When most business owners start out, they're concerned with longevity.
They hardly give a thought to who might eventually take over for them.
But Bill and Melissa Gillis, owners of Registered Ink Printing Co.
in Reno, have given that a great deal of thought.
"Whenever I hire somebody, I'm always thinking, is this the person who's going to take over after me?" says Bill Gillis.Well he should it's how he got started in 1989.
And he'll get a lot more opportunities to think about it as the company enters another growth phase.
The state's Commission on Economic Development last week approved incentives to encourage Registered Ink to add six employees at an average wage of $18.22 an hour.
The company also will be investing $1.2 million in new equipment.
Gillis was a 20-year old accounting major at the University of Nevada when his friend asked for a favor.
Could Gillis fill in for him as Herth Printing's delivery driver? That part-time gig turned into the American dream.
Gillis worked his way up from delivery driver, and in a matter of years Gillis had done every job at Herth.
In 1999, when the owners were ready to sell, Gillis and his new wife Melissa, owner of Flowerpott Design Studio, bought the company and became partners in the printing business.
They changed the name to Registered Ink in January of 2000, and since then Registered Ink has nearly tripled in size, sales volume and capacity, in a town that has seen several print shops go under.
Because of Bill Gillis' history, the couple firmly believes that everyone on the team is equally important.
Even his workspace demonstrates his attitude; rather than working out of a separate office, Bill Gillis' desk is in the front of the house, right beside his staff.
Everyone works together here, everyone pitches in, and as such, each of them knows they have the chance to move up, no matter job they're doing.
And as for hiring for new positions, the first place the Gillises look is within the current staff.
"It's a big de-motivator if you've proven yourself at a job, you're a good employee, you have a desire to move up and learn new skills, have new challenges, and your employer keeps hiring people over you,"Melissa Gillis points out."You have to give those people the first chance.
People here don't feel like there's a ceiling, and they don't get pigeonholed, thinking this is as far as they'll get and as much as they'll ever make.
The opportunity's there if they want it."
Bill Gillis says that this approach breeds good morale, which in turn results in higher productivity and a greater interest in the business.Anyone may take on any challenge, learn any new piece of equipment, and all they have to do is raise their hand.
He says that because most colleges don't offer education or apprenticeships in printing, he feels it's his responsibility to share what he knows with anyone who wants to learn.
Ideally, they would love to start everyone out as delivery drivers, no matter what position they'll eventually take over, just as Bill Gillis did in 1989.
How does this fly with applicants? "Well, I haven't actually tried it yet," he says,"basically because we haven't found the right people, and we haven't had to hire many people anyway."
In fact, it speaks volumes for the loyalty among the staff that the majority of them have been around for years and have no intention of leaving.
"Selling a business isn't an easy thing to do," says Bill Gillis."How do you decide what its value is, unless you know the organization in the first place?"
When the time is right and the Gillises are ready to sell, they know it will either have to be to a staff member or a group of staff.
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