Tag Archive: Provisors

Miniature Office Golf & a Pathway to Know, Like & Trust

By
I attended a ProVisors social of miniature office golf last week.  We had great fun (thanks to James Valmonte and Kit Mac Nee for arranging such a great social).  As you’ll see, there was much creativity in setting up golf holes in an office setting.  I liked the hazards – especially the water holes! Although I can hang in there with scramble golf, I didn’t fare as well with mini office golf.  But who can complain about winning a  booby prize? Regardless of golf skills, it was enjoyable.  It is also a great way to get to know colleagues better.  People do business,…
View Article



Amazon’s Deal with Party City & More Competitors

By
While I presented on the Amazon Effect to a specialty group of ProVisors (trusted advisors) members focused on manufacturing and distribution recently, Amazon was firming up a deal with Party City to offer an assortment of items. This is just the latest in a stream of retailers collaborating with the competition.  Party City follows Kohl’s (see the sign in the picture below), Sears, Nike, Chico’s and more. This is especially interesting because at our recent Harvey Mudd executive roundtable event, almost every CEO mentioned a time when he/she collaborated with the competition.  Perhaps we should be keeping our mind open…
View Article



What Tours Have You Gone on Lately?

By
In the last month, I have attended quite a few tours of manufacturing and distribution operations.  The pictures below were taken at an APICS Inland Empire and ProVisors tour of Southwest Traders Foodservice Distribution and Do It American Manufacturing.  Both were excellent.  And I walked away with great tips! Tours are a great way to see different ways of doing business and gain insights and ideas to apply in your company.  I find that what I see and learn will provide value to clients somewhere down the line.  As often as I hear clients request a consultant with knowledge in their specific industry,…
View Article



What Tours Have You Gone on Lately?

By
In the last month, I have attended quite a few tours of manufacturing and distribution operations.  The pictures below were taken at an APICS Inland Empire and ProVisors tour of Southwest Traders Foodservice Distribution and Do It American Manufacturing.  Both were excellent.  And I walked away with great tips! Tours are a great way to see different ways of doing business and gain insights and ideas to apply in your company.  I find that what I see and learn will provide value to clients somewhere down the line.  As often as I hear clients request a consultant with knowledge in their specific industry,…
View Article



Motocross, the 100% Brand and How Global Distribution Scales

By
I recently attended the San Diego Distributors and Manufacturers (DAM) group of ProVisors. We had an engaging discussion with Francis Costello, COO and CFO of 100%, a well-respected brand in motocross and mountain biking.  He made a very interesting point about how the value of distribution scales and supports “getting big quickly”.   Francis generously provided insightful lessons learned in scaling distribution: Don’t trust your gut. (In essence, it isn’t enough to run the business) Understand the rules and regulations. Contracts vs. trust (neither is sufficient alone) Choose wisely. The only constant in change (after all, Amazon, Alibaba and more continue…
View Article



Case in Point – Should You Speed Up Your M&A Plans?

By
The merger and acquisition market has slowed down due to political, economic and tax uncertainty. Might it be the opportune time to sell quickly to maximize value? If you are thinking about it, perhaps it is time to take a look…
View Article



Will Robots Pay Back?

By
I attended a compelling presentation for manufacturers and distributors on the latest trends in technology for manufacturing. Robots were front and center.
View Article



The Value of Getting to Know Each Other

By
The holidays tends to bring on conversations with old colleagues and catching up with family, friends and clients.  Often times, we zip through life and business and don’t stop to get to know the people we interact with on a daily basis.  How could this be?   I have a few colleagues and friends who are particularly good at finding out all about the lives of people they work with (without wasting all sorts of time).  They always seem to have some detail I never knew about someone I talk with frequently about business matters.  Couldn’t we always do better?   You…
View Article



What are the Best Referrals You’ve Received?

By
I lead a group of trusted advisors for ProVisors in the Inland Empire, and we celebrated our five year anniversary in September. It was a fun celebration and interesting to see how many long-term members we have, who have gained significant benefit from participating in the group. I very much appreciate my executive committee as they helped create this amazing success. A BIG THANK YOU to Kathy McEntee, Gus Marantidis, James Valmonte, Jan Palmer, Dana Mitchellweiler, Steve Nosenchuck, John Tulac and Mike Kouyoumdjian. At the anniversary event, we talked about our best referrals, introductions, resources or assistance gained during our tenure in…
View Article



Is Supply Chain Top of Mind for Your Business?

By
Earlier this week, I spoke on a panel at a ProVisors (a top notch group of trusted advisers) event about supply chain and its impact on the Southern California and Inland Empire economy. The event prompted me to think about whether we are keeping supply chain top of mind (from your suppliers’ suppliers, through your manufacturing operations – insourced, outsourced or both – to your customers’ customers, inclusive of transportation and logistics networks, IT etc.). It will have a dramatic impact on your business success, and, in Southern California’s case, the economy. For example, is the Amazon Effect (the notion of 24/7,…
View Article