As part of Champion’s “Smart, Sustainable Growth” initiative, the company has consistently tried to make the most effective use of its resources. Champion’s Business Managers have always been ultimately responsible for growing the company in their regions. However, in addition to their business development roles, each BM is also responsible for a range of other tasks, including driving local goals and standards in line with company objectives (such as project methodologies and the Collaborative Way), partnering with Human Resources to bring on and retain knowledgeable and diversified team members, facilitating those individual’s career development, and managing the effective and profitable execution of projects.

The Need for a Business Development Team
When an office is small, the Business Manager wears all hats (even technical implementation at times). But as the office grows, it becomes increasingly important to build a team to effectively support all of these duties so that each Business Manager can focus on the portions of their role which will have the most positive impact on the business. Three years ago, as part of the next logical step of this progression, Champion implemented an official business development program, and hired Greg Sonnier (based in Lafayette, Louisiana) as our first full-time Business Development Specialist. Greg’s assigned area includes the Gulf Coast region from the east side of the Sabine River (LA/TX border) to Biloxi, MS, supporting all Louisiana Business Managers. Bringing Greg Sonnier on to the team has proved to be an effective strategy to increase sales for each Louisiana office, allowing the Business Managers to become opportunity closers and account managers, rather than client cultivators.

As a result of this success, two new Business Development Specialists have been brought on board to further this initiative, Daryl Miller and Greg Neece. Daryl Miller will cover business development west of the Sabine River, primarily in the significant market of Beaumont, TX. Growth in Beaumont is one of Lake Charles Business Manager Brad Jordan’s initiatives. Although the Lake Charles office will support projects in Beaumont in the beginning, we intend to add more automation staff locally as it grows.

Further west in the Rockies, Champion has had initial success in the Denver, CO market with a small but growing team in that area. Though oil and gas has seen a slowdown, the office is poised to grow in other markets such as manufacturing. Greg Neece was brought on in Denver to focus on business development and to maintain a consistent sales effort in areas east of the Rocky Mountains. This will allow John Hargroder, the Rockies Business Manager, to increase his efforts in locations west of the Rockies to support the Salt Lake City and Grand Junction offices.

An additional benefit from the Business Development team is raising the awareness level among potential customers that have limited or no knowledge of Champion Technology Services, Inc. This team will help us spread our message to potential customers on how Champion can help with their technology needs. They have and will continue to be a great channel to spread Champion’s name and expertise in the marketplace. The team is helping Champion further expand its customer base and stability outside of our primary markets of oil & gas, and petrochemical. The Business Managers can re-focus their efforts on managing existing customer relationships, career development, internal procedures, and methodology.

Meet the Team
Champion’s growing business development team includes Greg Sonnier, Daryl Miller, and Greg Neece. We reached out to them to get their input on their roles, goals, and their perspective on Champion.

GREG SONNIER
Louisiana Gulf Coast Region
Business Development Specialist
Champion for 3 years

Greg Sonnier
While Greg Sonnier has exceeded his sales goal of $3M for the past two years, he is working hard to come in just as strong this year during a tough economy, and has a personal long term goal to double those numbers in 3 to 5 years. He intends to do this with a combination of diligently selecting and pursuing ideal small, medium, and large customers and carefully listening to their pains and issues, then identifying where Champion can be their professional problem solver and address their specific issues. Greg constantly pursues avenues of growth as a salesperson through self-improvement and education in his market. Also, in addition to DCS and PLC services and projects, he plans to push Champion further into growing markets including cybersecurity and Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT). Greg appreciates “selling one of the best technical staffs with diverse capabilities and one of the strongest integration companies in the country.” He states, “The company and its people provide me the confidence to call into any plant in the Gulf, overall making selling easier for me.”

DARYL MILLER
Southeast Texas Region
Business Development Specialist
Champion for 1 month

Daryl Miller
Daryl Miller joined the team in July, and he is off on the right foot with introducing himself to current Champion customers and introducing Champion to customers that he has worked with in the past. His long term goal is to introduce the company throughout the broader Southeast Texas region to those who do not currently know Champion Technology Services, Inc. Daryl is focused on letting customers know that Champion will deliver to their satisfaction with Champion’s talented staff, and proven processes and methodologies for executing projects. In addition, he is letting them know that Champion will provide long-term sustainable value to our clients by being “accessible, dependable and responsive to their needs.”

GREG NEECE
East Rockies Region
Business Development Specialist
Champion for 1 month

Greg Neece
Greg Neece also joined the team in July and has his own plans for moving Champion Technology Services, Inc. forward. On the Front Range of Colorado, Champion has been heavily focused on the Oil & Gas industry, so for the short term, he wants to maintain and expand existing relationships in this market. Longer term, his goal is to expand service in the area to other markets that leverage Champion’s automation and service expertise, such as: Alternative Energy, Semiconductor, Food & Beverage, Medical Device Manufacturing, and Factory Automation. In order to increase participation in existing markets and expand into other markets, Greg plans to reach out to his expansive network as well as attend industry tradeshows and participate in industry groups to promote Champion’s impressive company-wide experience profile, all the while promoting “Champion’s differentiating qualities of Customer Service, Technical Expertise, and On-Time/On-Budget Delivery.”

All three Business Development Specialists bring their own particular experience and know-how to the business, and Champion will be promoting significant cross communication between each of them to leverage each’s expertise. There is no doubt that this is the beginning of a strong next step in Champion’s plan of smart, sustainable growth.

As many of you know, much of central Louisiana and some parts of Mississippi were doused with record rainfall of 15 to 30 inches from an unnamed storm over a three-day period in mid-August (for reference Los Angeles, CA has received just over 29 inches of rainfall over the last 55 months).  Technically, the storm was a slow-moving tropical depression-like low-pressure system that crawled across the region, and it is estimated to have deposited the equivalent of 7.1 trillion gallons of water on Louisiana, enough water to fill Lake Pontchartrain about four times.¹ Needless to say, it had a devastating effect on the people of the region.  Current estimates are that around 146,000 homes were damaged in the flood and around 30,000 people were rescued by local law enforcement.  Many others escaped on their own. By August 15th, approximately 11,000 people sought refuge in 70 shelters, and the American Red Cross called it the worst natural disaster since Hurricane Sandy, which struck New Jersey in 2012.²  In addition, FEMA has declared 20 parishes in Louisiana as federal disaster areas.

Since the start of the floods, around 265,000 children have been out of school, nearly 30% of the school-aged population in the Louisiana.  At least 22 schools in the state had heavy damage, with six of those in East Baton Rouge Parish and another 15 in Livingston Parish.³ Amazingly, Livingston Parish Public School students are all expected to resume classes on September 12, 2016, though some middle and high schools will be platooned to nearby campuses, and some elementary school students will be assigned to different campuses.

Unfortunately, some Champion team members were among those whose homes were damaged by the flood, but thankfully each of them and their family members were safe, and they are all very resilient and well on the way to recovering from the losses.  It was also heartwarming to see numerous Champion employees who were not directly affected out doing their part to help others bounce back from this natural disaster.

If you are looking for ways to help the people of Louisiana and Mississippi recover from this event, as well as others who may face similar circumstances in the future, there are many different organizations and charities that you can donate your time, money, possessions, or other resources to help.  Here are a couple of links to several of those organizations: http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/14/us/iyw-louisiana-flooding-victims-help/  and  http://www.wafb.com/story/32821842/links-to-resources-for-flood-victims-those-who-want-to-help.

Before and after aerial view of the flooding just south of Denham Springs, Louisiana.
(Photo Contributors: Before Image: Mapbox / After Image: NOAA –  https://weather.com/news/weather/news/louisiana-flooding-before-after-images )

Food for thought. You are what you eat.

A diet rich in fruits and vegetables fuels your body with the essential vitamins and minerals so you can be your best. These foods can improve your health and lower your risk of cancer and other chronic diseases. Plus, fruits and veggies are energizing, loaded with nutrients, low in calories, and full of water to help you maintain a healthy weight. September is Fruits and Veggies — More Matters Month.

CHICKEN ENCHILADA-STUFFED SPAGHETTI SQUASH RECIPE:

This healthy 5-ingredient spaghetti squash recipe is a satisfying low-carb alternative to taco night. If you have leftover cooked chicken on hand, skip Step 2 and stir 2-1/2 cups into the filling. Look for an enchilada sauce with less than 300 mg of sodium per serving.

PREPARATION:

1. Position racks in upper and lower thirds of oven; preheat to 450°F.
2. Place chicken in a medium saucepan, add water to cover and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat to low and gently simmer until an instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part registers 165°F, 10 to 15 minutes.
3. Transfer the chicken to a clean cutting board and shred with 2 forks. Transfer to a large bowl.
4. Meanwhile, place squash cut-side down in a microwave-safe dish and add 2 tablespoons water. Microwave, uncovered, on High until the flesh is tender, about 10 minutes. (Alternatively, place squash halves cut-side down on a rimmed baking sheet. Bake in a 400°F oven until the squash is tender, 40 to 50 minutes.)
5. Use a fork to scrape the squash from the shells into the large bowl. Place the shells on a broiler-safe pan. Stir 1 cup enchilada sauce, zucchini, 1/2 teaspoon pepper and 1/4 teaspoon salt into the squash and chicken. Divide the mixture between the shells; top with the remaining 1/4 cup enchilada sauce and cheese.
6. Bake on the lower rack for 10 minutes. Move to the upper rack, turn the broiler to high and broil, watching carefully, until the cheese starts to brown, about 2 minutes. To serve, cut each shell in half.

HONEY-SOY BROILED SALMON RECIPE:

A sweet, tangy and salty mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and honey does double-duty as marinade and sauce. Toasted sesame seeds provide a nutty and attractive accent. Make it a meal: Serve with brown rice, and sautéed red peppers and zucchini slices.

PREPARATION:

1. Whisk scallion, soy sauce, vinegar, honey and ginger in a medium bowl until the honey is dissolved. Place salmon in a sealable plastic bag, add 3 tablespoons of the sauce and refrigerate; let marinate for 15 minutes. Reserve the remaining sauce.
2. Preheat broiler. Line a small baking pan with foil and coat with cooking spray.
3. Transfer the salmon to the pan, skinned-side down. (Discard the marinade.) Broil the salmon 4 to 6 inches from the heat source until cooked through, 6 to 10 minutes. Drizzle with the reserved sauce and garnish with sesame seeds.

TIPS & NOTES:

1. HOW TO SKIN A SALMON FILET: Place skin-side down. Starting at the tail end, slip a long knife between the fish flesh and the skin, holding down firmly with your other hand. Gently push the blade along at a 30° angle, separating the fillet from the skin without cutting through either.
2. TO TOAST SESAME SEEDS: Heat a small dry skillet over low heat. Add seeds and stir constantly, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a small bowl and let cool.
3. People with celiac disease or gluten-sensitivity should use soy sauces that are labeled “gluten-free,” as soy sauce may contain wheat or other gluten-containing sweeteners and flavors.