Since its inception in 1948, Radiophone Engineering, Inc. has adapted to myriad technological changes. The company, which engineers, installs and maintains two-way communications systems in southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas, experienced a name change, moved to Springfield from Joplin and experienced steady growth under the leadership of three generations of John George’s family.
Radiophone has won Motorola’s top sales award for nine consecutive years, according to George, who is the company’s president.
“The key is to have the right people, talented people, in the right positions and keeping them motivated,” George says. “If you can do those things, boy, I tell you what, you’re pretty much going to have an excellent, well-performing company.”
The other elements critical to growth are planning and maintaining good relationships, he says.
“I have a long-term perspective with my business. Maybe it’s because I’m third-generation and I want it to be around another 65 years,” George says. “The only way you can do that is to take care of your customers.”
While the company has seen its share of challenges, George says the recession didn’t affect his company as dramatically as others.
“We were able to land, over the course of the last several years, two big national accounts based out of our territory – southwest Missouri and northwest Arkansas. Those accounts stayed very steady through the whole economic downturn,” he says.
George says Radiophone’s 26 employees, most of whom are in Springfield, brought in gross sales of $8.04 million in 2011. He notes that the majority of his business encompasses the emergency services field.
“The bedrock of our customer base is local law enforcement, public safety, first responders. We take a huge amount of pride in knowing that we are installing, designing and maintaining communications systems for the people who protect our city, our county and surrounding communities,” George says. “They don’t just rely on their communications. For them it can seriously be a life or death thing.”
Each year, Radiophone donates its services and technology for use at events such as the Rotary Club’s annual Rock n’ Ribs barbecue festival.
Another recent example is the observation of the 150th anniversary of the Battle of Wilson’s Creek.
George thinks it’s important to support the community in whatever way he can.
“We’ve run a business here in Springfield going back to 1953 and the bottom line is, if it wasn’t for the community and community public safety and the community businesses, we wouldn’t be here,” he says. “This community has allowed my family to build a long-term, successful business.”
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