Time-tested Practices and Principles 

One prime place to look at how you can build a great company is SRC Holdings, based in Springfield, Missouri. The company started when it spun itself out of a former International Harvester plant in 1983. But while the people inside the plant knew how to make great products, no one had ever taught them how to make a great company. They didn’t yet understand that they could create wealth by building companies, not by selling products and services.

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With the practices and principles put in place by SRC’s founding CEO, Jack Stack, the plant turned into a business of businesspeople. The employee-owners at SRC came to learn that their company was their product.

SRC’s journey from a failing remanufacturing facility into a dynamic company with multiple divisions that now collectively employs 1,800 associates is well chronicled in The Great Game of Business and A Stake in the Outcome, books written by Jack Stack. The success of this journey is why we have shared our founder's practices and principles with thousands of companies worldwide for almost 40 years.

For context, the shares in SRC’s ESOP have grown by an astounding 798,000% over the past 38 years. If you had invested $1,000 in the people of SRC back in 1983, you’d have $7.98 million today. Thanks to incredible growth in their ESOP shares, many workers who started at SRC in the early days are now retiring as millionaires. Now, it’s up to the next generation to continue building on that success story.

The lesson the employee-owners at SRC learned—and what every employee-owner should also heed—is that the bigger the pie, the bigger the individual slices.

Expert Guidance

Whether you are looking to do it yourself or get assistance from a trained and trusted Great Game of Business Coach we will help you through the process of implementing The Game.  We do this by sharing our insights through business learning resources, our Online Community, on-site or virtual training, business conferences, and business coaching sessions.

Through the years, The Great Game of Business has delivered results for everything from small mom-and-pop shops to high-profile companies, such as Southwest Airlines, New Belgium Brewing Company, and Netflix.

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Impressive Results Across a Wide Range of Markets and Industries

Below is just a sampling of the positive outcomes we’ve collaborated with companies to produce. Every company’s situation is unique, but these results speak loudly about the ability of The Great Game of Business to help companies achieve outstanding improvement in their operations and revenue.

  • 22% increase in money raised
  • 17% more life-changing friendships between Bigs and Littles
  • Became 4th largest craft brewery in U.S. and 8th largest overall
  • Best for the World Sustainability Award
  • 2016 Distributor of the Year
 
  • 250% income increase
  • 150% net income increase
 
  • Broke 39-year revenue record
 
  • Turned a loss of $2.2 million in 2008 into a positive net income result of more than $3.3 million before tax in 2014
 
  • Growing 20% to 40% every year since 2010, including a 52% year-over-year jump in profits in 2014
 
  • First year net profit up 9%
  • Second year net profit up 6%
 
  • Achieved highest gross profit in operating history
 
  • Cost savings of more than $740,000
  • Turned earning loss of $1.3 million to a profit of $1.2 million the next year
 
  • Year-over-year profits up more than 100%
  • Lowest employee turnover in company history
  • More customers than ever signing up and renewing contracts
 
  • Historically high gross margin
  • Record-breaking sales
  • 24% profit increase
 
  • Stable cash balance and best financial health in years
  • Able to give employees first cost-of-living raise in 6 years
 
  • 626% profit increase from 2012 to 2013
  • Revenue up 20%
  • “Best for the World: Environmental Impact” award
  • Bozeman Employer of Choice award for best places to work
 
  • 17% average sales growth per year
  • $375,000 in cost savings
  • $1.3 million improvement in gross profits
  • Total credits and returns dropped 63%
 
  • 10% annual growth rate
  • Has paid out more than $1.6 million in cash and 401(k) contributions
  • Consistently receives 4.3–4.5 out of 5 on employee satisfaction survey
 
  • 7% decrease in annual budget costs
 
  • Income grew from $294,504 to $1.1 million in 2 years
  • Able to pay quarterly bonuses for the very first quarter of playing The Game
 
  • Profits increased 34% in 2012 and 10% in 2013
  • Highest employee engagement results since 2006
 
  • Employee turnover is less than 2% in an industry where 50% is the norm
  • Sales up 6.6%
  • Profits up 75%
  • Named Psychologically Healthiest Workplace by American Psychological Association twice
  • 98% employee engagement score
 
  • Performance Excellence Award for customer service
  • Revenue has increased an average of 89% each year since 2001
  • 33% improvement in revenue per direct labor hours
  • $300,000 saved in variable overhead cost in a year
 
  • $200,000 saved in first year of playing The Game
  • Average annual revenue growth rate of 10%
  • Revenue per hour worked increased 30%
  • Hasn’t had an associate quit in close to 8 years
 
  • Associates have cut time spent on projects by close to half
  • Since 2004, have expanded from 8 associates to 50
 
  • Revenue increased from $821,000 to $4.4 million in 4 years
  • Generated 75 cost-saving ideas to save company $44,000
 
  • Revenues up an astounding 220,000% in 2010
  • Has earned a profit every one of the 26 years it’s been playing The Game
  • Has regularly provided $15,000 to $30,000 in year-end bonuses
 
  • Paid off $170,000 in long-term debt in just 14 months
  • Reduced error rates from 3% to 1% in 9 months
  • Revenue grew 9% and profits 7% in 2010 despite fewest customers since 2006
  • Average customer spend increased $0.30 in initial 3 weeks
 
  • Year-over-year profits up 60%
  • Cost of goods sold are 20% lower
  • Able to give employees a 6% pay bonus
  • Revenue has increased 21%
 
Enercon Services, Inc.
  • Stock price has increased more than 10 fold over past 15 years
  • 12% boost in revenue
  • 40% jump in profits
  • Ranking in top 25 in Power Engineering
  • Ranking in top 200 in Environmental by Engineering News-Record
 
  • Grew by 38% in one year
  • Financial literacy rate of employees at all-time high
  • Doubled revenue in 2008
 
  • Revenue increase of 3% in first year of playing The Game
 
  • Revenue increase of 134%
  • Annual volume doubled
  • Virtually debt free
  • Net income increased 43%
 
  • Revenue increase of 48%
  • Cash distribution up 180%
 
  • Cut $11,000 in monthly expenses
  • Able to offer employees a 401(k) match
  • 7.6 return on sales rate
 
  • Profits surged 400% in 2010
  • Turned an operating loss of $102,000 to an operating income of $218,000 in one year
 
  • In 9 years, sales shot up to $40 million
  • Ranked #1 in customer satisfaction for the fifth consecutive year
  • 2003 Promoter and Retail Merchandiser of the Year
  • Quarterly service hours billed increased by 8.5%
 
  • 20% average annual sales growth rates
  • Expanded workforce from 10,000 to 39,000
  • Store count grew from 70 to 185
 
  • Grew annual revenue $39 million over a decade
 
  • Grew by 95% in 2005, 131% in 2004, and 64% in 2003
  • Ranked #5 on Franchise Business Review’s “Franchise 50” list
  • Increased number of franchises by 429 in 3 years
 
  • Averaged over 20% revenue growth per year since 2004
  • Employee count doubled
  • Over 90% increase in business literacy rate of employees
 
  • Sales per employee has increased by 53%
  • Bonus pool has grown by almost 20% per year for 3 years

  • Year-over-year revenue growth reached 33% in 2013 after averaging 18% the prior 5 years
  • Rated a top hospital in superior patient satisfaction grades
 
  • For the first time in 6 years, debt free and able to grow cash reserves
  • Profits grew 7% in 2 years
  • Have been able to pledge 10% of net income to charities
 
  • Have grown more than 160% with annual average growth of over 4%
  • Workforce has grown 10% annually for the past 3 years
  • Over the past 3 years, share the wealth bonuses average 34% of an employee's base salary
 
  • 21.5% increase in profitability despite 6.4% drop in total revenue
  • Return on sales increased from 4.7% to 6.1%
  • Offered a $20,000 bonus pool to employees
  • Shaved its contracted labor expenses by $25,000 and decreased overtime costs by $57,500
  • Dramatic reduction in the number of negative comments
 
  • Turned $4.8 million in domestic pre-tax operating losses into $1.9 million positive operating income
  • Revenues rebounded from $75 million to $122 million in two years
 
  • Annual growth averaged 5% during first 4 years of The Game
  • Profit grew more than 500% in the 4 years following launch
  • MiniGames™ helped cut claims and costs by 13% and 48% respectively
  • Workers’ comp costs fell by 76%
  • 22% sales growth
  • Acquired 2 companies to meet diversification goals
  • Hired 860 employees as competitors failed
 
  • Traffic up 1.8%
  • Retail sales increased 11%
 
  • Profitability increased from 5% to 18%
  • Cut monthly office costs by 25%
  • Conversion rate increased 20%
  • 80% of business now comes from existing customer referrals
  • Won 13 awards for design and construction projects
 
  • Revenues grew from $33.5 million to $49.6 million in 2 years
  • 80% associate retention in 3 years
  • 36 of 40 new hires referred by current employees
  • 40% surge in revenues
  • First-ever positive cash balance
  • Received City of St. Louis Spirit Award, AAIM Employer of the Year, Regional Commerce and Growth Association’s Top 50 and recognition by Inc. Magazine for its workplace
 
  • 51% sales growth
  • $166K bonus dollars distributed
 
  • Operating profits increased more than 400%
  • Employee turnover decreased 62%
  • Despite a 40% leap in production, power consumption was cut by 10%
  • Cost of goods sold decreased 500 basis points
 
  • Revenue increased 57%
  • Profit margins went from -5% to 5.5%
  • Growth from 4 to 12 associates with little turnover
  • 71% repeat customers
 
  • Shipping volume was up 19.5%
  • Company stock price has risen every year
  • Increased its market share 40%
  • 99.6% accuracy rate in its production line
 
  • Increased gross margin by 6.5%
  • Created a total profit-before-tax improvement of $181,340 in a single year
  • Cut $46,375 in waste
  • Nominated as Business of the Year by Springfield Business Journal