Chris Shepard and Erik Taylor.
Martin Associates Business
Consulting Group Inc.
President: John Martin
Location: Tiverton
Rhode Island's Market Has Changed. Developers, Builders, Investors and Sellers Must Change With It.
By Emilio DiSpirito IV License Partner | Engel & Völkers Oceanside Leader | The DiSpirito…
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Type of Business: Consulting
Year Founded: 1978
Employees: 5, plus contractors
Annual Sales: WND
When a person gets sick, he or she will usually go to the doctor. But when
a company is ill, going for help is not always the first thing on a CEO’s mind.
In fact, many firms will tough it out and at times don’t realize troubling
symptoms are at hand.
That’s when John Martin comes in.
He is the founder of Martin Associates Business Consulting Group Inc. and
since 1978 has been a doctor to companies that have fallen on hard times.
Many times, he said, companies have fallen into a rut that they can’t seem
to escape. They will continue doing business the same way they always have,
hoping things will turn around, but this doesn’t always happen.
“There are three areas companies have trouble with,” he said. “Communication,
communication and communication.”
In many cases, he says there’s a common treatment to what’s ailing companies.
It involves tackling a problem by getting people in a company working in teams
toward a common goal. He has found many times that companies are taken over
by “lone ranger” managers who take all the control.
“A company should work more like a ballet and less like a hockey game,” he
said. “And, a company should always be looking over its shoulder at the competition.”
The business
Martin Associates, which is celebrating its 25th anniversary this
year, goes into a troubled company with its eyes wide open.
The first step is to identify the situation faced by a company, which will
usually have between 100 to 300 employees. They could be suffering from declining
revenues, or an increase in demand is presenting new challenges.
Martin employees will sit with senior officials and work out a training program.
“We focus on the issue and work toward reaching a consensus,” Martin said.
“The aim is to communicate openly and directly, to meet the needs of the company.”
Oftentimes the training involves establishing a team-friendly atmosphere;
this was done at Pawtucket-based Neptco, a manufacturer of tapes and composites,
which was dealing with an increase in demand for its product. Martin said in
this situation a progressive management structure was put in place with a goal
toward expanding sales. Teams from different departments in the organization
were given the tools to work together.
A troubled company does not have to spend a penny for the initial consultation.
If Martin Associates is tapped for the job, they will often go to the state’s
economic development program funded through unemployment taxes. They fill out
all the paperwork for a company to receive a grant of up to $35,000 to help
pay for the training.
In Massachusetts, up to $250,000 can be put toward a program.
Martin said 80 percent of his business is in offering training programs in
five areas. They include ISO 9001:2000 compliance, analysis and genesis; creation
of Continuous Process Improvement teams; management training; business process
documentation; and strategic planning.
Martin said ISO 9001 work is very important in that many large companies will
not contract with a smaller company that is not certified. Training in this
area often includes topics like team-building and other aspects his company
handles.
“We’ve helped 30 companies get ISO 9001 certification in the last several
years,” he said.
He uses contractors to manage other programs Martin Associates offers, including
internal auditing, customer service and project management.
“I think one of our strengths is that we have depth,” Martin said, adding
that all programs are customized to meet the specific needs of a company.
In terms of finding work, Martin said much of it comes from word-of-mouth.
He said he takes pride in keeping customers satisfied so they will speak well
of his company to other potential customers.
Company revenues could not be detailed, but he did say Martin Associates handles
12 to 15 businesses during the week.
Martin Associates is certainly not the largest consulting firm out there,
but is also not a solo venture. There are about five people working at the office
in addition to the stable of contractors. This includes a senior associate,
a pair of interns from Roger Williams University, a business manager and an
assistant.
Working in the shadows is Martin’s wife, Cherie. She is considered a “silent
partner” at the company and mostly deals with the financial end of the office.
However, most of her time is spent outside the Tiverton business since she is
a full-time teacher.
‘Unyielding perseverance’
Martin credits his father for staying in business for 25 years. The
elder Martin worked for 46 years with a company in the area.
“He was made a manager at the age of 26,” he said. “He taught me my work ethic,
to always be persistent.”
Martin has taken this approach and made it the bedrock of his business.
“Persistence will overcome resistance” is a phrase that he says drives his
office and he tries to instill in the companies with whom he does work.
“Twenty-five years ago, I expected that this company would succeed,” he said.
“I went at it with unyielding perseverance.”
“In a bad economy, you can’t back off from marketing,” he said. “You need
to have faith and be enterprising. You need faith in yourself and the people
around you.”
The aim is to make sure potential clients know you are there, even if they
too are in the business doldrums. Eventually, he said, the economy will turn
around.
“Companies need to hear this today,” he said. “People get discouraged with
a bad economy, but they need to be reminded that we live in an enterprising
business system. In these industrial times there is power in innovation and
research. The more enterprising you are the freer you are.”
Jason Perez-Dormitzer is a contributing writer to PBN.
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