Firms' go-to employees...

Firms' go-to employees
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Worker innovations credited for improving operations, bottom lines
Firms' go-to employees
Dale Quinn Arizona Daily Star Arizona Daily Star | Posted: Sunday, January 29, 2012 12:00 am | Comments

Saving cash and bringing in new business is a big deal for any company - especially in a lingering downturn that locally has yet to show significant signs of recovery.

The Arizona Daily Star asked readers to submit examples of Southern Arizona's innovative and outstanding employees who helped their companies excel in 2011.
Some entries were for individuals whose innovation sprang from the foreclosure crisis. Others stretched their companies' resources to save money and make operations run more smoothly.
One anticipated an issue before a client realized it might be a problem; another comes up with creative solutions for challenges on a daily basis. All were described by their colleagues as hard-working and thoughtful.

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Management team led by TJ Zarling and supported by Carrie Stone, Jared Morgan, William Godinez and David Thomas
• Employer: Excel Mechanical Inc.
• Outstanding contribution: In an economy that's been devastating to construction, TJ Zarling and his team completely revamped Excel Mechanical, said owner Jim Zarling.
Through their work the company saw some of its highest profits last year, Jim Zarling said.
"They've actually turned it around in a really cruddy, cruddy economy for construction," he said.
The management team increased communication and eased tension between employees who work on plumbing systems and those who work on ventilation.
Team members also developed a way to track contact with clients: from initial meetings, to estimates, to follow-up checks when the job is done. That ensures that customers know the company is accountable for the work it provides, Jim Zarling said.
TJ Zarling and his team also made it clear what duties are expected from workers within a certain pay scale, so employees know when to ask for a raise. To increase productivity, the managers began using quarterly, performance-based bonuses, Jim Zarling said.


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