Fall 2006 issue of Horizons

At the core of everything we do is an insistence on integrity, which we believe is an absolute business imperative. Without integrity, businesses will not prosper for the long term. That means being absolutely straightforward and can- did with managers, employees, vendors and customers – and, hopefully, vice versa. Whether dealing with a large or small business, we believe that the “devil is in the details.” That's why we've developed a methodology that looks at all the aspects of a business to assess its strengths and weaknesses. Performing rigorous due diligence and really understanding both the opportunities and challenges facing the business are critical steps. Without the facts, you are essentially run- ning “blind.”

approach is to work as smart and as hard as we can – for as long as it takes. The job needs to be done right.

Above all, it always gets back to integrity, integri- ty, integrity. That requires a high degree of frank- ness and candor. It also means that everyone involved must follow through on his or her com- mitments no matter how difficult it becomes. As Thomas Jefferson wrote in his June 15, 1792 letter to his cousin, John Garland Jefferson, “I am sure that in estimating every man's value either in private or public life, a pure integrity is the quality we take first into calculation, and that learning and talents are only the second.” Sam Fox is founder, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Harbour Group, Ltd., a privately owned operating company specializing in the acquisition and development of manufacturing companies. Among Fox's many awards are the Washington University Eliot Society Search Award, Horatio Alger Award, American Liver Foundation Missouri Chapter Leadership Award and St. Louis Citizen of the Year. Fox also is involved in numerous boards, including Washington University, Boy Scouts of America, the Saint Louis Art Museum and United Way of Greater St. Louis, among others. In addition, he founded and chairs the Fox Family Foundation. A veteran of the U.S. Navy, Fox holds a bachelor's degree from Washington University.

And when we acquire a company, we add the necessary resources to help operations drive internal growth and per-

formance and support the acquisition team as it searches for complementa- ry businesses. Comprehensive no-holds- barred operational reviews and evaluations are absolutely key. We identify weak points, remove redun- dancy, eliminate roadblocks to optimal productivity, and invest in new technologies, equipment and people where indicated. An easy trap is to fall victim to someone else's calendar. We work with a sense of

absolute urgency. However, we do not impede long-term results at the cost of adhering to a rigid timetable. Our

10 • summer 2006 issue

Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker