technical exchanges and working groups to make sure that we know about the innovative solutions that are coming out there.”

As well as seeking advice and ideas from industry peers and clients, Denise is also keen to listen to her employees, and

as such operates a supportive, collaborative internal culture.

Denise listens to her employees input before making decisions.

Whenever there is an issue at DUIT, DUIT’s employees know the first two questions Denise is going to ask is what is your recommendation for how to solve the problem and what can we do to prevent this from occurring in the future.

This is because she believes in finding her employees strengths and placing them in roles that allow them to build upon their natural talents and strengths and believes in integrity first and foremost, both internally and externally. As employees feel supported and understood they are able to pass this on to clients, working collaboratively

“Our mission at DUIT is to be the best at what we do, and as such we pride ourselves on understanding the requirements of our customers.”

with them to achieve the outcome they require. This approach is reflected in the firm’s mission which Denise is keen to highlight.

“Our mission at DUIT is to be the best at what we do, and as such we pride ourselves on understanding the requirements of our customers, paying attention to details, providing excellent customer service and efficient delivery of all products, tools and services. We believe that information technology expertise combined with a strong work ethic and effective time management is the key to building innovative tools and cutting edge services in a timely manner before they become obsolete. DUIT will do it right the first time every time.”

Fundamentally, as a mother of two young children and the CEO of a business Denise has a lot on her plate; however, her focus remains on supporting other women to succeed in this male dominated market.

“Many small businesses often focus on what they do not have but I have always focused on DUIT’s potential and where I want my firm to be in the future. Moving forward I will continue to train, hire, offer more opportunities to serve as a role model for other women and minorities across the math and science sectors.” The goal is for DUIT to become the go to company for enterprise IT support and services so “Why Wait? Let’s DUIT!”

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Sonic Automotive

Company: Sonic Automotive Website: www.sonicautomotive.com

“It is a way of working, built on the foundation of who we are today, and defines who we will be when moving forward.”

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Sonic Automotive It has been said that everything rises and falls on leadership. For Sonic Automotive, it all started when O. Bruton Smith as a young man, fell in love with cars and began racing and building cars in his parent’s garage and subsequently began selling them in his front yard.

His passion for building, racing, and selling automobiles led him to open his first used car dealership in Charlotte, North Carolina. As co-founder of Sonic, it is Mr. B. Scott Smith that is responsible for the day-to-day operations of the company, and Corp America caught up with him to explore his role in the company as well as his impact upon its operations.

Today, Sonic Automotive is wellrenowned as a Fortune 500 company and member of the Russell 2000 Index; it is among the largest automotive retailers in the United States. These dealerships provide comprehensive services, including sales of both new and used cars and light trucks, sales of replacement parts, performance of vehicle maintenance, warranty, paint and collision repair services, and arrangement of extended warranty contracts, financing and insurance for the company’s customers.

As an industry-leading automotive retailer, there is a definitive obligation at the heart of Sonic Automotive to commit to providing its customers with an outstanding automotive experience, and this is achieved with aplomb. Delivering these services with professionalism, integrity and enthusiasm is

paramount to Scott mission at the head of the company.

In addition to being co-founder and Chief Executive Officer, B. Scott Smith is also President and a Director of Sonic Automotive.

Prior to his appointment as Chief Executive Officer in July 2015, Mr. Smith served as President and Chief Strategic Officer of Sonic since March 2007. Prior to that, Mr. Smith served as Sonic’s Vice Chairman and Chief Strategic Officer from October 2002 to March 2007 and President and Chief Operating Officer from April 1997 until October 2002.

Mr. Smith has been a director of Sonic since its organization in January 1997, and as such uses his considerable experience – in excess of 25 years – in the automobile dealership industry to present the automotive firm as the clear choice to prospective car buyers.

There is a certain hard truth that Scott and Sonic readily admit to: the car-buying experience, as a whole, is fundamentally broken.

Customers come to the dealership ready for a fight over getting the very best deal, which often pits them against the dealership and does guarantee that they will end up with the vehicle that is best suited for them and their needs. “That’s no way to build relationships or run a business,” is Sonic’s official stance. From guest interaction, through the entire life of the guests’ vehicles,

Sonic profess to being no longer in the car-selling business; rather, the firm is in a place where guest satisfaction is key, and where every car deserves a happy owner.

This simple understanding as to the value of the customer determines Sonic’s entire position: from shopping to owning, Sonic has created an automotive retail experience designed around its guests, for the guests. By recognizing and addressing the ‘consumer pain points’ that Sonic sees have existed for years, Scott Smith and his team create not only happy guests to the dealership, but happy owners.

This ultimately boils down to four key points that pinpoint Sonic’s attitude to the market, and the way in which they are prepared to conduct their business.

• “Easy – we have removed the pain points of typical dealerships and offer expert guidance along the way.

• “Enjoyable – we offer a pressure-free experience; one where guests are in control, and we are there to offer help when needed.

• “Empowering – every employee is an active participant.

Not just executors, but definers and agents of change.

• Open – we put the control firmly in the hands of our Guests, earning their trust through transparency and shared knowledge.”

The notion of creating a car dealership chain that puts the customer first is a simple idea, but it is one with very big implications.

It sets the new, high standard for car dealerships to market themselves, as well as their approach to sales and service. It is the culmination of Scott’s journey in the industry, and there is no turning back from this mission to bring about real change.

“It is a way of working, built on the foundation of who we are today, and defines who we will be when moving forward.”

While the Sonic Automotive Brand serves as an umbrella brand to its multiple dealerships across the country, the company’s tone may change depending on the audience and situation. It is important, however, that the overarching Sonic Automotive Brand is always communicated as one company and one brand; the company’s personality represents who they are, and the image that they present to the customer.

No small part of transforming the way people buy cars involves transforming how people perceive the entire process. From purchase to service, through the entire life of a guest’s vehicle, it is Scott’s job to take the mystery out of the experience. This selfless, communal and empowering approach is ultimately why Sonic’s guests choose them and their dealerships.

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It was the leadership of Bruton Smith that formed the foundation of the Company that Scott celebrates today. With 20 stores across 13 states, 25 represented brands and several hundred employees, Sonic Automotive was launched as a public company in November 1997. It is that same commitment to leadership, exercised every day since that year by every one of the company’s associates, that has made Sonic Automotive so successful.

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Simplifying Customer Loyalty

Company: Interactcrm Contact: Snehal Patel Address: 35111 Newark Blvd #122, Newark CA 94560, USA Email: connect@interactcrm.com Telephone: +1-510-795-7645 Website: www.interactcrm.com

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CEO of the Year - USA Interactcrm is the developer of the Interactcrm Customer Experience Platform, or ICX, a fully omni channel customer interaction management platform. Not only does Interactcrm have customers across the globe, from the European, Middle East and Africa (EMEA) and Asia-Pacific (APAC) regions to the USA, but the company also maintains a diverse reach across multiple industries that stand to benefit from the ICX platform, including banking, financial, utilities, insurance, e-commerce and manufacturing sectors. We spoke to CEO Snehal Patel to find out more about the company.

As a first-generation immigrant from India, who came to the USA to pursue a Master’s Degree in Computer Engineering at USC, Snehal spent almost a decade working for small and large companies in USA, before striking out to lead a lifestyle in which he could achieve greater control over his time and destiny. “I founded Interactcrm in 2002 and have been CEO since the beginning,” he says. “I am responsible for Vision, Strategy and Overall Execution.

As a bootstrapped operation with no external investment till date, I have to also manage cashflow and ensure that the business continually remains financially sustainable and is able to grow.

While I have to keep an eye on financial management, I spend most of my time with the product team to help define product direction, and with the sales team to drive revenues.

“After spending almost eight years as a services company, Interactcrm used its domain expertise to build the Omnichannel Customer Experience platform known as ICX. Turning Interactcrm into a

product company was challenging since the immediate cashflow started diminishing. But it had to be done as a strategic move to create sustainability and drive IP and valuation. We did manage to get through it with a lot of pain and finally the product was shipped and we are now a license revenue driven operation and not a services company anymore. This remains one of the most challenging things I have accomplished at Interactcrm.”

This push to overcome challenging market situations, and to bring real, meaningful assistance to companies in need of sophisticated software, takes a solid form in ICX, which allows companies to manage real time interaction with their customers via voice, email, web chat, SMS and social channels. The system allows a customer service representative to see full omnichannel interaction history for every single customer.

Every interaction is personalized and routed based on customer profile, past interaction history and other intelligence such that the customer experience is personal and delightful. At the heart of the system is customer context management, which allows for the context of any conversation to be preserved and presented to the right person at the right time.

Discussing the innovation that gave birth to the ICX platform, Snehal demonstrates the need for a strong knowledge of the market, as a backbone to conducting

business in sometimes-challenging circumstances. “Firstly, you need to know the market very well,” he expands. “The domain knowledge is crucial; this is why you should stick to your core competence when you build a company.

“Secondly, you need to be honest about what you cannot do and who you cannot compete with.

We tend to get emotional about what we build but you have to be practical since at the end of the day what you build is useless if nobody is willing to buy it.”

“Finally, you have to drive innovation within your team and challenge them to do new things.

Not easy to do with a limited risk appetite that a bootstrapped company tends to have but a balance has to be struck as much as possible.”

By keeping constant track of new and emerging trends, and by spending time in Silicon Valley, Snehal witnesses a lot of innovation, and that helps him and his team to develop fleshed-out long term strategies, with enough flexibility to account for any major upsets in market conditions. When it comes to products, flexibility is paramount – open system architecture, Snehal says, is the only safety against a changing world.

“For example,” he adds, “Software as a Service (SaaS) was not a factor a decade ago but today it is becoming a way of life for many companies. You have to deal

with constant change in the tech industry and ensure your platform has some ability to adapt. You cannot always predict the future but you have to find a way to hedge your bets the best you can.”

From a business strategy standpoint, Snehal realises that is often tough to compete with larger players. “We sell enterprise software to big corporations and often face stiff competition from larger players. The way we dealt with this is to build a niche for ourselves and be nimble. The flexibility and speed of execution has served us well and that is critical in such a scenario. Trying to be all things to everyone is a recipe for failure, especially for a start-up. It is a tough call to make, since every bit of revenue looks attractive to the needy, but some tough decisions have to be made in the interest of long-term success; that is my responsibility to shoulder.”

Interactcrm has evolved into a mature product company with marquee customers, and Snehal recognises that it now needs to reach the next level of growth; given the market landscape, he looks forward to M&A scenarios in which he and his company can work with larger organizations and give them significant added value. Five years from now, Snehal sees himself spending more time advising start-ups as a mentor, and assisting them in growing from the same humble origins as Interactcrm once did.

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Any company that has a team of dedicated people managing customer service is a good fit for ICX, and Interactcrm’s CEO, Snehal, expresses a strong desire to drive loyalty to the company through exceptional customer experience, hence the company tagline, “Simplifying Customer Loyalty”.

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Life at the Top

Company: Wayne’s Roofing, Inc. Contact: Ashlee Wetherbee Address: 13105 Houston Rd. E Sumner WA 98390 Email: ashlee@waynesroofing.com Website: www.waynesroofing.com Telephone: +1-253-750-3257

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BUILDING SERVICES

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Life at the Top Wayne’s Roofing, Inc is a full-service professional roofing and waterproofing contractor performing work with both public and private sectors on commercial, industrial, retail, institutional, and warehouse buildings. Wayne’s is licensed in several Western states; its primary market being Western Washington, along the Interstate-5 corridor from Centralia to Everett, and into the Eastern portion of the Kitsap Peninsula. Executive Vice-President of Wayne’s Roofing, Rod Wetherbee, offers a demonstration as to the company’s vision for encouraging wider industry participation and offering one of a kind service to customers.

“In our industry,” Rod begins, “every aspect of the job is important.” From the initial contact with the client to the final closeout, with great people by his side, Rod is able to educate the customer on their roofing decisions in the best way possible. “I am a firm believer that if you are able to educate your customer, you will narrow your competition by 80 percent,” he continues “To maximize this, we support manufacturers which limit their contractor base to the top-quality installers, like ourselves, and work with suppliers that deliver products on time and in good condition.”

“Simply put, success means hiring great people and surrounding yourself with other companies that hire great people – using the best workforce to complete the project is the way forward.”

Rod says, “I empower my team members and allow them to make their own decisions… Wayne’s Roofing is signatory to Roofers and Waterproofing Local 153, and we pride ourselves on having the best workforce around. We perform self-audits on all of our projects to ensure the customer is getting what we sold them, and then follow-up on these projects well after completion to ensure that customer satisfaction is long-lived.”

This customer outreach comes especially easy to Rod, who describes himself as a people person; expanding on this, he says, “I have a strong ability to read peoples body positioning and facial expressions. I am selfmotivated – every sale creates a rush of adrenaline in my body and gives me the desire to keep on going. It is also important to realize sometimes things will happen that you may not like, as well. What is important is to make sure that those setbacks do not bog you down. Instead, realize the mistake, learn from it and do not make the same mistake twice.”

Rod’s understanding of this dynamic within the company is representative of his longstanding association with the company, and with the wider industry beforehand.

Having been Vice-President and a shareholder of Wayne’s Roofing since 2000, he looks back to the formative days of his career; while he started at the age of 12 offloading trucks and refilling them with gasoline, during high school he transitioned to the roof installation business, fulfilling various products on commercial buildings.

“While attending Highline Community College and Green River Community College, I continued to work on the roofs,” he recalls. “I later transferred and graduated from Arizona State University with a Major in Business and an emphasis in land development. While attending school, I worked for a real estate brokerage firm. During the summers in between college terms, I transitioned from working on the roofs at Wayne’s Roofing to estimating and selling roofing.”

Rod recalls how, while working on the roofs, the most difficult part was when a fellow employee recognized him as the son of the boss. Exploring this, he says, “The trick was to work as hard as possible.” Later, as Rod transitioned into estimating, he was 18 but looked 14, which introduced another curious dynamic for him to overcome. “It was hard to get the respect of the construction superintendents and some of the owners, at first; the key to getting over that particular hurdle was persistence and knowledge. Once they realized that I wasn’t some young, punk kid, and that I actually knew what I was talking about, I was able to build upon the respect that they, themselves, demand.”

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“Simply put, success means hiring great people and surrounding yourself with other companies that hire great people.”

Life at the Top

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BUILDING SERVICES

, “In 2015 my title was changed to Executive Vice-President,” he says. In this key position within the company, Rod oversees the sales department and the bids undertaken on potential new projects for Wayne’s Roofing to execute to the highest standard.

He also attends industry events, and maintains and builds a network of customer relationships, so that he is in the best possible position to offer fruitful advice on new marketing ideas for the company and its branding. Above and beyond all of these responsibilities, Rod also finds himself involved in all of the major decisions affecting the company, such acquiring new partners to ensure Wayne’s Roofing continues to prosper well after I retire.”

As Executive Vice-President at Wayne’s Roofing, Rod regularly comes into contact with a variety of personalities and has a unique approach to management. “My style is to relate to people and let the individuals make their own decisions, while I offer input, advise, and share my knowledge,” he says. “I would say that I am collaborative by embracing their ideas and sharing my ideas until we find solutions. One mind might be good, but many minds working together can be great – at Wayne’s Roofing, we are a team with great minds and we have been very fortunate to be blessed with great people, which is certainly making my job much easier.”

Rod has witnessed major transformations in the company over the last decade and a half and identifies various factors at play in the wider industry that have the potential to affect Wayne’s Roofing. In particular, the introduction of new technologies is a potential medium of change that he considers to be very important. “Technology is making the biggest impact of all. It is ever-changing, and requires you to think fast and transition even faster,” he says. “If you do not keep up with the new incoming technology, then you can and will be left behind.”

Justifying this, Rod points towards the increase in competition in the market, which is itself enabled by technology, as a just cause for further developing the technical abilities of Wayne’s Roofing’s staff. “More and more of the projects on which we obtain require us to be technologically savvy; from preparing the initial bid, selling the bid, managing the project robustly and efficiently throughout its duration, all the way to billing and invoicing.

that the company has already hired additional staff to assume some of his roles. Furthermore, Rod has been intimately involved in bringing in two new owners to take the helm that have worked their way up the ranks since High school and now share in the well-deserved ownership. The ultimate goal shared between these two executive figures as it reaches this influential stage is to continue the legacy that Rod’s father started back in 1969.

When asked how Rod assures they are staying on top of the technological increases, he says, “We are active in many industry groups and organizations, allowing us to keep abreast of what is current and changing in our market. We listen to our customers, as they know what they want and it is helpful to hear what they expect or would like to see.”

“We want to continue the legacy that Don and myself, along with many of our team members, have dedicated their lives towards. As such, with the addition of these two new individuals – Dan as Vice-President of Operations, and Brian as Vice-President of Sales – to the company’s ownership, it is just the beginning of our succession planning. We continue to seek out talented and committed team members, both within and outside of the company, to ensure growth and success well into the future.

“Ultimately, the only thing that is constant is change,” he summaries. This is certainly true of the wider industry, there are significant ongoing developments within the company, as one generation of the company’s ownership prepares to yield ground to the next, ushering in a new, transformative time for the company.

Over the past several years, Rod has been working hard alongside Don Guthrie, the President of Wayne’s Roofing, to come up with a game plan for the company’s long-term prospects. While Don Guthrie plans on retiring in the next couple years, Rod mentions

“We are, all of us, looking forward to the great things yet to come.”

“As we grow and transition our company ownership, it important we maintain the same foundation this company was founded on: trust, relationships, and quality.

Although we will break our personal record in volume this year, during the current transition, our goal is to focus our efforts on increasing customer satisfaction, focussing on developing our staff for the ownership transition, and continuing to train our team to the best this industry has to offer.”

“We are, all of us, looking forward to the great things yet to come.”

As Don Guthrie transitions out of his role as President over the next two years, Rod sees himself transitioning as well, taking over some of Don’s duties, while sharing those duties with others in the company, in order to realize the legacy of Wayne’s Roofing, while delivering on his personal pledge to empower his people and cement their own future along with that of the company.

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MARKETING & PR

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Innovating in Marketing Communications Michael Walters Advertising (MWA) is a fully-integrated agency specializing in brand development, media planning and buying and digital marketing. We caught up with Vice-President and Managing Director Jim Lake, to learn more about the firm and the innovative solutions it provides.

Established in 1988, MWA operates and has clients in all 50 states, Canada, Mexico and Puerto Rico, specializing in higher education, healthcare, insurance, building products, sports team and franchise business. The firm supports a range of national household names, including Morton’s Steakhouse, Auto Owners Insurance, Paul Mitchell Schools and the World Champion Chicago Cubs.

Jim, who has been with the firm since inception, talks us through his role and leadership style.

“My primary role at MWA is to continually build a culture of creativity, openness, caring and a genuine passion for our clients’ success. I also work with our senior leadership to set creative and media strategy for our clients.

“Fundamentally, our leadership style revolves around teamwork and collaboration. Everyone at MWA has a voice in our culture and is key to our continued success. Our management is governed by our basic principles: to treat people like adults and they will behave like and assume the responsibilities of adults; hire good, caring people; work as teams and let people do what you hired them to do. In addition, we always have our clients’ best interests and success in mind,

and every one of our staff is passionate about everything they do. Overall, we try to have fun and enjoy ourselves.”

Remaining at the forefront of emerging developments is vital in advertising, with technology being key to providing clients with the service they need, whilst remaining at the forefront of the latest industry innovations.

“One of the advantages of our diverse client roster is our ability to always be early adopters. We placed our clients on Pandora when it was in its infancy and most listeners were very young.

Since then, it has become the mainstream for adults of 35-54 years, while millennials move on to other platforms. Since we market to people between the ages of 16 and 85, we endeavour to evolve with the trends.

“We never try to keep up with these trends; we stay ahead of them. Everything we do and every dollar we spend on behalf of our clients involves A/B testing. That process never ends. We keep testing and targeting to deliver the best ROI. That’s why all of our clients are experiencing double digit growth, regardless of industry.

“Ultimately, keeping up with technology is imperative for survival in our industry. When we moved to our office in Chicago, we wanted to be near the newspaper

22 CORP AMERICA / DECEMBER 2016

offices. Now, we never run print.

Over 50 per cent of our media is digital. Every day we try new options like geo-targeting and behavioural modeling. But, while the new technology is amazing, we also know people still watch TV, still listen to the radio and still respond to billboards, and therefore, we always try not to lose sight of what consumers want.”

“But, while the new technology is amazing, we also know people still watch TV, still listen to the radio and still respond to billboards, and therefore, we always try not to lose sight of what consumers want.”

One of the clearest examples of MWA’s field-leading work in rebranding and marketing of companies and their mission has come through the firm’s work with New York-based municipal bonds insurer Build America Mutual (BAM).

BAM’s mission is to improve municipal bond liquidity and market access for issuers by providing municipal bondholders with an unconditional, irrevocable guarantee that principal and interest will be paid on schedule.

Their desire to redesign their brand led MWA to create a solution based around extensive market research, followed by a robust media plan focussing on investor sources, targeting Financial Advisors and Municipal Finance Professionals, so as to reintroduce BAM to the market, garnering greater exposure and interest.

Long-term brand building such as this requires careful and diligent management to maintain a consistent, relevant presence in the hearts and minds of the target audience. MWA is especially devoted to efforts to derive a very particular brand philosophy, one which upholds the company’s proprietary ‘Map to Market’ process, which has been developed over the course of 25 years. This allows MWA to dive deeper in the target audience of its clients and understand who exactly they are and what

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motivates them to succeed in their chosen area. This is the most important aspect to creating a successful rebrand.

“The process begins with the gathering of pertinent information that will be critical to understanding where the client is currently. This starting point allows us to identify key potential pitfalls and barriers that have impacted the company, perhaps causing it to degrade in some aspects over time. Positive feedback can then be harnessed as we develop the new brand structure. Only by understanding where the company is now and where it has been, can MWA effectively start their development process.”

“Tools that are routinely used in the process include a survey of current and potential customers, which are identified by the cloning of current and past customers.

The surveys will uncover a wide variety of information that will include demographic, psychographic, lifestyle, brand perception and ultimately begin to frame the brand as it stands currently.”

“Following this, the next step is to take the current brand perception based on the survey answers and validate it by utilizing focus groups (both external and internal audiences). This will allow MWA to dive deeper into the survey questions and further expand on the respondents’ answers, so as to uncover more of the emotional and motivational factors associated with the client.”

Looking ahead, Jim is excited about the future, as he concludes by discussing the firm’s goals and how it aims to achieve them.

“In five years’ time, I see myself continuing to lead MWA into the high-tech future of advertising.

At the same time, we will adhere to the old-fashioned principles of respect and consideration, in order to continue providing our clients with the services they need. This aim will provide us with many opportunities for growth and we look forward to taking advantage of these going forward.”

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Driving Business Through Technology

Company: M3 USA Corporation Email: info@usa.m3.com Phone: +1-202-293-2288 Web Address: usa.m3.com Address: 501 Office Center Dr #410 Washington DC 20036

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MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL Photo courtesy Beth Reilly

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Driving Business Through Technology M3 USA Corporation is the US subsidiary of M3 Inc., a leader in the digital transformation of healthcare, and owner of the largest combined physician community in the world. This Pennsylvaniabased subsidiary was created by CTO Craig Overpeck, who details the achievements and breakthroughs that M3’s dedicated staff have enjoyed.

M3 takes its names from Media Medicine Metamorphosis, which aptly covers the sectors in which Craig Overpeck and his firm operate.

In the digital health space, with verticals in pharmaceutical marketing, market research, and hospital recruitment in the USA, Forbes has ranked M3 fifth on its list of Innovative Growth companies in 2016.

In the US alone, the company uses flagship MDLinx.com, created

by Craig Overpeck in 1999 and acquired by M3 in 2006, as its platform to engage physicians and health care professionals with clinical content including journal articles, medical news, quizzes, clinical reviews, board exam prep classes, clinical trial advertisements and job postings.

The online platform that M3 covers attracts almost 400,000 AMA-verified physicians annually, and is a preferred destination by specialists, who claim MDLinx is the only way to stay on top of the evolving medical literature in their specialty and subspecialty.

Describing his own role in the company, Craig covers the changing environment in which M3 conducts its business.

“For the past 16 years, I have been the US Chief Technology Officer, creating connected platforms, communities, and services to deliver award winning experiences like MDLinx. com, TheSmartestDoc.com, BoardExamPrep.com, and most recently ClinicalTrialsLocator. com.

“Under my leadership, M3 recently became one of the few ISO27001certified companies in the USA.”

Craig oversees the product and technical teams of M3 USA, and works closely with the business unit leaders to provide functionality that delights both health care users and the advertisers that support the free clinical website. Craig also oversees the M3 Global Research unit which he started in 2006 to provide fieldwork to pharmaceutical company market research agencies around the world. Both MDLinx and M3 Global Research were built from the ground up and together represent the majority of the business in the US market for M3.

Finally, Craig sits on the M3 USA board of directors and optimizes the technology in recent acquisitions like the recruitment business that places hundreds of physicians into jobs at leading hospitals and practices across the country.

“Under my leadership, M3 recently became one of the few ISO27001certified companies in the USA. I was awarded a patent on the M3 Global Research technology, which was built to handle cross-country collaboration and large volumes of ISO26362-compliant survey data collection. In a dual role, I lead the global market research group as COO. I am also on the Board of Directors for M3 USA, along with several other subsidiaries and industry associations.

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Driving Business Through Technology

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MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL

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“MDLinx was my third start-up and I never dreamed about being in a large international company but M3 is so forward leaning and has an entrepreneurial spirit to innovate and grow.

At times, we can move slower in a public company but we have a tendency to get it right and make better decisions building consensus.

Craig’s education and career were all uniquely geared towards what he does today. As he describes it, “all those liberal arts classes in economics, psychology, and language arts, time spent doing research with devices like computer programmed scanning electron microscopes, graduate level learning about physiology and pharmacology, and experience running companies from start-up doing everything from payroll to product,” were all essential components in preparing him for the initial challenge of creating MDLinx. com and M3 Global Research, as well as the constant mission to improve and enhance its products and service to customers.

“There was also two key years in my life during which I cut my teeth on creating web-enabled databases at the Association of American Medical Colleges in 1997-1998,” Craig adds. “My CIO at the time, David Witter, was very supportive of the work I was doing to find the best solutions to bring the Association from the mainframe age to the Internet age.”

Some of those creations that arose from Craig’s time at the AAMC included GMETrack, a census of all residents in the US, which is still in use today, almost two decades later. “The lessons I learned about how to manage product and people are also still being used today, thanks to my boss and his investment in me as a young Director,” Craig adds.

In 1999, a physician community supported by digital media, known as MDLinx, was forming.

The founding CEO Dave Rothenberg also recognized Craig’s pragmatic approach to technology and how to deliver real-time services to physicians using his own understanding of the internet and medicine. Today, Craig enjoys that same support from the executive team at M3, who depend on him to deliver affordable, high quality IT services with an eye for simultaneously generating revenue, creating jobs, and delivering bottom-line results.

“Today, here in the US, we own MDLinx.com; M3 Global Research - a healthcare market research fieldwork specialist utilizing all of M3’s local physician communities in the US, Europe, and Asia; and several recruitment platforms and companies that serve hospitals and practices to place physicians in open positions.”

When it comes to managing staff, Craig cites the Chaordic organisation model – the same used by Visa creator Dee Hock in the 1960s – as a highly beneficial tool. He elaborates on the boons it has provided to organising his team. “Assigning people clear roles and responsibilities flattens the organizational chart and removes barriers to people collaborating in order to achieve a mission.

“Millennials gravitate toward this model today and the agile processes we use allows us to constitute and modify team and project assignments. It does create a constant environment of change but progress requires change so it is built into the management philosophy. Key processes and performance indicators, however, do need to be continuously documented and managed so we can measure our performance and set appropriate metrics to keep us on a growth course.”

These sorts of technical challenges are no strange occurrence to Craig, who readily opens up to the challenges he has previously faced, and how innovation played an instrumental role in overcoming them.

When I worked at the association, the IT Department was thought of as a cost centre and not the innovation centre. Working with senior executives I found that to overcome this perception we had to listen carefully to the businesses and deliver product in short order so they can see the investment they made have an immediate impact on the business’ performance.

In my final year at the Association, I won the Spirit of Excellence award with a few other executives, who were forward-thinking enough to see technology as a positive business driver, and not just a cost centre.

Indeed, being at the forefront of medicinal care means that Craig, and M3 more generally, must ensure that they maintain a techsavvy and innovative attitude.

Alongside this, Craig considers the impact that digitised media can have in his line of work as highly significant and hugely influential “In media, the technology and standards are constantly changing. 2015 saw an incredible amount of change with ‘viewability’ standards coming into play, EU Safe Harbor coming down,

“Our global CEO, Itaru Tanimura, has a plan for us to roll out 20 services in over 100 countries.”

Privacy Shield going up, and new international regulations about PII and its transfer between markets and services. The technology itself is the easiest part to learn, but selecting the right application of the technology and which technologies actually have a shelf life always remains the biggest challenge for business minded technologists.

“Innovation is about taking two things that are different and creating something new. Not everything new is a bestseller at the start and adoption can be slow, but patience and persistence with constant execution make great products. On occasions, where the progress does not show up, it is important to be open to change and pivot to the market.”

This leads Craig to reflect upon his role as a CTO, and the key attributes that can lead fellow companies to succeed in the way that M3 has done.

“CTOs are, quite simply, leaders that are well rounded with a liberal arts background, and can balance the coolness of technology and the business needs of the world. You need to be able to operate in the server room and in the boardroom with well thought out plans, a clear vision, and the patience to get things right and see them through to their conclusion Working in concert with my supportive CEO, Aki Tomaru, allows M3 and its dedicated employees to shine bright.”

When discussing the future of the company, Craig mentions a vision of a grand ‘100-Year Plan’ for M3.

“Our global CEO, Itaru Tanimura, has a plan for us to roll out 20 services in over 100 countries.”

This sense of optimistic wonder is not lost when discussing shorterterm goals.

“In five years, we will still be on the journey of a lifetime, educating more physicians, who in turn will treat and save more patients with ever-improving treatments and cures. We also hope to accelerate this process through advances in clinical trial optimization.”

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“Helping patients has been a lifelong goal of mine but the scale to which I now help physicians treat patients was unimaginable.

I have been in the CTO role for 16 years with expanding roles and responsibilities in other global business units.”

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Making A Difference

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“as healthcare professionals, the NavCare staff make all the difference in the world.”

Company: Navcare Name: Jon Wilder Email: info@navcarenet.com Web Address: www.navcarenet.com Address: One Tenth Street, Suite 100, Augusta, Georgia 30901 Telephone: +1-855-458-5500

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MEDICAL & PHARMACEUTICAL

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Making a Difference NavCare, a division of US CareNet, is a clinically-based, chronic care management (CCM) organization that partners with physicians and other healthcare providers to improve patient outcomes and quality of life. In addition to CCM, NavCare offers transitional care management to ensure coordination and continuity of care for patients with complex needs who are transitioning from an acute care setting to their home or other care setting.

Using proprietary software, the team of devoted healthcare professionals at NavCare provides patients with two or more chronic conditions with coordination of care among all providers of care, including other doctors, surgeons, specialists, labs, and pharmacies.

NavCare’s Care Coordination team builds a bridge between patients and healthcare providers, so that patients are provided with 24/7 access to a Care Center that is managed

by RNs and staffed by locally licensed nurses. Here, those in need of those services may receive medication management, as well as on-call and after-hours triage.

NavCare also gains a significant voice in its industry through its population health management services (PHM), to help close the gaps in care while delivering reporting on quality measures and outcomes.

NavCare’s PHM dashboards provide data analytics and visualization tools that aggregate data across multiple health information technology resources into a unified source of truth, identifying at-risk populations, engaging patients in their health goals, and allowing for the improvement of both clinical and financial outcomes.

Jon Wilder has been instrumental in the enhancement of the company’s Care Center; since

the development of the NavCare company in November 2015, Jon has driven the expansion of the Care Center to further greatness with a honed focus on Chronic Care Management, Transitional Care Management, and Public Health Management. The Care Center has become the classic exemplar of clinically-managed care coordination under Jon’s direction.

Jon comments upon NavCare’s place within its competitive market, in relation to the way in which the company stands out as the very best choice for patients and customers with a need for effective and well-meaning chronic care management.

“Our competitors, for the most part, are software companies who use healthcare workers in a call center,” Jon comments.

“NavCare, meanwhile, is a healthcare company with a really good software platform at its core.

“Crucially, we have a Care Center, not a call center. With a history of more than 30 years spent providing healthcare to seniors, the main target audience of CCM, we understand the needs of this demographic, and we further know how best to provide for their continued care. We clearly understand the idiosyncrasies of the healthcare industry, not just from an IT standpoint, but from the standpoint of a provider of healthcare for senior adults.”

Jon and his staff are also very excited about the future of care management. To date, they have 60,000 lives under contract and in their care, and this further accentuates the need for the company to maintain their leading role in the development and application of technologies to improve their services, and the livelihoods of their patients.

“As a healthcare company, it is unique to develop your own software,” Jon explains. “However, we have been instrumental in the enhancement of our software and in fact, purchased controlling interest in the platform. NavCare is engaged in healthcare and we are aware of what providers need to be successful. We enhanced the platform to make it work better within the parameters we know must be met. Therefore, we are better able to deliver information to help our physicians meet the quality measures required for MACRA, MIPS, ACU measurements, and other Medicare requirements.”

Furthermore, as healthcare professionals, the NavCare staff make all the difference in the world, Jon says. “Our experience in healthcare is the driving force behind our service; it makes a difference when you can assure your clients that their patients will be communicating with people that are not just ‘call center’ workers, but who are licensed nurses, certified in either care management or geriatrics, or in

some cases both. “Our teams work closely with physicians and their patients and effectively become a part of the physician’s practice. Patients and care givers are talking to familiar voices as they deal with day-to-day issues with their chronic conditions.”

One of these partner physicians with whom NavCare have established a working relationship is Dr. Paul Roller of Senior Care Geriatrics in Birmingham, Alabama, who lends testimony to this, explaining the reasons behind NavCare’s past successes as well as its future potential. “NavCare has been very successful already in helping us to keep these patients out of the hospital. I think that one way in which they are so adept in this regard is that at the point of contact, where the patient is able to talk to their nurse on the phone, is in some way different to what has come before, something that they may not have been able to do in the past. They may have ended up going to an urgent care center or even going to the emergency room. NavCare has been quite helpful in helping us with those patients who are on the program in terms of getting their chronic care management needs met.”

Dr. Roller’s words underpin the innovative ways in which NavCare utilise technological and telecommunications solutions in order to improve welfare for its 60,000 patients.

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Mary’s Center: Mastering Marketing to Make an Impact

Company: Mary’s Center Contact: Lyda Vanegas, Director of Communications and Public Relations Address: 2333 Ontario Road, NW, Washington, DC 20009 Email: lvanegas@maryscenter.org Telephone: +1-202-420-7051 Website: www.maryscenter.org

“Overall, our philosophy has always been to provide each individual, whether it is a participant, donor, volunteer or partner with the information, resources and services they need.”

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Mary’s Center: Mastering Marketing to Make an Impact Mary’s Center, is a Federally Qualified Community Health Center that provides health care, family literacy and social services to individuals whose needs too often go unmet by the public and private systems. We invited Lyda Vanegas, the Center’s Director of Communications and Public Relations, to tell us more about how she and her dedicated team showcase the vital work the organization undertakes.

As the Director of Communications and Public Relations, Lyda is responsible for the PR, marketing, social media, media relations, and informational materials to promote the Center’s programs, services, events and initiatives.

She is keen to highlight the approaches that distinguish the Center from similar organizations.

“What sets Mary’s Center apart from other organizations like ours is our capacity to effectively meet the demands of our community through our Social Change Model which integrates healthcare, education and social support.

“By taking an active role in services including adult medicine, prenatal care, family

planning, behavioral health, dental care, English and digital literacy classes, education programs for young children, and social services, our participants are healthier and better equipped to move up the economic ladder. We believe that individuals who are healthy and feel supported in their communities become better learners and are better equipped to achieve greater economic stability.

“Overall, our philosophy has always been to provide each individual, whereas it is a participant, donor, volunteer, partner, etc., with the information, resources and services they need. This gets them engaged and creates community. Our experience has shown us that when you give an individual a customized service based on their unique needs, they will keep coming back to you. We apply that same principle in our Communications department.”

Assisted by Communications Associate Hazel Meda, who manages the Center’s website and blog, and helps with the management of its social media channels, Lyda supports all departments at the Center. In addition, she communicates with external agencies to exhaust all available free marketing

opportunities and ensure that the Center is promoted well.

Lyda views her team’s success as a collaborative effort, drawing on the support of staff and consultants alike. She discusses this role in more detail, outlining the various strategies she and her team utilize in order to ensure that they reach their intended audience.

“An important part of our work is convincing government officials of the importance of creating safety nets to provide residents with the basic care and services they need to keep them healthy. Immigrants make up a large part of our participant population, and educating the community at large about the contributions immigrants make to the economy is a big challenge for us. We have been very successful in participating in coalitions and advocacy initiatives, and we use all the communication tools that we can take advantage of to create awareness. Finding funds for marketing in the non-profit world, is another challenge, but we have overcome that by seeking media partners and making maximum use of free or more affordable channels like social media, in-house videos, blogs, media campaigns, photos, etc., to help us raise our voice and become more visible to our stakeholders.”

In her concluding comments Lyda is keen to emphasize the importance of social media strategies for future communications as Mary’s Center looks to build upon its current success and continue to reach those most in need of its support and services and attract donors through its PR and marketing strategies.

“The PR and Marketing landscape has been highly competitive for several years now, with the development of multiple social media channels that are easily available to everyone, including our competitors. However, social media has been very positive for organizations like ours that do not have large budgets to spend on marketing initiatives in the same way that corporations do.

“Over the next 12 months, we foresee the development of new tools and software that will enhance the ability to do marketing in a more dynamic way with a quicker and higher return on investment if used appropriately. We will remain focused on the channels that have been very successful for us, while being ready to adopt any new tools that will help us to reach more potential patients and donors. We will also continue to take advantage of continuing education opportunities to master those new tools.”

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Established in 1988, Mary’s Center supports over 36,000 residents of the DC metropolitan region, including individuals from over 100 countries, through its seven locations and one mobile unit. The Center uses a holistic, multipronged approach to help each participant access individualized services that set them on the path towards wellness, stable families, educational success and economic opportunities.

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Success in Sustainable Energy

Company: Self Reliant Energy Company Website: www.selfreliantenergycompany.com Email: selfreliantenergy@yahoo.com Phone: +1-517-256-2322

32 CORP AMERICA / DECEMBER 2016

SUSTAINABILITY & ECO

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Success in Sustainable Energy Self-Reliant Energy Company offers a wide range of energy solutions for small business owners, farms and residents of the state of Michigan. Corp America invited Founder Thomas Reinke to talk to us about the firm and how it aims to provide the very best solutions which meet the exact needs of its clients.

Established in 2003, Self-Reliant Energy Company draws on the vast industry experience of founder Thomas Reinke, who has worked with local government departments including the Michigan Department of Energy, the Michigan Public Service Commission, the Department of Labor and Economic Growth, the Department of Environmental Quality and the Department of Fish and Wildlife, to deliver sustainable energy solutions that help residential customers to reduce the costs paid to their utility companies.

Thomas discusses how the firm aims to achieve this aim in every aspect of its work.

“Here at Self Reliant Energy Company, we market, design, service, install, consult and educate our investors and clients - including students and teachers – on the importance of installation of Wind Turbines, 1k 10k, Solar Equipment (for making electricity, heating domestic hot water, heating our living and work spaces) Waste Heat Recovery Systems (using wasted heat for making electricity or heating water) Combined Heat and Power Systems, Geothermal Systems and Equipment and Biomass Heating Systems.

“In order to meet the clients’ needs and achieve our mission, when we first start work on a project we view the first step as being to eliminate any waste by evaluation and extensive weatherization package to reduce energy consumption.

The second step is to introduce consumers and ratepayers to the renewable energy options, and allow the customer to choose the best suited alternative to their location. Our clients often demand the option with the fastest possible return on investment, and therefore we advise on a project that has a quick return on their money. As such, we provide them with a number of options, and they choose the one which they believe offers them the return they need.”

Alongside this dedication to supporting clients, and providing them with the solutions they need, Thomas is also constantly looking to give back to the market, supplying his insight and knowledge to support his industry peers, as he explains.

“Personally, I believe that my knowledge is important and I am always keen to share it with my colleagues throughout the market. I am an adjunct instructor for several schools, high schools, colleges, trade schools - teaching, solar and OSHA electrical safety volunteer, and through this position conduct educational presentations for several Sierra

Club Chapters, Clean Water Action, Great Lakes Renewable Energy Association, Engineering Society of Detroit, American Wind Energy Association and Solar Energy Association.

“Additionally, I host invitational tours to our facility and development center. I also post informational and educational videos on multiple social media sites.”

Working so closely with the wider industry also enables Thomas to remain at the forefront of innovation, which is something he is highly passionate about.

“I take great pride in developing innovative solutions. Some of my success is related to Self-Reliant Energy Team Creating, “Do It Yourself “ kits and designs for the rate payer or the consumer.

This concept greatly reduces labor costs associated with the installation of equipment, and these designs, concepts and kits can be made available to homeowners, business owners and non-profit organizations. The kits enable the ability for client to fully or partially install and service – if necessary – their own equipment.”

Looking to the future, Thomas notes that the next 12 months of sales and installation of renewable energy equipment is expected to double from 2015’s

figures. This, he believes, will be due to substantial increases in the cost of energy, the rise in demand for cleaner air and water, as well as ever-mounting concern over the impact of climate change and the inability to create new jobs for semi-skilled local installers and technicians through outsourcing.

Nonetheless, Thomas is optimistic as he outlines how the firm aims to build upon its current success.

“Overall, the future is bright for Self-Reliant Energy Company.

We are continuously growing, learning, creating and investing into all of our futures. Personally, my aspirations for the business are simple: keep to the basics, keep small.

“As such, our ongoing focus will be primarily on residential homes or low-income housing developments. In addition, I personally have a strong interest in Thermal Electric Generation, using wasted heat to create electricity, and I am currently exploring various developments in this market.”

“I take great pride in developing innovative solutions.”

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Practicing Law While Innovating Gassman, Crotty & Denicolo, P.A. is a Florida-based law firm specializing in estate planning, tax and business law. The firm’s contribution of nationally recognized trust drafting and planning systems, estate tax planning software, and numerous leading edge articles are widely recognized in the industry as highly innovative. We caught up with Founder and Senior Lawyer Alan Gassman to find out more.

Established in 1987, Gassman, Crotty & Denicolo has been providing legal services from its Clearwater office for clients throughout Florida, for many years. The firm consists of four attorneys, three law clerks and seventeen non-lawyer personnel with a primary objective of providing specialty legal services with the depth and breadth necessary to accommodate a wide array of client needs. Alan’s role within the firm includes practicing law, designing legal strategies and systems, developing new practicerelated skills and knowledge, speaking at national industry events and contributing articles, books and web content on various aspects of estate planning and corporate law. Alan believes that the firm’s passion and dedication is central to its success.

“We simply love what we do, and we want to do it as well as possible while understanding that the firm must operate efficiently and effectively for our clients and colleagues who choose to work with us. We are committed to going above and beyond for our clients.

I estimate that 20% of our lawyer time and 50% of our law clerk time is spent creating papers, talks, publications and systems that keep us as knowledgeable, up-to-date and effective as possible. We are committed to making sure that we know and understand the common (and sometimes not-so-common)

opportunities and challenges that exist for our clients. The intellectual aspect of what we do keeps us fresh and interested in getting good results. We often seek guidance from the best subspecialists in many areas of law to help assure that we arrive at the best, safest, or otherwise most appropriate strategy and follow through.

Within the wider legal industry, the inevitable tax law and health law changes that are due to come about as the result of the recent election are going to change the playing field considerably, and will require new and creative thinking, and close evaluation of what conventional wisdom and other industry leaders indicate is best.

This needs to be understood by, and applied to, actual people and businesses without delay, and without a compass to predict what will happen in the next two to four years, which can change things again drastically.”

“We simply love what we do, and we want to do it as well as possible.”

34 CORP AMERICA / DECEMBER 2016

Alan also leads workshops for law students and recent law graduates to talk about how to best serve clients and their communities.

“We explain to the students that it is important to make sure new clients understand what we do and why we do it. We also want to be sure that we understand where the client is and where the client wants to go from a personal and business standpoint to help them get there in every way we can. We often become a friend, confidant, and a source of other good people and structures to help them along the way, and that is very important to us.

This collaborative approach extends beyond our clients to the colleagues who make use of the software, books, and techniques that we have developed. We do not consider our colleagues to be competitors and prefer to work together on joint projects and to improve the standard of practice and education in our industry.

We reach out to other law firms a few times a week, and are very thankful for relationships with the best and brightest lawyers and other professionals that can both teach us and help make sure that our clients are best served.”

Alan has partnered with InterActive Legal, a well-respected online drafting and practice platform for wealth transfer, elder law, estate, and retirement benefits planning as a Florida advisor, presenter and content contributor. The Alan

Gassman Channel on InterActive Legal’s website features books, forms, charts, statutes, videos, and other resources on Florida and Federal law for estate and tax planners.

The Joint Exempt Step-Up Trust (JEST) was developed while Alan was writing articles on the (then new) 2012 estate tax planning laws with noted author Howard Zaritsky, based upon analyzing obstacles that prevent a married couple living in a non-community property state from using a joint trust to get a new date of death income tax basis on the first dying spouse’s death.

Now the JEST system is used by many lawyers in Florida and noncommunity property states, along with other techniques called the SCGRAT, and MAPS, which Alan and his partners have used and written about.

In 2015 Alan went to visit his friends at Bloomberg BNA in Washington, D.C. to suggest two series of webinars - Creative and Practical Planning and Essential Elements.

Bloomberg liked the idea and allows Alan to work with the presenters to design and moderate the 16+ webinars each year, featuring the best writers and speakers in the industry.

Alan has also developed EstateView Software along with his partner, Kenneth J. Crotty, his son-in-law, David Archer, MBA, and well-respected Estate Tax professor Jerome Hesch, J.D. The software was one of only three

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“EstateView allows the user to input a client’s data, including financial assets and life insurances.

The program then creates an illustration in two different formats showing the client’s projected estate tax liability, the value of the estate, and the amount of estate tax based upon growth rates, CPI, credit shelter trust funding, gifting, life insurance and installment sale scenarios. The resulting illustrations and detailed, editable letters in Word format provide the client with a clear explanation to work from.”

Alan concludes that “going forward we are eager to see what law and business changes occur in 2017, and what we can do to help our clients. Innovation will no doubt play a key role in this objective.

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estate tax illustration and planning software programs chosen for review in the January/February 2015 edition of the American Bar Association’s Probate & Property Magazine, which highlighted its unique and easy-to-use illustrative dialing system and letter writing feature, which produce customized letters to the client explaining all input information, results, and how the estate tax system works to facilitate this.

Company: Gassman, Crotty & Denicolo, P.A Address: 1245 Court Street, Clearwater, FL 33756 Phone: +1-727-442-1200 Website: www.gassmanlaw.com

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All Systems Go

Company: System One Holdings, LLC Contact: Christopher M. Taylor Address: 12 Federal Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15212 Email: chris.taylor@systemone.com Telephone: +1-412-414-9412 Website: www.systemoneservices.com

36 CORP AMERICA / DECEMBER 2016

RECRUITMENT

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All Systems Go System One is synonymous with energy staffing and services. From on-demand staffing and onsite managed partnerships to a full suite of quality assurance programs, Chris Taylor and his team are the go-to source for power producers, utilities, OEMs, and EPCs on the market today. Serving every sector in the vast energy marketplace from the Corporate HQ in downtown Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, System One has built lasting relationships on the power of its processes and the strength of its customer service. Energy staffing is very much System One’s business.

Chris Taylor, who started out as a Recruiter staffing nuclear power plant outages, describes his role within the company.

“I mainly focus on staffing Non-Destructive Testing and Inspection Personnel,” he says.

“Our Inspectors go in and ensure that all of the welds on the pipes are secure.

They inspect the thickness of large pipes that have steam and boiling water that run through them.”

Chris also cites the prominent role that System One has attained within the industry, commenting upon its wider recognition, and the integrity of the service that it provides as an essential component for clients with large-scale projects to run that require an authoritative voice on quality assurance.

“After five years in the industry, our company won an exclusive Vendor On-Site Contract with Westinghouse Electric; I sat onsite at Westinghouse’s Nuclear Worldwide Corporate HQ. Any time that Westinghouse needed a contractor, they either walked down the hall to see me, or they called me from one of their sites across the country.

It might have been a New Grad Degreed Engineer, a Buyer, a Project Manager with Steam Generator Replacement experience, a Design Technician, an Administrative Assistant, a Programmer, or a Nuclear Finite Element Analyst.

If it was a job for a contractor,

they had to utilize System One.” When Chris first started at Westinghouse Electric as an on-site recruiter, there were 40 contractors performing these high-level services; by the time he had left, this had grown close to, if not more than, 1,000. This experience underpins the wider success enjoyed by System One. Even as the staffing and services firm has expanded its service offerings and national reach, it has maintained the notion that true value for clients and candidates comes from deep domain knowledge, such as can only really be known by specialized energy recruiters and account managers, many of whom have direct energy experience themselves.

System One has also demonstrated a great flair for flexibility and adaptation – never ones to be left behind by the growth of new sectors of the construction industry, Chris and his team made the decision to build a Natural Gas and Pipeline Division when the Marcellus Shale Natural Gas Opportunity popped up right in their back yard. This is a direct continuation of System One’s committed role.

“We have always been active in staffing and servicing the energy sector,” says Chris. “We believe that if a client hires a large number of contractors, then they should consider using System One, and only System One. We will put a team of individuals right on-site

at the client location at our cost.

Payroll Manager, A recruiter, an Account Manager, completely dedicated to that client. That client will find tremendous cost savings. If there is a problem, they have one point of contact.

They have one invoice. All of their contractors are paid the same way, and they also have all of the same benefits.”

Speaking as a specialist whose job involves placating and satisfying the needs and wants of numerous parties, including the client, the contractor and System One as a whole, Chris gains real fulfilment when a plan comes together and everyone is very happy – “in particular, my employer the client, and most importantly, the hard-working contractor and professional that gets up every day, goes to work and takes care of business in order to support his or her family.”

Building on this sentiment, Chris comments upon the advent of new technologies that make it easier than ever before to quicken the pace of recruiting worthy individuals to contract with System One, and contribute to the dynamic enterprise that he is building. “I think LinkedIn is a gift from God to Staffing Professionals,” he says, “as it enables you to build relationships, keep an eye on who is hiring, where past contractors are working now, who is actively looking for employment, etc.”

Chris realises that a contractor’s reputation in this business can tend to quickly. Expanding upon some of the challenges faced in the competitive industry for staffing agencies such as System One, Chris comments, “you must be 100 per cent honest and upfront when communicating with your clients and your contractors.

If you put good people into good opportunities that your clients have open, great things happen.

You cannot just slam bodies into an opening. You must look at it from every angle. Your clients rely on you being an expert at what you do. Your contractors are trusting you with their families’ futures. You must keep that as your number one priority.

Nonetheless, by communicating effectively and making sure that everyone in the company is on the same page, Chris anticipates an exciting future for SystemOne as the construction industry continues to offer greater and greater opportunities to take on many new contractors, and continue to affect the lives of contractors everywhere.

“I think LinkedIn is a gift from God to staffing professionals.”

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HOSPITALITY

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Bringing European Pampering to Connecticut When spa owner and aesthetician Shahla Alihagh relocated with her husband from England to Connecticut about seven years ago, the savvy businesswoman brought a new pampering and personal care concept to Connecticut when she opened her Shahla Day Spa & Threading.

“No one knew what threading was,” said Alihagh, who introduced Central Connecticut to the ancient Middle Eastern hair removal technique that has recently gained popularity in the United States; the procedure uses a doubled-up strand of cotton threat to twist around and remove individual hairs. “I had people calling who thought I had spelled something wrong because they had never heard of threading. I invited clients to come in and try it for free and they were amazed,” she remarked. “It was interesting to me to introduce something new to this area.”

Alihagh, whose celebrity list of clients in England included former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell and model Naomi, opened a new business in Plainville, CT, spotlighting the threading procedure. As a veteran spa owner who is wellacquainted with and committed to the European philosophy that skin should be carefully cared for, she also focused the business on skin care, going above and beyond the common misconception that a facial is simply of matter of smearing on layer after layer of sweet-smelling product.

“In Europe, taking care of the skin is an important routine,” said Alihagh, referring to other countries where women take better care of their skin by avoiding sun, wearing hats and appreciating the importance of timely deep cleansing facials at

a very early age. “My job at my spa is to teach women here how to take care of their skin as well.”

As Alihagh is a dedicated fan of the skin care line Dermalogica, a facial at Shahla Day Spa & Threading is not a routine experience, but one that includes a skin analysis and treatment that is designed for a client’s skin type, special issues and age.

“Dermalogica is a very well-known European product and one I like to use, simply because it is the best,” Alihagh said. When a client comes to her spa for the first time, she is careful to explain how she has worked with the company for 20 years, her familiarity with the diverse product line and the good results her clients have enjoyed for decades.

“I had people calling who thought I had spelled something wrong because they had never heard of threading.”

38 CORP AMERICA / DECEMBER 2016

Emphasizing that in a very competitive market, she is careful to price accordingly in order to make all of her services, which also include manicures and pedicures and stylized massages, very affordable.

“I think it is most important first to have a clean and comfortable business, one that welcomes a client as soon as they walk through the door,” said Alihagh, whose salon boasts a minimalist yet soothing decor, with a contemporary kind of feel. “I am very aware that clients want what they pay for and price my services accordingly,” she continued. “I strive to make sure that both me and my staff provide a service that is perfect as possible, whether they are first time or repeat clients.”

The adage is that money can’t buy everything and Alihagh’s spa provides it in what it offers that no amount of money can buy, attentive customer service.

“I am an owner who is on the floor and serving my clients because I am the one who is ultimately responsible for their good experience,” she said. “I am professional when it comes to what I do, but very warm as well.

I try to make them comfortable. I want them to enjoy the experience whether they are preparing for a special event, recuperating after a difficult time or just need a break from a busy and stressful schedule and need and deserve some pampering.

“I think there is a value to attentiveness that goes hand in hand with quality service and good results,” she also remarked, emphasizing the necessary balance between performing a service and making it a special experience. “I do this from my heart and I like to think it shows.”

Based on her business growth since she started, her philosophy and hard work is paying off.

“We had an interesting first two years because the concept of threading was new and people had to become familiar with our other services and how we do them better,” said Alihagh, whose spa also offers eyelash and eyebrow tinting, eyelash extensions and spa packages. “We focus on what we do best. We do not want to expand quickly or raise prices just because everyone around might be. Quality is first.”

Since opening, Shahla Spa & Threading has stepped up to customer demands and trends also offering special packages for children’s spa parties, bachelorette parties and wedding party services. The spa’s stellar reputation has steadily grown since she opened, and her clientele is a diverse mix ranging from pre-teens to senior citizens.

“I like having that range in my business. And it’s not just about the treatment itself but about what the customer needs. Maybe they can find an escape here after a bad day, or need a smile. That

g Her staff is testimony to the quality product she offers at her spa. Most of her staff, as committed to quality service as she is, have been at the salon since she opened. That is her goal as an employer.

“The first thing I talk to new staff about is the standard I set for myself and for them when it comes to serving clients,” she commented. “I make sure they know their job, the products we use and remind them that if they are doing their best, it has to be to my standards.”

There is one more component to Alihagh‘s business model of success, community involvement.

Alihagh admits that perhaps being so focused on customer service, while still maintaining such a high standard when it comes to the products used and keeping prices competitive, may not seem like the best way possible to make the most money, and yet it is still the way in which she wants to do business.

Company: Shahla Day Spa & Threading Name: Alihagh Shahla Web Address: shalahdayspaandthreading.com Address: Shahla Day Spa & Threading, 29 East Street, Plainville, Connecticut, 06062 Telephone: +1-860-517-8335

“I don’t even think about other businesses in my industry,” said Alihagh, regarding her focus and drive when it comes to her spa and attracting and maintaining clients.” I don’t see what other businesses do, I just do what I know is the best for customers. I just do what I do from my heart.”

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Alihagh’s commitment to customer service is one that she emphasizes as she trains the staff at her salon that includes the main threading, manicure and pedicure area as well as separate private massage and facial rooms.

“I contribute to so many community events, non-profit fundraisers, school events and other good causes. That is also an important part of being a good businesswoman, being involved in the community here your business is located. My attitude is if you can help, why not?”

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is as much a part of my business as the actual service.”

Bringing European Pampering to Connecticut

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Most Innovative PR & Marketing Team – 2016 Company: Mary’s Center Contact: Lyda Vanegas, Director of Communications and Public Relations Email: lvanegas@maryscenter.org Web Address: www.maryscenter.org Address: 2333 Ontario Road, NW, Washington, DC 20009 Telephone: +1-202-420-7051 Company: Dozier Law Firm, LLC. Name: David Dozier Email: david@dozierlaw.com Web Address: www.dozierlaw.com Address: 327 3rd Street Macon, GA 31201, USA Telephone: +1-478-742-8441 Company: Stahancyk, Kent & Hook P.C. Name: Jody Stahancyk Address: 2400 SW 4th Avenue, Portland, Oregon 97201 Web Address: http://www.stahancyk.com/ Email: ctt@stahancyk.com Telephone: +1-503-222-9115 Company: di Santo Law Name: Beth di Santo Email: info@disantolaw.com Web Address: www.disantolaw.squarespace.com Address: 1 Little West, 12th Street, New York, NY 10014, USA Telephone: +1-212-766-2466 Company: Bienvenu, Bonnecaze, Foco, Viator & Holinga, APLLC Name: David Bienvenu Email: www.bblawla.com/ Web Address: www.disantolaw.squarespace.com Address: 4210 Bluebonnet Blvd., Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70809, USA Telephone: +1-225-388-5600

40 CORP AMERICA / DECEMBER 2016

Most Innovative Law Firm of 2016, California Company: LTL ATTORNEYS LLP Name: James Lee Email: james.lee@ltlattorneys.com Web Address: www.ltlattorneys.com Address: 300 S. Grand Ave, Suite 1400, Los Angeles CA 90017 Telephone: +1-213-612-8900 Company: Concrete Technology Inc. Name: Brad Hieneman, Vice President Email: BHieneman@flycti.com Web Address: www.flycti.com Address: 8770 133rd Ave. N., Largo, FL 33773 Telephone: +1-800-447-6573 / +1-727-535-4651 Company: Hanley, Flight & Zimmerman LLC Name: Bill O’Connor Email: boconnor@hfzlaw.com Web Address: www.hfzlaw.com Address: 150 S. Wacker Drive Suite 2200, Chicago, IL 60606 Telephone: +1-312-580-1020 Company: Owens & Perkins Name: C.D. Owens, Esq. & Michelle J. Perkins Email: MPerkins@oplaw.com Web Address: www.oplaw.com Address: 7322 E Thomas Rd, Scottsdale, Arizona 85251, USA Telephone: +1-480-994-8824 Company: Cole Construction LLC Name: Hilary Cole Email: jcole@coleconstructionteam.com Web Address: www.coleconstructionteam.com Address: 14158 Willard Rd., Chantilly, Virginia 20151, USA Telephone: +1-571-287-7622

Business Woman of the Year 2016, Massachusetts

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Company: Standard Modern Company, Inc. Name: Linda Smith Email: LSmith@standardmodern.com Web Address: www.standardmodern.com Address: 186 Duchaine Boulevard, New Bedford, Massachusetts 2745, USA Telephone: +1-800-742-4123

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Ideas are the new currency To learn more, contact: Mergers & Acquisitions Paul Schneir 216-689-4005 pschneir@key.com

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