Risk & Business Magazine Miller Insurance Spring 2016 | Page 31

“They are the companies which inspire
individuals within them to improve themselves
and improve their craft year after year.”
inside of pockets. Another is printing
logos on tennis balls. The heat transfer
process itself may not have changed
dramatically over the years, but it is still
the best for durability and Kaumagraph
is devoted to taking it as far as it can go.

www.wightman.ca

www.fencingandrailing.com

Located in Owen Sound, Ottewell
Fencing & Railing is another company
which follows this unique philosophy.
Since 1980, this family owned business
has provided custom fencing and railing
across southwestern Ontario. Right from
the beginning, they have incorporated
their family values into the culture of
the company itself. Among those values
are a necessity for expertise among sales
staff, a focus on quality work in the
installation staff, and a high reliance
on both quality and maintenance free
products. Through the exhibition of
simple characteristics of success, they
have managed to maintain a good
reputation in the community and show
a steady rate of growth.

One final example comes to us from
Clifford;
Wightman
Telecom,
a
telecommunications company who
has been serving the local area for over
107 years. For a telecom company,
perhaps more than any other, the
reliance on innovation in both
technology and in service offerings is
how they remain viable. Through the
continual implementation of next-gen
technologies and a staff dedicated to
quality customer service, they have
managed to remain at the forefront
of their industry. They have deep
community roots and a commitment
to supporting organizations and causes
across the region. The ability to provide
cutting-edge technology with small
town service has proven to be one of the
keys to their success.
While not a local example, we can see
how the lack of these characteristics
can result in disaster for even the largest
of companies as demonstrated by the

utter failure of Target Canada. While
Target in the United States is one of the
top retailers, their jump to the Canadian
market was marked by failure to adapt
or display the necessary characteristics
for success. For one, they failed to show
consistency in stocking, in marketing, in
sales and even in the POS and inventory
software that they used (compared to their
US counterpart). The staff turnover was
massive from one year to the next, leading
to a failure of dedication and company
culture. The failure of the supply chain
(which primarily resulted from errors and
omissions in inventory) put on display
a lack of quality work focus. Ultimately,
this resulted in an $8B dollar loss for the
company and the closure of (almost) all of
their Canadian stores.
The best companies, are those which
exhibit the characteristics of success. They
have a growth mindset, focus on what is
important, and have ambition. What they
avoid is being “overly” ambitious in their
actions. The measure by which success is
determined for a company is not the size of
the company, how long it has been around,
or what they do, but how they handle
themselves during difficult times. We need
look no further than our own back yard to
find examples of businesses that remain
innovative even during the worst situations
and come out of those challenges stronger
and more successful.

SPRING 2016

31