Head of the Class
No matter what field they operate in, highly successful businesses have one thing in common-a driving desire to be the best at what they do.
It is from this basis that a company's other essential ingredients spring: innovation, calculated risk- taking and best practices-which, in turn, help generate the benefits that all organizations strive for: happy and productive employees, sustainable growth and a healthy bottom line. Nowhere is this more clearly illustrated than in the stories of the first class of inductees into the Connecticut Business Hall of Fame. Last month, Hall of Fame representatives honored the architects of four Connecticut business entities for their vision, determination and perseverance in creating enterprises that are among the best in the country, and in a couple of cases, recognized around the world.
The first, Subway, got its start as a single submarine sandwich shop in Bridgeport. Today, the business that was co-founded by a 17-year-old high school student boasts more than 27,000 locations in 85 countries worldwide.
CRN International, a radio network created by a student fresh out of college, has not only changed the face of marketing and promotion, but is now heard in virtually every city in the U.S. and Canada.
Barker Specialty Company, launched by a husband and wife team more than 50 years ago from the trunk of their car, is today a nationally prominent promotional advertising firm that is home to the largest promotional products showroom on the planet. The company also operates the largest animation and entertainment art gallery in the world, and a collectibles museum that attracts tens of thousands of visitors from across the U.S. yearly.
John Farnham, executive director of the Associated General Contractors of Connecticut, worked his way up through the construction trade association industry to become head of one of the most active and successful such organizations in the country.
When asked about their keys to success, all of the inductees say the biggest key is having passion for what you do. And each, without exception, believes strongly in sharing the fruits of their labors by giving back to their communities.
Passion, creativity and a quest for excellence are also illustrated by several other companies featured in this month's issue. Shelton-based Oil Purification Systems recently won an Excellence in Innovation award from the Connecticut Technology Council after developing an on-board oil refining system for trucks that eliminates the need for routine oil changes. The system not only saves clients time and money, but significantly benefits the environment. In just six years, Terra Technology President Robert Byrne built his fledgling firm, based in Norwalk, into a company that uses its own proprietary software to forecast demand and track inventory for some of the worlds largest manufacturers of consumer packaged goods. Northland Investment and AEG Worldwide formed a partnership to win a six-year management contract for the Hartford Civic Center, largely because of their ability to think outside the box. Their goal? A new, state-of-the-art sports and entertainment arena that would likely cost hundreds of millions of dollars, thereby positioning Hartford to attract an NHL hockey team. Goodwin College, a two-year private college, is also thinking big, launching a $90 million riverfront construction project that involves transforming a former oil tank farm into a pristine 730-acre campus that will be home to an environmental studies program.
To all of these companies and their can-do executives, we say: "Go to the head of the class." Likewise for executives from across the state, who are raising their own personal bars by heading back to the classroom to complete executive MBA degrees. In our feature story on this trend, we introduce you to these already successful executives, who are daily illustrating their personal commitment to be the best they can be.
It is heartening to see that, despite soaring energy costs and other bona fide barriers to success in this state, so many entrepreneurs and businesspeople refuse to accept failure-or even mediocrity-as an option. We congratulate them.
Sincerely,
Carol Latter
CT Business Magazine
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