Brent Evans, President and CEO of inoLECT
When Brent Evans started inoLECT, he had a passion for seeking out challenging and diverse projects. He still carries this passion with him today. BIC Magazine recently visited with Evans to learn more about the history of the company, why it's successful and his best management practices.
Q: What led you to start inoLECT?
A: I started inoLECT (formerly known as Louisiana Power Technology) 20 years ago in my spare bedroom/home office with one page of contacts to call on. I was an expert in electrical power system analysis, while also capable of troubleshooting and correcting advanced electrical deficiencies. In the beginning, I wore both the sales and engineering hats. My dad was a major supporter of the decision to build my own company. He was a business owner who set a great example of how to be successful. Since 1998, inoLECT has grown exponentially into a team of leading experts who have a passion for problem-solving.
Q: Why is your company successful today?
A: inoLECT is in a very good place today. What makes the company still successful after 20 years is we hand-pick our people and take pride in our customer relationships.
Our customer retention rate is very high, and we pride ourselves on being seen as a partner and not just a service provider. We want to help our customers make the right decisions, educate them, get them the necessary training they need, etc. We want to make each customer feel like they are our only customer. We're excited about the future because the products and services we provide aren't universally applied throughout the industry just yet, but they will be one day.
Q: What is your best management tactic?
A: Become emotionally involved. inoLECT is unique because our managers and executives are on the frontlines with the staff, working as part of the team. As for myself and Vice Chairman Lonnie Barr, we don't sit in a highrise office out of sight and out of touch. We have cubicles just like everyone else at the company, with our doors always open, figuratively and literally, to anyone who has a question or needs input. We like to go to the inoLECT shop or on-site to a customer's facility and work on projects ourselves. One of our priorities is recruiting the best and brightest minds around to keep the company on the cutting edge. We're not just looking for certified engineers but also people who are passionate about working together to help customers find the right solutions.
Q: Are the ideals and culture of your company what you initially envisioned?
A: Absolutely. Since day one, we have pushed family first, inoLECT second and anything else third. This creates a wonderful environment for success, both at the individual and company levels. Our entire company was recently interviewed by the top executive of a local business consulting firm, and afterward, we were told we had a very unique culture that most companies try to achieve.
Q: What is a "fun fact" about you people might not know?
A: My wife, Monique, and I are very food-oriented. We have an outdoor, wood-fired, professional-grade pizza oven, and we really enjoy doing that together. I also enjoy spending time in my vegetable and herb garden, which has done very well recently, especially the tomatoes. It's an escape from the business world and great that we can eat salads from our own organic garden. People also know me for my home-crafted bean-to-bar chocolates. We base our world travels around the types of food we'll experience.
For more information, visit www.inolect.com or call (844) inoLECT [466-5328].
