Business Services, Finalist
Creating a sustainable company is a top goal for any business leader, and for Charles Schugart, it’s no different. Yet for Schugart, leading his company to sustainable growth started with digging it out of a hole.
As president and CEO of U.S. Legal Support, Schugart spearheaded a 180-degree turnaround of the company, from its sales strategies to its service offerings, that has turned it into a leading provider of legal services. Coming into the company in 2004, Schugart knew that the business was in bad shape. If U.S. Legal Support was going to avoid bankruptcy, he’d need to roll up his sleeves and make some changes.
Learning the company’s business inside and out, Schugart helped develop a new business strategy and balance sheet that was restructured for profitability. The company was also missing key areas such as IT and human resources departments, infrastructure and strategic sales strategies, which he and his team built from scratch.
Getting the company back on track also meant focusing on finding and keeping the right people. To create a culture of teamwork and high expectations, Schugart put together his own management team of “go getters” to pursue the task of completely reinventing the company. Over the last eight years, he’s also taken steps to make U.S. Legal Support the employer of choice, from increasing community involvement to emphasizing a companywide mission to be the best in customer care.
By developing a comprehensive business strategy of aggressive growth and a culture where employees refuse to fail, Schugart has rebuilt a litigation support company with a fresh approach and clear vision for the future.
“When I look back at our operations in 2004, I can’t believe how far we’ve come,” he says.
How to reach: U.S. Legal Support, www.uslegalsupport.com
