OST’s Magic Recipe for Chicken (Dancing)

August 23, 2013

192. That’s how many tickets I handed out for this year’s OST Night at the Ballpark – our annual summer celebration for our Grand Rapids employees and their families. 192! That’s one hundred more guests than last year!

Growth. That’s what we’ve been experiencing – but not just this year, every year. As a matter in fact, just last week we found out that OST landed on the Inc 500 | 5000 list for the seventh year in a row as one of the fastest growing private companies in the US. We recognize this level of exponential growth is unprecedented and are grateful every day for the opportunities it provides, but how does that happen? What’s the secret?

Well, I’ll say it here, but it’s been said hundreds of times before me– we believe that one of the main contributions to our success has been this magical little recipe that our entire organization follows when making all major business decisions:

1. Employees First
2. Clients Second
3. Profits To Follow

Back in 1997 when Hanson was Hmmbop-ing on the radio and overalls were über chic, OST was formed. And right from the beginning, the team decided to always make sure that employees needs were the company’s top priority, followed by the clients. They didn’t let the neon of the 90’s cloud their decision and to this day we are led by a team that understands if you take care of your employees first and your clients immediately following, the profits will fall into place.

So when the seventh inning stretch rolls around and the chicken dance starts to play, we at OST feel confident that we are part of a family that supports us and respects us as individuals, and we shake our little tail feathers with no hesitation. When you know the company you work for has your back, it’s much easier to stand tall and put in your best effort, every day. And that, we believe, is one major reason we have been able to continue to grow and succeed.

Photos from the Whitecaps game: https://www.flickr.com/photos/open-systems-technologies/sets/72157635137308197/

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