Central Ohio’s Smart 50 share renewed commitment toward future success

SBN Staff
2:52 pm
October 5, 2015

The Smart 50 Awards, now in its second year in town, brings together like-minded leaders that share the common drive toward sustainability and growth for our region.
The value of this program is not only found in the recognition for the innovations in our business community, but also in the knowledge exchange and new connections made across a variety of sectors.
Here at Oswald, since our founding in 1893, we’ve had the same core mission of helping individuals and businesses identify, reduce and manage their risks.
This year is a milestone year for Oswald, celebrating 30 years as an employee-owned business, and 10 years in our Columbus office.
We remain dedicated to delivering new and innovative service solutions for our clients, investing in our industry’s top talent and supporting causes within our communities.
Our mantra at Oswald is “Focus Forward,” and that is exactly what we do when it comes to advancing our abilities to serve the needs of our clients and our employee-owners. It’s about setting high aspirations for the future without losing sight of what got us here today.
I think it’s a message we can all relate to as part of the Smart 50 program. It’s a chance to both reflect on past accomplishments and renew our commitment toward future success.

On behalf of Oswald and all of this year’s supporters, we extend our most sincere congratulations to the Smart 50 class of 2015.

Robert J. Klonk
Chief Executive Officer
Oswald Cos.
[email protected]

Quick Links to Smart 50 honorees:

2015 Central Ohio Smart 50

Honorees listed in Alphabetical order by last name

Tara Abraham
Chairman and co-CEO
Accel Inc.

Tara Abraham has built a business that will do whatever it takes to solve a problem. Accel Inc. began in 1995 as a knitting company assembling products for Bath & Body Works, and since that time has expanded into many other services.
As chairman and co-CEO, Abraham has built a team of 16 engineers that can solve any packaging design or flawed component issue.
For instance, a local retailer was having gift cards assembled in Sri Lanka. The assembly included the card and a plastic sleeve overlay with a cardboard cover. The card sat inside with a glue dot, but the card was being damaged — workers couldn’t get the sleeve off and back on, and could only produce 5,000 units a day.
Accel’s engineers created plastic jigs on the production lines that opened the cards without taking off the sleeves and automated the gluing process to increase output to 50,000 units a day.
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David Abraham
President
Labor Guys Staffing (LGS)
David Abraham, president of Labor Guys Staffing (LGS), has leveraged the location of Accel Inc., a company for which he is co-CEO, to create a unique temporary staffing model.
The 11-company, 1.4-million-square-foot Personal Care, Health and Beauty Park in New Albany represents a complete supply chain, within which Accel is an assembler. Abraham devised a model in which LGS trains temporary workers on all of the services provided by the companies in the park. The business’ complementary business cycles means the temporary worker is able to gain multiple skill sets and ultimately find a place of full-time employment. The company has brought over 2,000 temporary jobs to the area in the last three years.
Abraham has rented buses to help transport individuals in from low-income areas and has partnered with the Licking County United Way, Jobs Ohio and many other agencies to assist in getting people back to work.
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Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson
President
The Wexner Foundation
As the president of The Wexner Foundation, Rabbi B. Elka Abrahamson oversees the foundation’s full range of activities, in partnership with foundation chairpeople Abigail and Leslie Wexner. She also imagines how the foundation might further strengthen and educate Jewish professional and volunteer leaders in North America and public service leaders in Israel.
The Wexner Foundation, which just celebrated its 30th anniversary, has always been focused on investing in and developing talented leaders through a number of initiatives.
As a steward of the foundation that continues to build a robust network, Abrahamson has helped expand the Wexner Graduate Fellowship and create a cohort within the program for emerging talent already working in Jewish organizations, as well as implementing the Wexner Senior Leadership Program, which provides executive education for Israel’s public service leaders through a month-long program.
Newsweek also named Abrahamson one of the 50 most influential rabbis in North America.
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Eleanor Alvarez
CEO
LeaderStat
As the CEO of LeaderStat, Eleanor Alvarez helps provide consulting and management support to more than 1,000 long-term care clients nationwide.
Her firm provides a full range of clinical, operational and financial consulting for independent living, assisted living, skilled nursing and continuing care retirement communities. She has conducted comprehensive assessments, market studies, financial improvement strategies, new product design and specialized programming for long-term care communities across the U.S.
Alvarez is constantly adjusting LeaderStat’s service offerings to meet the ever-changing needs within the health care landscape. She stays current on trends and makes sure that her team can supply expertise to the industry by encouraging specialized training. Always open to staff suggestions on new service offerings, Alvarez understands the importance of staff retention.
Community service is also built into LeaderStat’s strategic plan. Alvarez believes it is motivating and fulfilling for staff to engage in projects that help foster relationships within their community.
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Rod Baesman
CEO
Baesman Group Inc.
Rod Baesman joined Baesman Group Inc. in 1987 and has helped the Baesman name become synonymous with print in Central Ohio.
Retailers such as Lane Bryant, Polo, Ralph Lauren and Charming Charlie turn to Baesman for their printing needs, while Cardinal Health looks to the company for direct mail.
Under Baesman’s leadership as CEO, the company combines decades of experience with next-generation custom printing technology to consistently deliver complex direct-mail marketing pieces, create state-of-the-art in-store signage, and provide warehousing and fulfillment that includes secure storage, on-time shipments, turnkey implementations and detailed online reporting.
Baesman created an Insights and Marketing division that has rapidly become a player in the retail and fashion arena. It offers strategic customer marketing services based on data analytics. High-profile, national clients like Kate Spade, Stanley Steemer and Shoe Carnival have all turned to Insights and Marketing to create highly responsive marketing strategies that increase the bottom line.
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Kimberly A. Blackwell
CEO
PMM Agency
“If you want to be a bear in business, be a grizzly.” That’s the philosophy that has led CEO Kimberly A. Blackwell’s career and ability to develop and implement brand-related strategies.
For Blackwell, it’s about insights and instincts: be relentless and take a beast-like approach in all that you do, rooted in a standard of excellence.
This has helped Blackwell grow PMM Agency from a one-bedroom startup to an industry-recognized agency that counts among its clients, Nationwide, Huntington National Bank, Honda, Macy’s, the state of Ohio and the city of Columbus.
PMM’s approach can be summarized as:

Take a diagnosis to best understand client organizational goals — short and long term.
Assess the industry landscape, trends and unchartered paths through both a marketplace and competitive lens.
Design interactive and creative brand strategies to engage and entice a uniqueness and value proposition, while breaking through the noise that often competes for consumer attention.

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Elizabeth Blount McCormick
President and co-owner
UNIGLOBE Travel Designers
Elizabeth Blount McCormick moved back to Columbus to join her mother in business in 2006.
As the president and co-owner of UNIGLOBE Travel Designers, McCormick has nearly doubled the company’s revenue, enhanced customer service and increased the office’s technology. In fact, the franchise has become a beta tester for new software for UNIGLOBE International.
Perhaps most importantly, McCormick recognizes that she can’t do everything.
She strives to identify the strengths of her team and match those talents to the needs of her clients. She also outsources work to other companies, recognizing that her expertise is in travel, not human resources, legal or marketing.
This year, by focusing on building the company, McCormick brought in 36 new accounts by July — that’s more than were signed in all of 2014.
As a result, UNIGLOBE Travel Designers has gone from just three travel agents to 27, all while investing in programs to develop and attract talent.
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Miranda Boyle
Owner
THREAD
Miranda Boyle, owner of THREAD, has shown a willingness to trust others, while recognizing her own strengths.
Too many business owners are uncompromising and try to keep strict control. They end up doing too much, stretching themselves too thin and losing growth opportunities in the process. That’s not Boyle.
For example, she engaged experts to help her with her brand, while providing direct insight into the vision of her business.
Her stores and e-commerce site are now able to deliver “best in class” experiences for her designer products and exceed her clientele’s already high expectations of what a high-end clothing boutique should be.
Boyle also has engaged in collaborations with big names in the fashion world to serve as a designer incubator. THREAD carries lines that may only be in their first season, an innovative approach that gives her customers access to unique products that can’t be found in other Midwest stores.
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Donna L. Braxton
CEO
Law Enforcement Foundation
Donna L. Braxton began working for the Ohio Association of Chiefs of Police and the Law Enforcement Foundation, which works to extend the reach and support of law enforcement’s role in local communities, in 1991. She was appointed executive director of the OACP and CEO of the LEF in February 2008.
Braxton has assisted with many special grant projects, including the D.A.R.E. graduates program, human-diversity training and community-oriented policing. She has also served as project director for critical incident and domestic violence training.
Under her leadership, LEF has strengthened its outreach efforts and partnerships with state organizations that are working together to make communities safer. She’s created an internal environment at LEF that inspires employees to take ownership of their work, empowering them to accomplish the organization’s goals.
In 2011, Braxton was awarded the OACP President’s Award, and in 2012 she was named an honorary Ohio D.A.R.E. officer.
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Jeff Burt
CEO
EclipseCorp
CEO Jeff Burt’s passion for creating the image that clients want their company to have not only drove him to found EclipseCorp in 1994, it continues to drive his vision to make the company a nationally recognized creative partnership.
Starting with two employees, the organization now has more than 30 and revenue has increased 40,175 percent over the past 20 years.
Burt believes in the philosophy of surrounding himself with good people, inside and outside of the business. He recognizes his own limitations and the need to surround himself with people whose skills complement his. He looks for people willing to step up to the plate, take risks and to accomplish what others thought was impossible.
In addition, Burt has led EclipseCorp to differentiate itself from the competition by investing in technology — even when economic times drove others to cut back — high quality work, a creative staff and a turnkey operation all under one roof.
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David Chesebrough, Ed.D.
President and CEO
COSI
David Chesebrough, Ed.D., began his leadership at COSI in April 2006. Since then, the president and CEO has worked with his leadership team, trustees, community supporters and partners to reimagine the organization for the 21st century.
He has established strategic partnerships with The Ohio State University, Battelle Memorial Institute, Rev1 Ventures and others to expand opportunities for all to explore science, technology, engineering and mathematics fields. The hope is to encourage and inspire more youth to pursue careers in the STEM fields.
Through partnerships with scientists, engineers and researchers, COSI has increased its positive impact on the region and is now visited by more than 1 million people each year.
Chesebrough completed his doctoral research at Duquesne University in Pittsburgh and has authored books, articles, columns and publications in the science center, museum, computer, education and environmental fields.
He is on the board of Nationwide Children’s Research Institute, a component of Nationwide Children’s Hospital.
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Brian Dew
President
Mid-City Electric
Mid-City Electric President Brian Dew has created an environment where every employee feels invested. He treats them with respect, delivers what is promised and teaches everyone to act in the customer’s best interest.
Education is critical to this, and Dew invests in programs that allow his team to grow. He enrolls staff in the BX Rising Leader’s Program and encourages them to attend industry classes and training.
Dew recognizes that an engaged workforce provides opportunities to think differently about products and services. Accordingly, he was able to develop Mid-City’s prefabrication shop and program to improve the company and add value for customers.
The company offered foremen lunch-and-learns on the initiative, and Dew developed work teams, which collaborate regularly to create new techniques in prefab for client project needs. An example of this is a two-day prefab workshop Mid-City hosted, where electrical contractors from the Electrical Industry Mastermind Group came from as far as California.
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Tom Feeney
President and CEO
Safelite Group Inc.
Since joining Safelite Group Inc., Tom Feeney has been instrumental in establishing Safelite AutoGlass® as a nationally known brand.
When he became president and CEO of the company in 2008, he immediately introduced a new vision for Safelite supported by two core principles: “People First, Customer Delight,” which has since evolved to “People Powered, Customer Driven.”
The company hadn’t experienced sales growth in the previous five years, but Feeney’s vision bought the business back to its core beliefs and started a cultural transformation.
Under Feeney’s leadership, Safelite’s customer satisfaction scores have increased by 13 percentage points. Top-of-mind brand awareness improved and market share increased. In addition, sales have tripled, partly due to more employee engagement.
The company plans to continue growth through a new “Nationally Powered, Locally Driven” approach.
In addition to leading Safelite Group, Feeney is a director for the Safelite Group Board of Directors and a member of Belron’s Global Leadership Team.
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Sandy Fekete
President and co-owner
Marketing Works
Sandy Fekete, president and co-owner of Marketing Works, developed the Companies Are People, Too assessment tool to profile an organization’s personality, and further her belief that a company’s personality and culture are its most powerful success drivers.
CAP2 has been valuable for Marketing Works’ clients, as well as serving as the cornerstone for the company’s success with its own team.
Fekete supports professional development, leadership growth and external volunteer activities by fostering a “One Team, One Goal” mantra. As part of this, Fekete and the firm’s partners invested in a coach who is responsible for integrating culture with professional development. The coach meets regularly with employees to develop measureable goals, maintain interpersonal communication channels, facilitate on-boarding and tackle other issues such as stress management and conflict resolution.
This one eye on the client, the other on the team philosophy has helped Fekete lead Marketing Works to more than 20 percent revenue growth.
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Michael P. Glimcher
Vice chairman and CEO
WP Glimcher
WP Glimcher is the product of a merger between Washington Prime Group and Glimcher Realty Trust in late 2014, when Michael P. Glimcher became vice chairman and CEO.
The new company is double the size of GRT, has 100 additional assets and 40 million additional square feet to lease. WP Glimcher also has lower debt leverage and the ability to generate $100 million in free cash flow.
As CEO, Glimcher, along with executive leadership, has already achieved measurable results in many facets of WP Glimcher’s strategy, including scaling up the existing operating platform to grow from 25 to 121 assets and delivering continued growth from the combined portfolio through redevelopment and leasing.
Glimcher already drove industry-leading results with GRT, transforming the company and increasing sales per square foot. He’s now positioning himself to do this on a larger stage, including adding more than 75 jobs to WP Glimcher’s corporate office in Columbus.
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Dianne Grote Adams
President
Safex Inc.
The business of occupational health and safety is often bogged down by lengthy government standards and organizations struggling to fit safety into their budgets.
President Dianne Grote Adams and Safex Inc. have changed the picture of health and safety consulting in Central Ohio by making it a business about people. The company fosters strong, personal relationships with clients who keep in touch even after they’ve moved companies or industries.
At Safex, the customer experience is driven by attention to detail, customer-oriented processes and a no-tolerance policy for anything but quality.
Under Adams’ leadership for more than 20 years, Safex has updated services and products, found new methods for delivering training and regulatory information, and taken safety beyond the realm of just Occupational Safety and Health Administration compliance.
Additionally, Adams and her consultants are constantly touring jobsites and facilities in order to understand every aspect of client businesses and recognize the most effective solutions for their needs.
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David S. Guion, Ph.D.
Executive director
Dublin Arts Council
The Dublin Arts Council, under the leadership of Executive Director David S. Guion, Ph.D., is gaining national and international recognition for its innovative programming and noteworthy growth. The Ohio Arts Council leadership, in fact, has called the DAC “the poster child for innovation.”
Since he began leading the DAC in 2005, Guion has obtained financial support from a significant number of organizations as well as prestigious grant awards. Guion also has instituted a culture of creativity for the arts council. Staff members contribute ideas to program development and for professional development.
Recognizing art’s power to heal, influence opinion and raise awareness, Guion has made social-focused programming a priority. Recent projects include a five-year photography exhibit to raise awareness of people living with Down syndrome, a tunnel mural based on removing the stigma of mental illness and addiction, and an exhibition of rare Vietnam War photos by Pulitzer Prize-winning photographer Eddie Adams.
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W. Gregory Guy
CEO
Air Force One Inc.
W. Gregory Guy, CEO of Air Force One Inc., is continuously looking for opportunities to lead his team forward to success.
By having weekly meetings with his leadership team, analyzing associate feedback and staying in touch with the different Air Force One divisions throughout Ohio, Guy has been able to celebrate the accomplishments and learn from the struggles of his organization to get to the heart of what Air Force One needs to remain successful.
It is Guy’s vision and innovation that is the driving force at Air Force One. He stays in touch with the changing needs of the HVAC industry and regularly looks for ways to improve service.
One of his driving objectives for the business is to “elevate the image and integrity of our industry.”
It is Guy’s excitement and hunger that inspires Air Force One’s associates to act with unmatched professionalism and quality every day.
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Sally Hughes
Founder and CEO
Caster Connection
Sally Hughes has built a company in Caster Connection that focuses on anticipating and meeting client demand by developing innovative products that improve the lives of those clients. As founder and CEO, Hughes also has created a culture for thinking outside the box when it comes to marketing to clients.
Some examples of strategies that have led to growth include a focus on the emotional aspect of buying casters and an industry-leading e-commerce site that makes caster buying as easy as possible.
Since developing the industry-changing CC Apex line in 2005, Caster Connection has brought several other products to market in an effort to diversify and offer clients solutions no one else can.
These products largely focus on relieving ergonomic issues. Other product improvements include noise reduction, maintenance prevention and floor protection. Revenue at Caster has grown each year since 2010, as has the employee count, due to increased client demand.
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William Hutter
Founder and CEO
Sequent
CEO William Hutter and his partners founded Sequent in 1995 with two employees. Today, the company employs 80 people.
In the early years, Hutter was the CEO, COO, CFO, sales team, payroll courier and more. The outsourcing industry was in its infancy, which afforded him the opportunity to develop and define best practices, often years ahead of industry trends.
Sequent’s growth allowed Hutter to hire talented employees to develop and manage various business segments. Many of these employees are still with Sequent more than 16 years later.
But one of the biggest impacts of Hutter’s leadership has been in the health benefits arena, when he set out to become an expert on the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.
For the past three years, he has been a frequent speaker on health care reform. Sequent makes no profit providing health benefit plans; his efforts are truly about educating clients and keeping benefits affordable.
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Edgar W. “Bill” Ingram III
Chairman of the board and CEO
White Castle System Inc.
Chairman of the board and CEO Edgar W. “Bill” Ingram III has dedicated his career to stewardship and growth for White Castle System Inc. by celebrating the 10,000-team members who make success possible. He has an earnest desire to “do the right thing” — whether others are looking or not.
It’s no wonder that out of the top 450 field restaurant operations leaders, 444 started behind the counter in an hourly role. Also, more than 25 percent of employees have been with White Castle for more than 10 years.
Recently, Ingram has overseen a brand revitalization; watched the division he created to establish a grocery store presence for White Castle restaurant products grow to represent nearly 25 percent of total sales, and a larger percent of profit; and overseen a thoughtful transition to the next generation of family leadership.
Ingram will retire from CEO duties at the end of 2015, knowing he leaves the business better than he found it.
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Rich Johnson
CEO
ViaQuest Inc.
As CEO, Rich Johnson has steered ViaQuest Inc. through a series of growth spurts — the company now has locations in three states and employs more than 1,500. Much of that growth has been because of efforts to stay at the forefront of the latest technologies and innovations in the health care industry, such as with a pharmacogenetics program.
But perhaps Johnson’s greatest contribution is the culture he has established among employees.
ViaQuest is all about people, and Johnson has worked diligently to cultivate a culture that is centered on CHOICE: customer service, humor, ownership, integrity, creativity and excellence. Johnson insists on investing money and time into building and fostering ViaQuest’s culture, because in good times and bad, culture is what binds and unites all employees together.
ViaQuest has nearly 300 employees who have stayed with the company for five years or more, an impressive number in an industry where turnover tends to run high.
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Bob Juniper
President and CEO
Three C Body Shops Inc.
President and CEO Bob Juniper took over the family business, Three C Body Shops Inc., in 1984. He has expanded the shop from three employees to 50 with innovative approaches and marketing savvy, coupled with a strong dedication to customer service and quality work.
For instance, in 1991, Juniper began an aggressive, anti-insurance plan advertising campaign to educate the public about insurance companies’ responsibility to restore vehicles to pre-accident condition.
Due to its tremendous success, Juniper started his own marketing company. Today, more than 100 body shop owners and related businesses throughout the U.S., Canada and Australia have used Juniper’s campaign.
He’s also developed the idea of Collision Claims Centers and satellite drop off locations; is breaking industry norms by going completely paperless, including with payroll; and has implemented the Pink Button, a mobile app to easily connect people to Three-C service at the scene of a collision.
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Brett Kaufman
CEO
Kaufman Development
As CEO of Kaufman Development, Brett Kaufman emphasizes high quality, unique, luxury housing at an affordable price point.
Since the company’s founding in 2011, it has completed The Gramercy, a 322-unit development in New Albany; 600 Goodale, a 174-unit community; and 801 Polaris, a 270-unit project. Through a partnership with a leading construction management firm, Kaufman spearheaded the development of 250 High, a 156-unit mixed-use building that welcomed its first commercial tenant in July.
Hiring for character over experience, Kaufman values personal and professional growth for all of his employees. He fosters the cultivation of each individual’s passions in life to harness that energy in the workplace.
Twice each year for 10 to 12 weeks at a time, employees leave the office for three hours each week for innovation time. The team then gathers to present their ideas and innovations. Some ideas have been implemented into Kaufman’s corporate operating system.
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Amy Klaben
President and CEO
Columbus Housing Partnership Inc., dba Homeport
One of Central Ohio’s homebuilders was asked in five words to describe Amy Klaben, the head Columbus Housing Partnership Inc., dba Homeport, which provides service-enriched rental housing to more than 10,000 people. He chose aggressive, compassionate, dynamic, intelligent and visionary. All those terms add up to a realistic picture of her professionalism and community leadership.
Homeport consists of three departments: rental living, home ownership and learning and engagement. Klaben, who has been president and CEO for 15 years, is responsible for driving all aspects of the nonprofit organization. During the height of the recent foreclosure crisis, Homeport scaled up its efforts to educate and assist people at risk of losing their homes from 250 households a year to 1,500.
An attorney, Klaben works with policymakers to educate and elevate the issue of affordable housing. Her passion for families and for the more than 2,500 children of the Homeport communities motivates her to do work for posterity.
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Merry Korn
CEO
Pearl Interactive Network Inc.
In 2004, CEO Merry Korn was inspired to start Pearl Interactive Network Inc. as a way to combine her passion for business with a social mission.
Initially, she began hiring people with disabilities because she needed loyal employees who would stay with the company. Over time, Korn learned this niche workforce offered opportunities for growth, including in the federal contractor space — and added disabled veterans, veterans and military spouses to her team. Her company could solve long-ingrained government staffing programs, especially in contract center services where five-month average retention rates were the norm.
Korn was convinced she could do better because her workforce offered leadership and maturity, resilience and perseverance, with individuals who were goal and team-oriented, and exhibited respect for rules and procedures.
Over the past three years, this differentiator helped Pearl Interactive grow from $1 million in annual revenue to more than $12.5 million, with more than 400 employees in 23 states.
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Catherine Lang-Cline
President and co-founder
Portfolio Creative
Creativity and innovation drive Portfolio Creative, which President Catherine Lang-Cline co-founded in 2005 to connect clients with creative professionals — designers, writers, Web designers, art/creative directors and marketing managers — for full-time or temporary needs.
Lang-Cline opened a second office in 2014 in Pittsburgh, and has set her sights on the next opportunity.
The company has become the nation’s fastest-growing creative staffing and recruiting firm, earning Inc. 500/5,000 designation for the past six years.
One example of Portfolio Creative’s impact involves working with Abbott to build an internal creative department, completely staffed by Lang-Cline’s team, which provides flexibility and speed. Another example is its 10-year relationship with LBrands, serving as both a subcontractor and director vendor.
Lang-Cline’s approach is straightforward: Be flexible, be creative, listen and then be innovative in your approach to serving clients. She chalks up her company’s success by its ability to talk to clients about what they really need most — and then providing it.
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John Mackessy
Chief Financial Officer
HMB
As the chief financial officer of the business technology services firm HMB, John Mackessy oversees financial strategy and operations — and his ability to ensure adoption of new processes to facilitate growth is just one of the things that make him a true leader.
When Mackessy helped found HMB in 1994, he was more of a “do-er” and spent most of his time on client work. As the company grew, the executive team saw that it needed to restructure the business and Mackessy was made CFO.
Mackessy plays the accounting role in a company of computer programmers and IT professionals. He asks the hard questions others don’t think about on a daily basis.
During times of rapid growth, he kept financial stability and the overall success of the company as his top priority. He streamlined accounting practices and time reporting and payroll processes, allowing HMB’s executive team more accuracy in making projections and setting goals.
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Michael McCarrell
President
Pharmacy Systems Inc.
Michael McCarrell joined family-owned Pharmacy Systems Inc. in 2008 as an implementation coordinator, quickly working his way up to president.
Pharmacy Systems provides hospital pharmacy management and consulting services, including outpatient and ambulatory care, and hospice and pain management programs.
McCarrell led the creation and development of new services lines, including:

PSI Supply Chain Solutions, which manages hospital-based logistics for more than 20 materials management departments.
PSI Rehabilitation Services, which manages therapy departments in health care settings.

PSI’s Signyl program, which provides clients with real-time data.

Teamwork is critical, and McCarrell has built a team who can lead and carry on daily operations by thinking about ways to better serve clients.
Today, McCarrell manages more than 375 people, oversees a decentralized business with 120 locations in nine states and has led the company to annual revenue in excess of $50 million.
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Pat McCurdy
President
Kimball Midwest
With President Pat McCurdy at the helm, Kimball Midwest maintains its focus on superior performance and exceptional value in the products and service it offers for the maintenance, repair and operations marketplace.
From its earliest beginnings, the company has strived to develop a “partnership in performance” with each employee and customer in order to identify and satisfy their needs through the development of superior products and programs to reduce overall cost. When adding new products, Kimball Midwest adheres to the highest performance and quality standards. Continuous improvement is so ingrained in the company’s culture that a team of specialists is dedicated to researching process enhancements and items that solve customer problems and add value for each customer.
The company services sales representatives and end-use customers from its corporate office and distribution center in Columbus and from its distribution centers strategically located in Dallas, Reno, Nevada and Savannah, Georgia.
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Curtis J. Moody, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP
President and CEO
Moody Nolan
To understand Moody Nolan’s impact on Greater Columbus, you only need to look around. Some of the architecture firm’s projects include the Columbus Commons, Hilton Columbus Downtown Hotel, The Ohio State University’s Recreation & Physical Activity Center and the expansion of the Wexner Medical Center.
For more than 30 years, President and CEO Curtis J. Moody, FAIA, NCARB, LEED AP, has been at the forefront of significant architectural projects in his hometown and across the nation.
Today, Moody operates eight regional offices and employs more than 170 professionals, who practice responsive architecture. This means they listen intently, analyze effectively, and then design an innovative, functional and aesthetically pleasing space, without losing sight of the purpose and budget.
A few of Moody Nolan’s most recent projects include the Music City Center in Nashville; the Malcom X College in Chicago; the International African American Museum in Charleston, South Carolina; the Net Jets headquarters in Columbus; and Dunbar High School in Washington, D.C.
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Neil Mortine
President and CEO
Fahlgren Mortine
Neil Mortine, president and CEO of Fahlgren Mortine, realized he had to turn his ship around when the marketing and communications agency lost some larger accounts during the recession.
He was able to accomplish that reversal — and bring 63 percent growth in six years — by integrating disciplines and removing silos, solidifying client relationships, and investing in technology, new markets and business development.
Frequently quoted as saying, “The best culture leads to the best people, and the best people lead to the best clients,” Mortine placed an unwavering focus on culture to turn the company around. The work environment is one of collaboration and collegial atmosphere. Associates at all levels have freedom to take risks, accomplish big things and even make an occasional mistake.
Along with encouraging company values of collaboration, engagement and trust, Mortine supports the personal passions of employees to give to their individual interests.
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Tom Pendrey
Chief Operating Officer
Donatos Pizza
Tom Pendrey was appointed chief operating officer at Donatos Pizza when he joined the company in 2014. His job was to oversee the company’s 154-store restaurant business as well as Jane’s Dough Foods, the bakery division of Donatos.
Almost immediately, Pendrey identified an area for growth within the business. Because customers place accuracy and speed of service at the top of their list when selecting a restaurant, he led the charge to implement operational improvements throughout the Donatos system to shorten the length of time from when a customer places an order to when they receive delivery.
These changes increased order accuracy past 95 percent, and customers have responded by choosing Donatos more frequently.
Pendrey also recognized early on that his associates are loyal and passionate people who are able to accomplish an incredible amount of good each and every day in their restaurants serving customers.
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Debra Penzone
President
The Charles Penzone Salons
For 28 years, Debra Penzone has contributed to The Charles Penzone Salons organization as a stylist, artistic director, training director and senior vice president. She now serves as president over the six salons and The Brittany Group Professional Beauty Products and Education.
Penzone empowers directors in each department to manage their area of content and cross-functional teams to achieve objectives within the salon. In addition, she employs training teams to remain on the cutting edge of the industry, embraces new technology and is involved with a network of other salons/spas across the nation for benchmarking and best practice-sharing.
Penzone not only is the face of The Charles Penzone Salons, she also is a motivational speaker, a leader in the philanthropic community, a role model for young girls and a proponent for positive change.
Because of her devoted volunteerism and philanthropic spirit, Penzone has received various awards for her active involvement with her community.
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Nick Pinizzotto
President and CEO
Sportsmen’s Alliance
Nick Pinizzotto turned a childhood love for outdoor sports and conservation into a career. After successfully leading the Delta Waterfowl Foundation in North Dakota, Pinizzotto became the president and CEO of the Sportsmen’s Alliance, a nonprofit dedicated to protecting and advancing America’s heritage of hunting, fishing and trapping.
And in two years, he has spearheaded numerous innovative projects.
Pinizzotto gained national recognition by opening the alliance’s western office in Sacramento, which allows the organization to ensure California sportsmen are fairly represented during discussions concerning the state’s wildlife management and conservation practices.
He has guided the staff in a rebranding effort for the website and social media — website page views have grown 84 percent and Facebook likes have increased by 72 percent. And a new strategic plan focuses on marketing and reaching the entire target audience nationally.
Pinizzotto’s efforts have re-engaged staff, board members and sportsmen to create an aura of excitement.
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Margie Pizzuti
President and CEO
Goodwill Columbus
When Margie Pizzuti took over in 2005 as president and CEO of Goodwill Columbus, the organization was in the midst of a multiyear $9.6 million capital campaign to reconstruct and remodel the agency’s headquarters in Grandview. Her leadership and long-standing relationships with many community-funding stakeholders resulted in a successful effort that exceeded the goal by $400,000.
She has expanded Goodwill’s retail operations with the opening of five flagship operations by 2017 and e-commerce ventures that allow the organization to compete with online retailers such as eBay, Alibris and Amazon.
Through her business acumen and dedication to serving the community, Pizzuti has helped nearly double the agency’s annual revenue since 2005. Services also have been expanded to better support persons with disabilities and other barriers.
In addition, Goodwill operates Contract Business Services, which since 2005 has doubled its billings to more than $5 million, providing unarmed security and custodial/cleaning services.
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Sue Reninger
Managing partner
RMD Advertising
Managing partner Sue Reninger has been responsible for the strategy and direction of RMD Advertising’s flagship Columbus office since 1992.
Reninger and her team specialize in brand strategy, advertising, social media and public relations for clients in the growing and emerging food category. A strong focus on the success of its clients, rather than on the success of the business, sets it apart from its competition.
Reninger’s talent as a leader has given rise to RMD’s employee-focused culture, where constant learning is encouraged. In a weekly book club, team members read a well-respected business-centric book and discuss their insights. RMD also supports the monthly attendance of seminars and educational lectures.
A few years ago, RMD decided money otherwise used for client gifts could do even more for the community. In the first year of contributing to Wagons Ho Ho Ho, 25 wagons filled with food were distributed to needy families during the holidays.
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Nicole Ringle
Chief Marketing and Talent Officer
IGS Energy
Since joining IGS Energy in 2011, Chief Marketing and Talent Officer Nicole Ringle has emphasized the internal management and development of company employees. She’s assembled IGS’s Training and Development team and companywide initiatives that include the employee development programs EnergizeU and Empower Your Career, which encourage investment in and retention of IGS employees.
EnergizeU is a collection of online and on-site courses that facilitate development in leadership and mastering the business. The Empower Your Career program is a nine-month professional development experience that facilitates team collaboration to uncover new directions and potential offerings for IGS to implement. This process culminates in a ceremony wherein students present their research and solution to the executive team in front of the company.
Ringle makes it her mission to pull the leader out of everyone. She has developed an outstanding internal culture, helping employees grow as professionals and advance in their fields while driving sales across all channels.
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Dr. Mark Rinkov
Founder and CEO
Rinkov Eyecare Centers
For 37 years, Dr. Mark Rinkov has grown Rinkov Eyecare Centers into Central Ohio’s largest privately owned optometric practice.
When other practices declined, Rinkov, founder and CEO, used keen industry insights and strategic business planning to reframe the company infrastructure.
With the assistance of his son, Jeff Rinkov, Rinkov established a corporate location for insurance verification, billing and executive management; created a centralized inventory; hired an in-house accountant; and set up a centralized call center.
Rinkov also acquired two independent optometry practices, while never losing sight of Rinkov Eyecare Centers’ core mission — to provide quality care to its patient base.
He makes continuing education a priority. Doctors and staff must attend meetings for professional development and patient findings reviews, in order to expand the practice’s service offerings and discuss how to improve care.
Rinkov himself attends trade shows and belongs to industry peer review groups to implement best practices and stay abreast of industry trends.
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C.K. Satyapriya
President and CEO
CTL Engineering Inc.
C.K. Satyapriya understands that today’s CEO must be able to demonstrate an understanding of the dynamics of value enhancement, be aware of opportunities and then know how to exploit them.
In 1992, Satyapriya began adapting the balanced scorecard approach, which is a bottom-up rather than a top-down method to strategic planning. Through Satyapriya’s leadership as president and CEO, CTL Engineering Inc.’s culture is based on shared principles (values, policies and attitudes) and shared practices (norms, systems and processes) that influence how people feel, think and behave.
CTL’s focus has long been engineering, but in 2008, Satyapriya decided to hire an architect to more fully address his clients’ needs on design-build projects.
He quickly realized that he could utilize that skill set not only to directly help clients on projects, but also to improve CTL’s buildings and workspaces, thereby allowing CTL to better fulfill its internal and external needs.
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Randy Schoedinger
CEO
Michael Schoedinger
President
Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service
Schoedinger Funeral and Cremation Service is known as the most innovative funeral home in Ohio.
CEO Randy Schoedinger and President Michael Schoedinger were instrumental in creating the MourningStar funeral arrangement process for funeral directors and families to work together to develop meaningful ceremonies to express a person’s individuality and find healthy ways to honor their life.
They’ve also employed two certified funeral celebrants, which is someone who has been trained to meet the needs of families during their time of loss.
Other innovations include the first dedicated pet crematory, webcasting of funerals online, the only funeral home to be green burial certified and the first funeral home to employ a full-time, on-staff grief counselor.
This family business, which was started in 1855, is committed to developing positive family dynamics and excellent communication.
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Brian Schottenstein
COO and senior VP
Schottenstein Real Estate Group
Under COO and Senior VP Brian Schottenstein’s leadership, the Schottenstein Real Estate Group has built eight new developments, totaling more than $300 million in construction costs.
One of the areas he has excelled in is innovation, such as developing apartment buildings where every unit has an attached garage.
He also has introduced new amenity packages that appeal to today’s buyers. These include free wireless Internet, community gardens, butterfly gardens, resident car washes, juice bar café areas, fire pit lounges, resort style pools and movie theatre rooms.
By offering these kinds of amenities and flexible leasing options, the Schottenstein Real Estate Group has been able to maintain occupancies of no less than 98 percent throughout all of its communities.
Schottenstein also has been instrumental in expanding the company into Cincinnati, Kentucky and Florida. More than $90 million in new construction will start within the next six to nine months.
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Hiten Shah
President
Marketing and Engineering Solutions Inc.
Hiten Shah, president of Marketing and Engineering Solutions Inc., built the company on a culture of trust and honesty, where employees have the freedom to express themselves and fairness and transparency are practiced in all relationships.
The company hires many talented individuals to ensure best-in-class metrics for its work, and retains its employees by giving them a strong sense of autonomy while making them feel as if they’re part of a family.
MES promises its clients to reduce component costs over domestic sourcing, reduce inventory levels and develop custom engineered products. Its business metrics focus on customers’ requirements for on-time delivery and low-quality rejects while being efficient in inventory management.
All associates have very clear goals, which are published companywide as monthly metrics. The company uses the best legal, accounting, human resource and strategy consultants to develop tactics and choose the most efficient supply chains for customers.
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Steve Steinour
CEO
Huntington National Bank
While many American banks were happy to simply survive the recent economic downturn that challenged the financial services industry, Huntington National Bank, under CEO Steve Steinour, re-engineered itself and emerged stronger than ever.
That was a courageous move in 2009 as competitors were scaling back and playing everything conservatively. Through calculated investments in employees, customers and infrastructure, Steinour helped lead Huntington to realize a 58 percent consumer household growth and a 36 percent increase in business relationship growth.
Also under Steinour’s leadership, Huntington became the only financial institution that notifies customers of overdrafts by text or email and gives them a full day to replenish their accounts without charging a penalty.
In addition, he has increased the bank’s small business lending, exceeding a four-year $4 billion lending commitment and making Huntington the nation’s largest lender in the number of U.S. Small Business Administration 7(a) Loans in fiscal year 2014.
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Ron Stokes
President
Three Leaf Productions Inc.
President Ron Stokes purchased Three Leaf Productions Inc. in 2003 and has transformed it into one of the fastest growing minority business enterprises in Ohio.
Stokes is a visionary leader and critical decision-maker. Relying on his experience and judgment, he plans and directs all aspects of the organization’s policies, objectives and initiatives to accomplish Three Leaf’s goals.
As the driving force behind the company’s growth and direction, Stokes continually shares his insight and vision for the future with his team, which has more than 150 years of combined print, marketing and sales experience.
Providing exceptional service is the top priority. Three Leaf Productions does not merely measure itself in terms of revenue, it measures success by the satisfaction and loyalty of its clients and the growth and advancement of its employees.
Stokes also just marked his 17th season as the on-air expert analyst for The Ohio State University’s men’s basketball radio network.
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Michael S. Swartz
President and CEO
Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc.
Michael S. Swartz, president and CEO of Lake Shore Cryotronics Inc., fosters a high-performance environment that encourages cooperation and empowerment.
Employees are relied upon to seek streamlined approaches and make decisions quickly, even in the absence of perfect data. Swartz regularly reinforces his preference for thoughtful decisions made quickly over safe decisions that require greater analysis, believing the company can always course-correct later.
Employees are encouraged to think broadly about the impact of their role and actions on the overall business, their colleagues and on the superordinate goal of customer satisfaction.
He presses the organization to move expediently to develop new products, respond to customer inquiries and resolve issues. Internally focused bureaucracy and distractions are minimized, in part through his investment in organizationwide training on lean process methodologies to further improve effectiveness.
Swartz inspires collaboration through periodic reassessments of office layouts and holds regular companywide events to build trust and respect.
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Kara Trott
Founder and CEO
Quantum Health
Kara Trott, founder and CEO of Quantum Health, knows firsthand how confusing, bureaucratic and unfriendly the health care system can seem.
With a background in market research for major consumer brands, she founded Quantum Health in 1999 to reduce health care costs, and remove confusion and waste for self-insured companies and their plan participants.
Built from two years of research that included tracking the health care journeys of 3,200 people with 290 physicians, Quantum Health is constantly evolving and tweaking its offerings.
The company has seen tremendous growth under Trott’s leadership, going from five employees to more than 500 who serve over 400,000 plan participants. Quantum Health has expanded its client membership at an average annual rate of 46 percent over the past four years, averaging 37 percent annual revenue growth.
Trott also has created a culture of kindness, collaboration and trust that is unusual in a rapidly growing organization.
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Mike Vargo
President and CEO
VARGO
Over time VARGO has changed in order to meet its customers’ changing needs, but it was the acquisition of ADS Specialists in 2006 that demonstrated President and CEO Mike Vargo’s willingness to adapt and embrace innovation in order for his company to grow.
The acquisition marked a paradigm shift for VARGO because it revolutionized how the company provides material-handling solutions for its customers. Mechanical equipment alone is no longer the answer — it needs to be paired with smart software and unique methodologies to achieve lean and efficient distribution.
The acquisition of ADS Specialists launched VARGO into a different hemisphere, as far as sales and growth. In the past five years, revenue has more than tripled, and employee numbers are up by 30 percent.
Vargo credits his team of engineers and distribution experts for transforming how the company looks at problems and provides solutions for companies running fulfillment centers.
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Billy Vickers
President and CEO
Modular Assembly Innovations
When Billy Vickers joined TAG Holdings it provided manufacturing and modular assembly solutions to the automotive industry.
Vickers saw opportunity and launched sister companies to expand value for clients. Within five years, the combined organizations employed 250 people and produced $650 million in annual revenue. In 2001, Vickers purchased majority ownership and founded Modular Assembly Innovations, as president and CEO.
MAI excels at innovation. For example, it leveraged a proven business model from MAI’s first facility in East Liberty, and developed similar facilities in Alabama and Indiana.
MAI also showed customers how to migrate assembly and subassembly from internal manufacturing to outsourced models — without delays or disruptions. This allowed MAI to expand the parts produced to 11 car models and to serve eight Honda plants in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, with plans to expand into Brazil.
Under Vickers’ leadership, MAI has received Honda Performance awards and grown to $1.2 billion in annual revenue.
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Beatrice Wolper
President
Emens & Wolper Law Firm
It’s a natural conclusion that Beatrice Wolper and her husband Dick Emens would make family business needs one of Emens & Wolper Law Firm’s concentrations, particularly in the areas of estate and succession planning. Five years after starting the firm, they added another practice area in oil and gas and now have a total of five attorneys.
Wolper, president, has led the firm to profitable growth while offering advice to people with set budgets. The firm offers a flat-fee structure for estate planning, which helps clients to not worry about additional fees.
In 1998, Wolper and Emens co-founded the Conway Center for Family Business to provide educational and networking opportunities to family business owners. Wolper also sits on numerous boards and committees.
This caring extends to the firm’s attorneys, who give their cellphone numbers to clients.
Although a small firm, Wolper is able to hire the best and brightest by offering innovative incentive programs.
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Sponsor Notes

Oswald Cos.

The employee-owners of Oswald Cos. are dedicated to meeting and exceeding your expectations, as one of the nation’s largest independent, employee-owned insurance brokerage firms. Founded in 1893, Oswald has six regional offices throughout Ohio and Michigan, and serves clients internationally through its Assurex Global partnership.
The Oswald Columbus office, celebrating 10 years this year, specializes in the full-spectrum of employee benefits and property and casualty insurance brokerage and risk management services.
As a proud insurance broker of the Ohio Society of CPAs, it strive to provide updates on all that is changing in the health benefits arena regarding health care reform.
Oswald Columbus calls on its strength, longevity and depth of expertise to serve a valued group of commercial and personal clients.
With nearly 15 employee-owners, specializing in a wide range of expert areas, Oswald Columbus is highly in tune with serving the unique needs of companies and individuals in the region. Team members also are deeply rooted in serving the community, offering their time, talents and resources to many initiatives throughout the year.
The Columbus office remains on a path of growth and success, highlighted by its newly renovated office space at 349 W. Nationwide Blvd.
The office continues to invest in talent to serve its current client base and prepare for the opportunities ahead.

CompManagement Partner Cos.

The CompManagement Partner Cos. consist of CompManagement, a full service third-party administrator for workers’ compensation as well as CompManagement Health Systems, a dedicated provider of workers’ compensation managed care services for Ohio employers. Since 1984, we have been proud to assist employers of all sizes, from large corporations to small family-owned businesses, and in virtually every industry classification.
We believe that our formidable strength throughout the years has come from the ability to form meaningful partnerships with our clients, develop a true consultative approach and consistently bring our clients innovative claims and risk management strategies. It is what we believe differentiates us from our competition as well as what embodies a “smart” organization.
✓ Partnerships — A true partnership is ever-evolving. To have successful relationships and partnerships, we believe we must understand and appreciate the needs and goals of each partner as well as embrace their culture, vision and corporate values in order to ensure a partnership that not only grows but thrives.
✓ Service-minded — Over the course of the last 30 years, our highly seasoned team of colleagues have made it their mission to become experts in all matters concerning workers’ compensation in order to assist and educate our clients. By instilling a consultative environment, we are able to stay in sync with our clients’ business needs. A true partner listens to concerns, speaks the same language and values input.
✓ Innovation — Whether it is innovative new products or services or the ability to respond to changes in the economy or the market, an organization that stays flexible in the long run, in order to respond to the diverse needs of their clients and partners, is what will enable them to continue to thrive and be a successful and “smart” organization.

Hyatt Regency Columbus

Hyatt’s higher purpose is about care and the difference we are trying to make in the world. In order to fulfill that purpose, we recognize that leaders must lead differently than we may have in the past. A Hyatt leader, therefore, is a leader characterized by his or her ability to care, serve, learn, adapt and achieve results.
Caring leaders build trust and engagement by cultivating genuine relationships. The capacity to care for one another is one of the strongest of all human traits. At the center of caring is empathy. Leaders exhibit empathy when they connect personally and deeply with those around them.
Serving leaders create success for and through others. Such leaders are motivated by service to the higher purpose, the business and its stakeholders — not by the pursuit of power or personal gain. The success of these leaders is gauged by the success of others.
Learning leaders are inspired by learning, and they take pride in further developing themselves. They are not afraid of — and they learn from — mistakes and failures. They make the intentional decision to continue to learn and grow throughout their lives, challenging themselves to be and do more, and gaining broader experiences.
Adaptive leaders demonstrate agility in the face of continuous change. They anticipate and thrive in changing environments where diversity of thought fosters innovation and creativity. They have the ability to create a climate where individuals can take risk, experiment and learn from failure — often with great speed.
Achieving leaders prioritize and do what is best for the business. They are bold, strategic and future-oriented. They see the big picture, understand how the different components of a system interconnect and behave over time, and help make sense out of complexity by simplifying.

U.S. Bank

Community Supporter
We recognize that our company is only as strong as the communities in which we do business. We’re committed to supporting them through volunteerism and financial contribution.
We provide employees with up to 16 hours per year of paid time off to spend volunteering in their community. In Central Ohio, U.S. Bank employees volunteered 3,500 hours in the community last year with organizations such as Junior Achievement of Central Ohio and Habitat for Humanity, among many others.
In addition, the bank provided more than $20 million in financial support to Central Ohio communities in 2014 through community development loans, tax-credit investments, grants and corporate contributions. This funding supported the United Way of Central Ohio, affordable housing, economic development and more.
Ethical
Earlier this year, we were recognized by the Ethisphere Institute, an independent center of research promoting best practices in corporate ethics and governance, as a 2015 World’s Most Ethical Company. The World’s Most Ethical Companies designation recognizes those organizations that have had a material impact on the way business is conducted by fostering a culture of ethics and transparency at every level of the company. U.S. Bank was the largest U.S.-based bank honored by the Ethisphere Institute this year. In addition, we were also recognized this year as the most admired super-regional bank in Fortune’s World’s Most Admired Companies 2015.
Customer advocate
We are proud to be bankers and to have the privilege to be trusted partners for our customers and communities. Our employees stand at the intersection of people and potential by helping individuals build financially secure futures; small business owners turn dreams into neon OPEN signs; commercial enterprises convert visions into progress; merchants engage in safe and secure commerce; pre- and post-retirees achieve their retirement goals and objectives; and communities turn possibilities into promises.

Rea & Associates

Everyone at Rea — all the way up to its leadership team — follows a set of core values, “The Rea Way.” When “The Rea Way” was originally written, it was intended to be a statement of what the firm stands for. Today, it’s so much more. It’s a beloved statement that’s visible on every office wall, and in the actions of every employee. Not only does it show leadership and all other team members how they are expected to behave and perform, it also shows clients what they can expect when they experience business “The Rea Way.”

You are a Rea ambassador. Always. Maintain integrity in all you do. Be honest. Be a good steward. Take ownership. Respect profitability. Respect your clients, your colleagues and yourself. Be generous with praise and constructive with criticism. Take your work personally. Quality counts. Choose to be positive, every day. Show others that you care. Work together. Rejoice in others’ achievements. Embrace change. Be open to the possibilities. Opportunities abound. Believe in yourself. Dare to dream. Value your clients. Challenge them to reach their potential. Be a person of influence. Share your ideas. Raise up leaders. Listen intently. Let your listening fuel action. Fail forward. Be persistent in finding creative solutions. Invest in your family, your community and your future. Never stop learning. Have fun. Enjoy the journey …

A “smart” leader is one who follows a moral compass and is dedicated to integrity, customer service and influence. A “smart” leader intimately understands employees’ needs and knows what is important to customers. A “smart” leader sets a positive example for the world around them.

GREENCREST

Visionary — GREENCREST was inspired in 1990. Our inspiration was founded on the recognized need of privately held businesses to have a chief marketing officer’s voice at their boardroom table to better compete — without the cost of a full-time employee.
The vision that formed GREENCREST is the vision that continues to drive our differentiation.
Our focus is on helping businesses compete at a higher level and win market share. We elevate their profile within the markets they serve so they are known, heard and recognized.
We create success stories. We stay abreast of trends and invest in new methods to stay well ahead of the curve. We are vigilant in being responsive to market shifts.
Smart Solutions — GREENCREST has a keen understanding of how marketing can impact the growth of a business. Our philosophy to uncover an organization’s brand and create a strategic plan that propels a company to reach its growth goals.
The GREENCREST culture inspires our team to be the best at what we do. We strive for certifications, continuous education and business best practices. We teach our clients how to be smart marketers and help them implement smart strategy to drive their businesses to a market leadership position.
Trusted Partner — The GREENCREST business model is one that establishes a high level of trust and accountability. It is very proactive. We are given full access to our clients’ teams and operate more like a staff member than an outsourced service provider.
As a part of our commitment to our clients, we self-perform all our work. This provides our clients with a dedicated, consistent, accessible and accountable team to oversee all marketing functions on their behalf.
At GREENCREST we come to work everyday to make a difference in the businesses we serve, the communities in which we work and live, and the lives of those we touch along the way. We work to make a difference.

Nemacolin Woodlands Resort

Situated in the Laurel Highlands of southwestern Pennsylvania, Nemacolin Woodlands Resort is consistently recognized and honored in the travel industry as a world-class resort, featuring luxurious accommodations, four-season amenities and first-class meeting spaces.
Nemacolin’s successes are attributed to the resort’s Service Vision: “Own Every Moment.” To achieve this, Nemacolin associates are trained to embody the following three traits: Be Excellent, Be Engaged and Be Empowered.
Be Excellent: Excellence is a quality or state of being outstanding. For Nemacolin associates, superiority can come in many forms depending on the department and the associate’s interaction with guests. Nemacolin best represents excellence through training associates to be knowledgeable, committed, consistent and efficient within their department and throughout the resort.
Be Engaged: Engagement is the key to Nemacolin’s commitment to deliver exceptional customer service in a world-class setting. Being engaged is not a trait you can teach; instead it is a characteristic of a company and its associates that comes from being passionate, connected and being able to personalize and anticipate the needs of their customers.
Be Empowered: Empowerment is a trait that Nemacolin is proud to cultivate. When you consciously empower your associates to make their own decisions, you allow your associates to take ownership of your brand. Nemacolin’s founder, Joseph A. Hardy III, is often quoted for saying, “Nothing is impossible,” and the resort personifies this notion through seeing, owning and solving problems.

Digizoom Media

Smart leadership is about making the most of your work hours by learning to delegate, prioritize and simplify.
People in leadership positions tend to think their success and value at work is measured by how late they stay at the office, or how much time they spend outside of work answering emails and reviewing reports. As a result, leaders often feel stressed and burned out from even the smallest tasks.
There’s a law of diminishing returns, where the more time we spend on something, the more the quality of work decreases. Setting a time limit for an activity can help you focus and get it done.
Leading a group of people requires a mutual sense of trust and understanding between the leader and team members. As a first step toward that goal, leaders should learn to connect. Building a real personal connection with your teammates is vital to developing the shared trust necessary to build a strong culture of accountability and exceptional performance. With that culture in place, the team can achieve a successful business, a happy team and a fulfilled leader.
One of the best ways to practice smart leadership is to delegate tasks to your team so you can focus your energy on the responsibilities that are specifically yours.
Not only is it crucial to ensure that you have competent people on your team, it’s also important to allocate work in ways that empower others to do their best and play to their strengths. The most crucial role of leadership is facilitating the performance of the team as a whole.
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