Chris Laibe, founder and president of inFRONT, believes the harder one works, the luckier that person gets. In other words, Laibe has learned creating and growing a company is a lot like a relationship: You get out what you put in. If a company works hard to please its clients, good things will happen. Conversely, if a company doesn’t do the work, there will be nasty surprises in store for it. BIC Magazine recently sat down with Laibe to learn more about the hard work he’s put into inFRONT to make it successful and his thoughts behind the company’s newest product that is revolutionizing emergency response.
Q: What led you to start inFRONT?
A: I started inFRONT after spending several years in management at DuPont. It was a great experience to work across many aspects of the business and in several regions with terrific people. In 2002, however, I caught the entrepreneurial bug and left the company. My experience helped me relate to the problems petrochemical facilities face, and DuPont’s intense focus on safety gave me a heightened sensitivity to this particular set of problems. I brought on a great team that has been able to listen to customers, provide outstanding service and deliver great products ever since.
Q: What is the biggest news at inFRONT right now?
A: Our latest creation is AllClear Emergency Assembly, a solution that is transforming emergency response in our marketplace. Our most recent announcements revolve around the customer feedback and positive reviews AllClear is receiving by disrupting an old manual process that was overdue for improvement. Most recently, inFRONT’s AllClear solution has been adopted by two of the largest players in the midstream and downstream sectors. Several more implementations are due to follow this year. We’ve spent a lot of time and resources to ensure we’re getting it right for our customers. We do this by talking to emergency responders in order to gain a deep understanding of what they really need to do their jobs well.
Q: Why is inFRONT successful?
A: We have fantastic people. They care about their jobs, which compels them to go the extra mile when success requires it — whether in product creation, customer service or sales. I had a customer stop me recently to say he was surprised our people were so attentive almost a year after the original sale. His expectation was we would disappear after we got the job done. Our company seems to attract problem solvers. Our people naturally enjoy finding a solution to a customer’s needs. It’s one of the main reasons we’re seeing so much traction in the market. Simply put, our clients trust us.
Q: What’s the most important thing a person should know before taking a career path similar to yours?
A: Know thyself. Make sure you can define the outcome that will make you happy in the end, and then go after it. This will help you avoid starting a business for the wrong reasons, which will ultimately leave you unfulfilled.
Q: What has been the most pivotal moment of your career?
A: It sounds corny, but witnessing the birth of my first child changed my goals in life. After she was born, I still wanted to be successful, but the reason became totally different. I realized I wanted to build something that would allow me to be involved in my children’s lives as well as provide the resources to support their development as good human beings. That’s one of the reasons why my interest turned to entrepreneurship and led me to start inFRONT.
For more information, visit www.infront usa.com or call (800) 256-2003.
