| 2002
Chesapeake Small Business of the Year |
| |
Inside
Business Magazine
Writer
Mindy L. Hughes, APR
Hughes Communications & Consulting |
Doing
business the old-fashioned way has made Jo-Kell Inc. a local
success story, with the numbers to back it up - a 20 percent
increase in sales each year. This achievement was a major contributing
factor in being named as Chesapeake's Small Business of the
Year.
"We're very consecutive in nature, and
we do business the old-fashioned way," explained Susan Kelly, executive
vice president of Jo-Kell. "We're professional, but we have a warm
and fun business environment."
Kelly said she emphasizes the importance of
strong values in her employees.
"Honesty
is the key to being successful," she explained. "We have strong
traditional values, and we expect our employees to live up to them."
Jo-Kell
is an electrical supply and distribution company, supplying the U.S. Navy
and its contractors from offices in Chesapeake, Charleston, S.C., and Jacksonville,
Fla.
"We
put a lot of emphasis on our customers and our customer service," she
said. "We want to know what their needs are, and we must care about
those needs to succeed."
One
unique way that Jo-Kell employees learn about their customers is through
their popular "We Cook 'Em" program, where they visit the customers'
worksites and set up a hot dog cooker. Getting to know each other over food
has become a fun and effective way to build relationships.
"We're
a small, family business, but we've educated ourselves in everything we
do - business, human relations, marketing," Kelly said. For example,
about three years ago, they brought in a management consultant to review
their operation. The consultant recommended they add a chief financial officer
and a vice president of sales and marketing, which they did.
"This
relieved us of many day-to-day operations and allows us time to see and
do the bigger picture, which will help take us to new levels," Kelly
said.
But,
reaching new levels will not diminish the firm's commitment to values. Among
the old-fashioned values that Jo-Kell employees embody is the importance
of contributing to the community. The company's employees take on many community
projects, such as contributing to the Food Bank and doing projects for the
Chesapeake Animal Control shelter. |
|
|
|
