During downturns, many companies go into panic mode, cutting budgets, adding additional revenue streams and services, laying off top talent and accepting projects they may typically stay away from.
We did the opposite - we invested in marketing, honed in on what we excel at and held on to our best people.
Our route was risky. It was the opposite of many companies' strategies during the pandemic. We took the situation as an opportunity and focused on our main services, our niche and spent more marketing money in 2021 than we ever have in one year. Our team attended 50-plus events on the Gulf Coast (just in 2021). We invested in online exposure, knowing that the digital space was an opportunity, and we had great success in doing so. Our social followers increased 120 percent in just 2021.
We also knew that, more than ever, it was important that we continue to put our people first. Our teammates were scared and uncertain about the future, and we provided them with stability. We focused on developing and training them and hiring the best of the best. Some of the most talented people in the industry were let go from their current companies, so we took the opportunity to get them on our team.
We developed Craftsmen Values Assessments, where we bring in applicants and put them on teams where they complete various activities that evaluate their values. The Navy SEALs use a similar strategy called "Performance vs. Trust." A high performer of low trust is typically a toxic leader and team member, whereas a medium performer of high trust is typically one of your best assets. We share that same hiring strategy. We want the teammate who will be dependable and have integrity, and our values assessments help us find those people. Doing it this way, it's both harder for us to make a hiring mistake and helps us reach our goal of having the best-of-the-best people in the industry.
After we had the right people in the right seats, we used the downturn as an opportunity to perfect our processes, document them and roll them out to the entire company.
Our goal was to come out of the pandemic stronger than before. It wasn't all a success. It was tough at times. We made mistakes, but they only fueled us to be better and opened our eyes to the importance of process. We are fortunate we made it through. We expected that cash flow and revenue were going to be lower than projected, but as a privately owned company, we had the flexibility to take a risk; so we did, and it paid off.
This year, to better meet the needs of our clients, we plan to open coatings facilities and operational offices in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, and Corpus Christi, Texas, bringing us to five locations along the Gulf Coast, and allowing our field services to be competitive from Brownsville, Texas, to New Orleans. We are proud of what we have done and thank our teammates, customers and vendors for all of their support. Here's to another great year!
For more information, visit www.knightis.com or call (281) 421-5049.
