With help from the Minnesota Executive Program, OEM Fabricators founder Mark Tyler took his thriving company to an even higher level.
 Mark Tyler had learned a lot about how to run a good business in the two decades since he’d founded OEM Fabricators in 1986. The 170-person company, which builds products for construction equipment, had profit margins that were significantly higher than those of competitors. They had experienced strong growth nearly every year. By nearly any measure, the company was a success.
Still, when Tyler’s longtime business partner decided to retire a few years ago, he knew some changes were in order. Tyler wanted to take some time to build on his strengths and address some of his weaknesses as a leader. “I needed to refresh my understanding of best practices in business,” he says. “I wanted knowledge of the latest and greatest techniques.”
Carlson’s Minnesota Executive Program (MEP) looked like the perfect fit. The curriculum was strong, the location was central, and he knew he would be able to connect with some of the brightest faculty and most innovative business minds in the country. He attended the program in 2005.
He wasn’t disappointed. “I learned proven practices in a lot of areas, such as negotiating and strategy, and I also learned how to apply those practices,” he says.
He also found other aspects of the program particularly surprising and rewarding. “One of the things I didn’t expect out of MEP were the ‘softer’ parts,” he explains. “Prior to MEP, I just thought: if you have a job to do, you get the job done. But MEP made me understand that if people aren’t balancing what’s going on in their lives, chances are that they’re not going to perform as well.” This realization helped Tyler reshape the company’s policies on compensation, manager interaction, and even charitable giving. Tyler says that the “book club” that he instituted with top managers, where they meet weekly to talk about texts such as Good to Great and The Goal, has helped make managers feel even more invested in the progress of the company.
Tyler was so impressed by the program that he sent three of his top executives to other Carlson programs so they could gain insights that would help them in their roles with the company.
Building the Bottom Line
The improvements to the business haven’t just been to the company culture; they’ve boosted their bottom line. Tyler reports that the company has seen an average annual growth of 33 percent, and it’s grown to 300 people in three locations. OEM Fabricators also recently went through a $12 million expansion. “I don’t think we ever would have taken a step like that without having the confidence built, in part, through MEP,” Tyler says.
Their work has garnered significant praise from others as well: in 2006, OEM Fabricators was honored as Wisconsin Manufacturer of the Year in the medium-size company category.
Though it’s been three years since Tyler finished the Carlson School program, he says he’s still reaping benefits: “I networked with people from a number of companies that we’ve developed relationships with, and those still go on today,” he says. “I’ve gone back to seek advice from presenters and faculty, and everyone has been open and welcoming. And that’s really valuable to me.” |
