Marnie Byford, Chief Operating Officer of Supreme Staffing, Top 10 Promising CEOs of 2023

Ben Verkilen
Cheif Executive Officer
Optimize Electric, Inc.


Marnie Byford, Chief Operating Officer of Supreme Staffing

Learning paves to new opportunities

Optimize Electric, Inc. dedicates itself to leading safety initiatives in the grain industry. This objective can be achieved by utilizing automated systems such as maintenance counters, positive grain paths, and hazard monitoring systems. According to the CEO, Ben Verkilen, grain dust possessesa high level of explosiveness, and hazard monitoring systems are designed to detect potential ignition sources in advance, preventing them from accumulating sufficient heat to trigger an explosion. Furthermore, they conduct system audits and use infrared imaging to detect hidden heat sources, allowing for the timely detection of potential issues before they escalate. At their Pasadena location, they have installed the top three systems in a training center. This training program is accessible to both team members and customers, providing them with comprehensive instruction on the installation and operation of these systems.

Ben was fortunate to secure a long-term residence at a company based in Wisconsin, his home state. He executed the installation of these systems with commendable proficiency. He held a significant position, overseeing a substantial region on their behalf, and cultivated enduring relationships. Ben expresses that the world is a humorous place. When he established the company, the initial strategy was to maintain a small-scale presence within the South Dakota region. He finds it amusing that the individuals they cater to expressed dissatisfaction with the proposed plan, which subsequently compelled him to continue serving them in the same manner as before.

Ben enjoys playing golf and they utilized it to publicize a game in Salem, SD, with the proceeds benefiting the McCook County FFA organization. This promotes brand awareness and encourages community involvement. The FFA is a great organization thathelps kids get into the agriculture business. The tournament brings together some of their customers and vendors.

In terms of overseeing the business, Ben believes that clarity is crucial for effective communication. Despite his belief in the importance of clarity, he struggles with both giving and receiving compliments. He believes that individuals should constantly receive assistance and support. The world knocks people down, it does not need his help. So, he is always trying to help people achieve more whether it is his team or not. They teach about the concept of the point of power. This starts with a center point, and above it is the words "ownership, accountability, and responsibility." Below the point, the words "blame, excuse, deny" are visible. A rough explanation is taking responsibility for something that happened to you.This means that you own it and are accountable for it. For instance, if you arrive late to an appointment, he explains that he could have checked the traffic reports, taken a different route, or left earlier if the traffic was bad, but he chose not to do so. You are not saying, "Well, it's not Ben's fault because of traffic,". In this you are choosing where you want to go in life instead of letting other people tell you what to do. If they view life as a river, they should take controlusing OAR (ownership, accountability, and responsibility) and navigate their own path, rather than succumbing to BED (blame, excuse, and denial).Simply drifting through life, susceptible to external pressures.

In their leadership meetings and evaluations, they use goal setting as a tool. They develop their primary value statements and target market analysis as a unit. After achieving this, they set monthly, quarterly, annual, and long-term revenue and sales targets. To monitor progress, each department creates weekly to-do lists and issue lists thatcontain deadlines and action plans. Their HR (Human Resources) department establishes quarterly team-building exercises to establish development objectives with team members and monitors them internally.

The organization's mission statement is S.W.A.G.G.E.R., an acronym that represents the following values: safety, workmanship, accountability, greatness, giving, efficiency, and responsibility. The Company aims to cultivate a sense of motivation and pride among its employees, encouraging them to approach their work with a positive mindset. The world relies on AG for its operations; they are responsible for making AG run smoothly!

The company works on the conceptof the whole next man-up scenario.They strive to cross-train and develop from within. People in charge do not expect other team members to help them reach their full potential. The company holds meetings with its top customers once a month so that they can voice their concerns, share their preferences, and get information about future projects and ongoing jobs. They also follow their competitors on social media and attend trade shows with them. Ben still gets along well with his old boss, and he and that boss talk to each other often as friends, not as competitors. They also think about what they can do better and produce ways to fill in the gaps.

They have investigated other markets, like industrial lighting generators and other services, but they keep going back to the grain business because it is where their heart is. An important part of what they do is assist farmers and promote rural America. Ben had to accept that, even though he was a great electrician, he had no idea how to run a business. When he hired a business coach to teach him what he didn't know, the coach made a big difference and that the training changed them from a company that only did one job at a time to one that looked for ways to have recurring jobs and revenue such as audits for safety systems and tracking for hazards. His coach also introduced him to the point of power.

They are launching new product lines and collaborating with other big names in the business to make co-offers on systems. Their main goal is to build smart partnerships with companies that agree with what they stand for. They want to grow their business plan by opening more small shops in targeted locations across the Midwest. The goal is to have 12 to 15 experts in each location which will provide them with the services and resources of a small business but enabling them to tackle larger projects.


Company

Optimize Electric, Inc.

Management

Ben Verkilen
Cheif Executive Officer
Optimize Electric, Inc.

Description

Let us help bring your older facitity up to date! We specialize in stand alone and integrated Hazard monitoring systems and critical safety devices. Ask us about your Industrial , Commercial and Farm solutions. Real solutions for your Electrical needs over 22 years experience!


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