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Industry Insights Staying True to the Core W hen my father started Stafford- Smith Inc.,he ran itwith an iron fist and nothingwas done unless it passed through his hands. In hismind, if it was to be done correctly, he had to do it. He had that pioneer spirit that made the company survive and he built the foundation that it stands on to this day. After starting my fulltime career at David J. Stafford, CEO Stafford-Smith djs@staffordsmith.com Editor's Note: Earlier this year at FE&S' Dealer of theYear and Industry Awards Banquet,Hall of Fame Inductee David J. Stafford Sr. gave an inspiring message about his journey at the helm of Stafford- Smith,Kalamazoo,Mich. News & Views recently spoke with him and asked about lessons learned, leader- ship, and longevity in an ever-chang- ing industry. Stafford-Smith in 1969 as a salesman, I purchased the company nine years later and ushered in a new era of leadership. I quickly realized that without profitable growth our futurewould not be as bright as it could be, and that it would take a com- panywide effort to meet those expectations. I had to be more of a delegator and put people in posi- tions and situations that empowered themtomake wise decisions while being custodians of the company's assets. To guide the growth of Stafford-Smith Inc. it was also necessary to accent its founding principle,"treat others as you would like to be treated, "andmake sure that it was present in every transaction and every relationship—with every cus- tomer,manufacturer,manufacturer rep- resentative, employee, banker, etc. Keeping it top ofmind has proven to be one of the most simplistic,yet effective, keys to providing distinctive customer service. For us, growth also involved a great deal of expansion in size as well as in product category,particularly in the late 1980s through the 90s.The first of four acquisitions was Perficold, a refrigera- tion contractor in Mishawaka, Ind.; and that was followed by Lansing Foods in Lansing, Mich.; Kirchman Brothers in Bay City andTraverse City; and Brothers Restaurant Supply,which alsowas locat- 6 FEDA News & Views Keeping it top of mind has proven to be one of the most simplistic, yet effective, keys to providing distinctive customer service. ed in Lansing and Jackson. Three of those acquisitions were full-line equip- ment, smallwares, paper and chemicals dealerships, and launched Stafford- Smith into unfamiliar territory—carry- ing a full line of FE&S products. Prior to the acquisition,our focuswas designing, selling, installing and servicing equip- ment but we wholeheartedly accepted the challenge of diversification and even went to the extent of building a distri- bution center to effectively preformthe functions that this portfolio of products and services requires. Our plate was full but it appearedwewere thriving in profitability as well as growth with the addition of new product categories and additional offices in Indiana, Wisconsin, Texas, North Carolina,Florida,and Oklahoma.Unfortunately, it took some time for us to stop drinking the Kool-Aid and realize that smallwares and chemicals was not our core competency.We did not have the upper management knowledge and patience to sell these newproduct lines, or the sales velocity to compete with broadliners on price, offerings and cost of delivery. Instead,we learnedwe could better serve our customers, pursue our growth and our profitability by focusing on our strengths: designing, selling, installing and servicing equipment.We did not need to be all things to all peo- ple.Once we focused on our core com- petency,the company began to flourish. That lesson, one we hear repeatedly at meetings and conferences, has served Stafford-Smith well and I hope future generations.u