Spark — continuing media

Frank Koller was a guest on CBC Radio’s The Sunday Edition on April 11.  Koller continues to blog on The Huffington Post as well.

While flying Porter earlier this month, I read a story about Toronto’s indie brewery Steam Whistle — the way they operate — profit sharing, loyal employees, incredible perks — sounds very much like the company studied in SPARK, Lincoln Electric. From Porter’s re:porter magazine for April:

Steam Whistle rewards its employees with a range of perks that could be considered unconventional by regular business standards. These include profit-sharing, stock options, staff beer, paid vacations rising to a six-week sabbatical after 10 years of service, and even company surfing holidays. It also financially supports employees who want to improve their education and rise through the ranks. [Co-founder] Greg Taylor, who has lectured to MBA business students on Steam Whistle’s unique corporate strategy, still gets the odd look of surprise and disbelief when he reports that in spite of these exceptional incentives, the company has reaped over $20 million in sales in just nine years.

So, some companies do get it!

Spark published by PublicAffairs.  Steam Whistle drunk by me.

SPARK: How Old-Fashioned Values Drive a Twenty-First Century Corporation

Midday Markets : March 8, 2010 : Lessons from Lincoln Electric [03-08-10 12:10 PM].

Author Frank Koller, long-time CBC correspondent and Ottawa native, was on BNN TV’s “Midday Markets” today. Coming up:

CBC Radio “Ottawa Morning”; CFRA radio Ottawa “Madeley in the Morning”; CBC Radio “Sunday Edition”

• Koller speaks at Rotman School of Management in Toronto March 9
• In Ottawa, meet Frank at a reading/book signing, Chapters, Rideau March 27, 2pm

Published by Public Affairs