Contractor/Retail Store Operation Needed Organization To Continue Growth

INDUSTRY OVERVIEW

In the Midwest at mid-summer, the general outlook is "middle of the road." The weather has stabilized and the new construction is reaching the point where the various systems can be installed. There is always the seasonal work at the start of the heating and cooling seasons in fall and summer.

COMPANY PERSPECTIVE

Activity at Hirt & Ellco follows the general industry patterns. Because it works in four areas - electric, plumbing, heating and cooling - the company covers a wide-range of contracting work. In addition, the business also has a retail store. This unique aspect of the business was started not long after the current president's father, uncle and a couple of their friends founded the company in 1970. They needed a ready source of materials for their contracting work, so they started a wholesaler/distributorship operation. It has since been opened to the public. The store now contributes about half the revenues of the company. It also helps to even out the cyclical pattern in the contracting business.

COMPANY ISSUES/CONCERNS

With such a diverse operation, Scott Lamping was looking for help to bring all these various activities together and moving in the same direction. They were successful, but they knew it was not a clean company organization. "We were aware of problems within the company but were unsure of ways to correct the problems or how to go about the implementation of solutions," said Lamping.

SOLUTIONS

The key element that George S. May International Company brought to the company was organization. After diagnosing major problems, the consultants developed solutions based on the business and conducted personalized training on each solution and established a guideline to follow once the consultants left. "A key to the work was helping us find the true cost of doing business," Lamping stated. "Now all my 17 people are moving in the same direction and have specific goals. We have control of our business and we have confidence we are operating it like a business."

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