Zephyr — “ A Firm of Endearment ”
FROM THE PRESIDENT
Zephyr — “ A Firm of Endearment ”
In a book titled “ Firms of Endearment : How World-Class
Companies Profit from Passion and Purpose ,” the authors ( Raj Sisodia et al .) compiled a list of companies that treat employees significantly better than average , provide high value and service to customers , do not squeeze suppliers for the lowest possible prices , invest significantly in their local communities , minimize their environmental impact , and do not cite as the primary goal “ maximizing shareholder returns .” The authors go on to demonstrate how such companies consistently outperform their peers who are more closely aligned with a pure profit motive .
These criteria for building a great company as specified in “ Firms of Endearment ” seem appropriate to me and match the objectives of the owners and leaders of Zephyr . In 2008 , we entered a competition in our industry : “ Best Firms to Work For .” We placed high that year , based on an evaluation of employee salaries and benefits , working conditions , and the results of an anonymous employee survey that asked very probing questions about how the company operates in its day-to-day business . We decided to enter the competition again this year to benchmark our progress , and I ’ m pleased to report that once again , Zephyr has been identified as one of the “ Best Firms to Work For ” in our industry ( broadly , architecture / engineering firms ).
So far , so good . But in order to be a “ Firm of Endearment ” we must also provide valuable , responsive service to our clients at a fair price . We are continuously eliciting customer feedback both in informal conversations and in structured surveys , and we use this feedback to ensure we are meeting and exceeding client expectations . An analysis of our performance for the past year reveals that more than 92 percent of our revenue was repeat business from existing clients . Further , we are on track to grow revenues this year by about 20 percent . Looking at this data as a whole , my conclusion is that in addition to welcoming some new clients in the past year , our existing clients are asking us to do more for them . We fully recognize that the trust that our clients place in us to help them meet their objectives is the foundation of our growing business .
In the “ Best Firms ” anonymous employee survey , a number of questions posed to our employees related to how we interact with our clients and other stakeholders . I am immensely pleased that on the question of “ Do I feel my firm is ethical in its business practices ?” we received a perfect score — every single employee respondent “ strongly agrees ” that is the case .
We will remember not to “ rest on our laurels ” as a company we must earn our clients ’ business and our employees ’ respect and dedication every day . As we proceed through our twentieth year in business ( our 20th anniversary will be in April 2014 ), I would assess our efforts as still a “ work in progress ,” but shaping up nicely ! Z
Joe Zupan President
Zephyr is a full-service environmental , health , and safety firm offering consulting , training , and data systems services to clients worldwide . We specialize in air and water quality , waste management and cleanup issues , incident management , natural resources , and workplace and community safety .
Currents is published quarterly by Zephyr Environmental Corporation , is edited by David Cabe of Cabe Environmental Solutions , and designed by Allen Griffith of Eye 4 Design . Current and past issues of this newsletter are available at our website . For more information about Currents , or to add your name to our subscription list , please email : currents @ zephyrenv . com or visit www . zephyrenv . com .
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