Three years ago we decided to plant a few tomato plants beside our office. That small patch of land has become much more. Our plot has grown into a full garden featuring silver queen corn, rosemary, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupes, watermelons, squash, turnip greens, cucumbers, peppers and of course—tomatoes. Beyond the beautiful produce, the beds have …
Every year, we have a Christmas gathering to bring all the Stewart Perry families together. The first year this reunion was held at our place, we spent one Saturday morning planting several hundred daffodils across the lake on the hillside. We chose that spot because it is visible from our conference room and is a …
Few people endure slumps and a downturn in performance as often as professional athletes. Even the greatest sports stars suffer through stretches where seemingly nothing goes right. During his heyday, Michael Jordan had a commercial in which he stated, “I’ve failed over and over and over again in my life.” Then, after a short pause, …
Thanks to several social media tools, I have been able to stay connected with increased frequency than before web 2.0. A couple of years ago we started using several of these and the effectiveness of helping with relationships has been very encouraging. I can count on a brief exchange with someone due to my blog …
As the year comes to a close, I wonder what it would be like if more of us said thank you to each other. Not just at the end of the year, but throughout the year… I can count on my two hands the amount of times that someone from downstream has thanked us for …
“Necessity is the mother of invention.” I have always believed this as a truth, particularly in these tough times. Some jobs might have vanished in the recent Recession, but to me, creative ideas will always be with us. There are plenty of smart people out there who found themselves unemployed in the past year. Instead …
In these economic times, the fledging days of our business come to mind often. I learned a lot from my experiences. Hopefully, the account I share here can save you some time and trouble… In 1984, our very first customer had just raised $30 million dollars through an IPO and we were going to build …
I cannot imagine these times without the partners who work alongside us. Our folks really need to be multiple places at the same time looking for opportunities. (Since there are fewer opportunities right now.) We cannot do it alone. These partners keep their radar up for us and we gladly reciprocate. To me, this is …
Every once in a while, our team takes a bit of time away from the busy schedules we all maintain for a get together. It’s not a big time commitment, but it gives us an opportunity to catch up with folks who may be in and out of the office a good bit. Today, we …
Over the last couple of years, I’ve thought a lot about the economic pie and how much smaller it is these days. How do we survive and prosper? I think it’s all about a solid foundation built on proven relationships. As Warren Buffett was quoted, “Only when the tide goes out do you discover who’s …
During his childhood breakfasts, George Barber probably saw wheels where other kids saw Cheerios. He’s had a lifelong fascination with vehicles equipped for power and speed. The passion ran so deep that Barber, whose family built a legacy in the central Alabama dairy industry, decided to make a philanthropic investment in the community that raised …
Over the years, I have seen building contractors take unfair advantage of subcontractors. I’ve seen subs abused, used and in some cases driven out of business. To me, this isn’t the way to approach construction or life, particularly in these tough economic times. It’s all about helping each other get through the downturn so we …