Written by Vaughn Fisher
Healthy Businesses Need Both a Vision and Procedures to Support It
Parameter Generation and Control was founded in 1977 in Black Mountain. For nearly a decade, the manufacturer of precision temperature and humidity control systems steadily grew. When Clay Hile took over the family business in 1986, revenues were good, but the company struggled with its identity. “Without a concrete vision, it was tough to develop the strategy and processes for long-term growth,” Hile says.
When Philip Curry started Astral Inc., in 2002, he was on a mission. “We wanted to build the best performing outdoor gear in the most environmentally sustainable way,” he says. The brand, based in Asheville, started with high-end personal flotation devices. By 2014, they had added footwear, and sales were doubling each year. Curry went to the bank for more working capital; they politely declined. “We were over-leveraged. That was a huge wake-up call,” Curry explains.
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