City Councilman Mike Jones’ company wins Small Business of the Year Award
Many may not know that Event Operations Group (EOG), now the 2nd largest staffing company in the southeast, is headquartered right here in Shelby County. This highly successful business was the brainchild of CEO, Helena City Councilman Mike Jones. In the past, he was known as Sergeant Jones with the Helena Police Department, but he now manages his thriving business full-time. Mike is pleased to announce that EOG won a 2014 Greater Shelby County Chamber of Commerce Small Business of the Year Award, which Mike accepted on June 25 at the Pelham Civic Complex and Ice Arena. They received the award for “a small business with 21 or more employees and open for one year or more.” Chamber President Kirk Mancer said awards were given based on financial and employee growth as well as community involvement. Cindee Standridge said they feel truly blessed that EOG was nominated by their peers for this award. “To receive it in Shelby County means a lot; to be recognized here, for the work we do at our headquarters, is a great honor,” Mike agreed. What started in Helena in 2007 as a small business, with a loan from Central State Bank and accounting help from Graham and Associates, has grown exponentially in the years
since. Now, with more than 18,000 part-time workers at 65 regional EOG offices across the southeast, it’s apparent Mike knows his business well. And its easy to see why the Chamber of Commerce picked EOG for this prestigious award. EOG has branded itself as the company with “the finest in full-service event management, staffing and security.” The company will work with clients through the entire planning, development and implementing stages of events. They plan shows by working with performers and directors, staff venues with security and sales people, help with ticket sales, parking, concessions and even clean-up. “It takes a lot of trust, stress, responsibility and planning to provide the ultimate experience,” said Mike. That planning is handled by splitting EOG into two divisions: security and event management. The Security Division staffs and coordinates Event Security, Uniformed Security, and Executive Protection for events, venues, performers or others. The Event Management Division coordinates Event Staff, which includes but is not limited to ushers, ticket takers, Guest Services, transportation, and parking attendants for each event or venue. They handle work with clients of every size, from local events at the BJCC, Barber Motorsports
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Park and WorkPlay to day-to-day operations at places like the McWane Center and even larger national clients like ESPN. All administrative duties, accounting operations, marketing and PR department heads for EOG are in the corporate office— they run the entire company from here. “We have forged great relationships with clients here in Shelby County, and that has allowed us to expand. It all started here, and we’re not going anywhere,” Mike asserts. But their work does not end with the events themselves. Artists at EOG design t-shirts, coffee mugs, magnets and other sales merchandise for their clients as well; they even screenprint the shirts themselves. Workers are currently wrapping school buses and smart cars to take employees to their destinations, and a new employee tracking system will help with even more timely and efficient event planning and security. “One day is never like the next,” Mike said. The company also works hand-in-hand with emergency services and law enforcement when necessary. “We know funding is hard to come by, so we try to help every way we can,” said Mike, explaining that they have been involved with the planning and implementation of their emergency plans. Although the corporate office has been located in Pelham for over four years, a change is planned for the near future. “We’re looking to move EOG to Helena, and expand our business development there,” Mike explained. “We want to be in Helena because it is home. I’m
vested here, I have built business and personal relationships here.” Cindee noted that Mike comes from a large family, and that dynamic translates into his business and how he treats his employees. “He’s had that drive for family and success,” she said. “I’ve never had a company treat you like family from the vicepresident all the way down to part-time workers.” Mike explained that is a part of his business plan. “We wanted to make working for EOG inviting to employees. We want them happy and excited to come to work every day,” he said. They offer services and support to schools and education as well as youth programs in art, music and sports. “Kids are the foundation of our future in business,” Mike said, explaining that they staff athletic events at Spain Park and Hoover. He looks forward to working with the Helena High School PTO to do the same in his hometown. “We make donations to the Shelby County Board of Education to support HHS and help them grow as quickly as they can,” Mike said. They are also helping the school develop fundraising strategies through the EOG marketing department, and he says their other resources are at the school’s disposal. Mike reinforced that he firmly believes in giving back to the community. “I remember, as a boy growing up in Helena, seeing business owners call customers by name. They knew you; they treated you well. Smart businessmen know to appreciate their customers, treat them with respect and take care of them,” he said. “I apply those principals today: invest in the community, and the community will invest in you.”