2014 Economic Impact Awards 16-29 Years in Operation Finalist: JMark Business Solutions Inc.

JMark Business Solutions Inc. recognizes its role in the community as something greater than information technology support and services to its clientele and careers for 70 people.

“When we work with companies, we’re doing more than IT support: We’re becoming part of their strategic plan,” says Director of Marketing Chris Tuckness. “We take a lot of pride in building those relationships with our companies.”

With JMark’s successes growing alongside its small business clientele during the past 26 years, the IT support and service company serves more than 400 businesses, including those with five employees all the way up to those with thousands with combined annual revenues of more than $1 billion.  

In the past three years, JMark increased its staff 42 percent – with 65 local employees and 70 nationwide – and posted $9.85 million in 2013 revenue, up 16 percent and leading to 2013 profit growth of 647 percent.

“When we can grow our clients’ success, we each can have a greater economic impact,” Tuckness says.  

JMark moved its corporate presence to Springfield from Cabool in 1996 after acquiring another computer and training company, NetPro, increasing JMark’s clientele two-fold.

The acquisition nearly 20 years ago also expanded JMark’s geographic reach to a 200-mile radius of Springfield. This year, the company continued to expand its geographic footprint by opening a new office in Arkansas.

In addition to sharing successes with the community of businesses it serves, during the first quarter JMark began its profit-sharing program with employees to increase team accountability in the organization and to share the success of the company with those that make it happen.

“Our employees are our family,” Tuckness says.

“We want our families to take part in the successes they help create.”

The additional 3 to 20 percent more toward each employee’s standard income “hits their paycheck, and they can do whatever they want with it,” Tuckness says.

That means employees can spend more in the local economy by visiting local businesses or the national economy by spending more on vacations, he says.

JMark’s competitive benefits package, including 100 percent health insurance for employees and 70 percent coverage for families, contributes to its employee retention, one of its proclaimed direct impacts on the economic development of Springfield.

By retaining employees and keeping talented people in the community, many employees maintain a family in the area, purchase homes and vehicles, eat at local restaurants, participate in local charities and attend local sports activities.

Additionally, Tuckness says having healthy employees contributes to their personal and business successes, which benefits the company through better performance and lower absenteeism.

And with better performing employees, JMark clients also benefit.

“We do the same for their clients and customers – when they can be successful, then their employees also give back,” Tuckness says.  

Outside its direct impact on its clients and employees, JMark also supports and is involved with more than 20 local charities and organizations including Relay For Life, Hope Sertoma, Shriners International and the Make-A-Wish Foundation.[[In-content Ad]]