2017 Economic Impact Awards 16-29 Years in Operation Finalist: JMark Business Solutions Inc.

Expansion and determination are two terms JMark Business Solutions Inc. knows well. The Springfield-based information technology company has grown from a one-employee operation in 1988 to a company with 130 employees and annual revenue exceeding $16 million.

Though there are many contributing factors, CEO and President Thomas Douglas believes the catalyst to the company’s growth is its team.

The JMark core values – honesty, passion, teamwork, excellence, accountability and fun – have shaped employee dedication and success. These values influence the company’s everyday decisions and affect the relationship between an employee and client.  

In order to increase efficiency and prioritization, the company has adopted FranklinCovey Inc.’s 5 Choices to Extraordinary Productivity for the last three years. Since then, Douglas says the biggest change has been in the company’s vocabulary.

“We have a common language that we use that gives us a foundation in order to set priorities in the organization,” he says. “Having that framework and vocabulary in place has given us a better perspective on making choices.”

The core values and methodology led to the company’s 2015 expansion to Tulsa, Oklahoma.

JMark also strives for staff success and retention. The company grew its employee ranks 12 percent last year, led by 17 new hires in the Springfield office.

Employees are required to meet with a technical trainer to build a custom path for their careers in order to help them achieve their goals.

JMark leaders strive to give employees the materials and equipment needed to get hands-on learning, and to move up within the company. The IT firm has developed a leadership program that helps employees develop their management skills and eventually move into leadership roles.

As retention tools, JMark offers an internal wellness program and covers 100 percent of health insurance for employees, as well as 70 percent of coverage for their family members.

Currently, the company’s goal is to grow revenue by 15 to 25 percent each year with the help of email campaigns, direct marketing and social media. This goal was met in 2016 with annual revenue of $16.6 million, compared to 2015 revenue of $14.4 million.

With the managed services industry continually changing, the JMark team is navigating cloud services, commoditization and cybersecurity matters. The number of client migrations to the cloud continues to increase, officials say.

To stay ahead of the curve, the firm is launching 12 new services through local strategic partnerships – among them are audio/visuals, marketing automation, asset management and social media.

The clients served represent a cumulative $1 billion in annual revenues, and by 2022 Douglas aims to support $3 billion of client revenue.

“Our objective is to grow healthy, to make sure we have the impact to change the lives of our employees in a positive way, and make sure we provide outstanding support to our clients.” Douglas said.

JMark also impacts the community through charitable work with organizations such as the American Cancer Society, American Heart Association and Community Blood Center of the Ozarks.