Rob Varnon, staff writer for the Stamford Advocate, described a talk given by Basement Systems' founder Larry Janesky before a group of 75 area businesspeople at the 16th annual Business Showcase held at Sacred Heart University.
Before the usual bromides about business ran off the crowd, speaker Larry Janesky enthralled an audience Wednesday describing how he built Basement Systems Inc. into a world leader.
"You can have a company that brings out the best in people, or you can have a company that brings out the worst in people or, somewhere in between," he said.
It was at that point that Janesky switched gears and grabbed his audience's attention.
"We are eight times the size of our nearest competitor," he said, explaining how he grew a niche business launched 22 years ago from waterproofing basements into one that fixes foundations, finishes basements and improves spaces below houses. The company has 155 employees, a global dealer network of 305 in six countries and recently expanded in Seymour by adding a new building.
Janesky said he redefined his business and didn't let his competition or perceptions about the industry limit what his company could become.
"You've got to do something different," he said.
During his time running Basement Systems, he's also learned that speed is critical to success because innovation is quickly copied, which can limit the time you can hold on to a competitive advantage.
"If we have an idea in the morning, we can be prototyping by lunch," he said.
Janesky said his company has learned its main functions are marketing, service, research and development. He outsources manufacturing because there are companies that are hungry and able to do it, he said. He keeps the marketing side, and said the company's Web site is critical to that. "We have 17 people working on the Internet," he said.
The goal is to create a dynamic workplace, he said, and you do that by hiring the right people. He said you have to hire people from all backgrounds.
