Economic Bright Spots - Firms Offer Dozens

Economic slump? There’s no denying some fundamental economic forces (including the flow of credit) have had a devastating effect on companies, especially many connected with the automotive industry.

But all is, clearly, not lost.

Indeed, Corp! magazine, in our second annual review of Michigan’s Economic Bright Spots, discovered dozens of companies, large and small, who are not only weathering the storm but arguable riding about it altogether.  They each offer many reasons for us to look ahead with optimism. Read on to learn more and be inspired.

This is an excerpt - for the entire article, please visit Corp! Magazine online at
www.corpmagazine.com

Service Express, Inc.
Grand Rapids, Mich.
www.seiservice.com
With an average annual growth rate of 20 percent, the question isn’t whether SEI is successful. It’s how. President Ron Alvesteffer says that it’s the corporate culture of the on-sit hardware maintenance service company that focuses on IBM, HP, Sun and Dell mid to high-end servers. “We start by hiring the right people,” says Alvesteffer of the organization with its 75 staff in Michigan (135 total in some 14 locations). “We have a very thorough selection process that matches candidates' talents with our SEI culture.” Add in the vision component—to work with employees to help them achieve their personal, professional and financial goals—and you’ve got a winning formula. “Our people development drives the growth of our company,” notes Alvesteffer, who expects to see growth of 15 percent with two new offices and 10 percent more staff over the next year. Training will also be a big factor, along with other business improvements. “We will continue to develop our people with professional development training, as well as optimize our inventory size and accuracy, our cash flow and our proven ability to deliver exceptional customer service.”