Ozarks Profile: Bill Perkin

What is your job?

Chief executive officer, Way2Bid, 3343 E. Montclair.

Tell us about your organization.

Way2Bid is an online bidding service for governmental and educational agencies. It was founded five years ago by Darren Henderson, Joe Herman and Erick Burgess as a software company for governmental and educational agencies' purchasing departments. The company went online June 30 and has since grown to 36 employees. "They were really ahead of their time. It worked well; they had about 20 schools and updated the program about four times. They were on the brink of beginning to make some money but needed a big infusion of cash," Perkin said. Perkin became involved with Way2Bid about a year ago while providing advertising and marketing services to Way2Bid through his company, Perkin Marketing Services Inc., which he sold in August. "I started talking to them last fall, and I thought they had a good idea. I had a couple of potential money sources we could go to from my involvement with TravelNow.com." Perkin recruited an investor out of San Jos, Calif. partner in a top venture capital firm who told him Way2Bid needed to go online in order to succeed. Perkin formally joined Way2Bid as CEO in August after deciding that his involvement with the venture had become a full-time job and that he needed to sell his agency. "I had promoted a couple of people who were running the agency, and I basically left there in January and was spending 95 to 98 percent of my time here. It wasn't really fair to the agency or the clients there, so I found somebody who wanted to buy it and sold it to Sparlin Advertising in Joplin," Perkin said. He credits Perkin Marketing Services' employees with keeping the company running smoothly after his departure.

What is your educational background?

Perkin graduated from Eldon High School, near Lake of the Ozarks, and has nine hours' credit from Drury University. "When I grow up, I might get a degree," Perkin said.

What jobs led you to your current one?

Perkin worked as a radio disc jockey starting in high school and became the general manager of a Lebanon station by the time he was 25. "I worked at KTTS, half the time on-air and half in sales, for 10 years, then went to KY3 in 1984 as a sales manager. I also did on-air news for them. Then I went to a TV station in Topeka, Kan., for awhile, then came back to Springfield and became the general sales manager for KSPR 33. I started the advertising agency out of my house in 1988. I was the only employee for about two years before I began hiring people. At one time, the agency had about 17 employees. When I sold it, it had about nine," Perkin said.

What is the best part of your job?

"It's just extremely exciting here every day. There's always something new."

Give us some personal information.

Perkin, who grew up in Walnut Grove and the Lake of the Ozarks area, is 44 and has been married to Susanne for 24 years. They have two children: Chris, who is 21 and Katie, who is 15 and a freshman at Glendale. When he's not traveling for Way2Bid, Perkin takes private pilot lessons and is working toward a pilot's license. He also plays golf at Twin Oaks and Millwood when he gets the chance.

What is your favorite business lunch spot?

Perkin enjoys J. Parrino's and Steak & Ale.

by Melissa Wilson