Part 2: Meet the Team Behind 20 Years of IT & Cybersecurity Excellence

The Heart of Growth: Building a Strong Company Culture

Growing a business includes adding staff to handle the increased client base and services.  Fundamental to successfully adding staff is the development of a company culture.  For Appalachia Technologies, company culture is discussed regularly and lived daily.  From staff development, team building, core values, and the complimentary core actions, relationships are cultivated with regular care and nurturing, both on the staff and client sides.

The Power of Relationships: A Foundation of Trust and Respect

“Relationships mean everything.”  With just three words, Mike Romano summed up a key differentiator to Appalachia and a contributor to 20 years of success.  The first relationship that laid the groundwork is the one between Mike and Brian Stone.  As shared in Part 1, the men met as coworkers, with Mike serving under Brian’s leadership.  It was in this capacity that they developed professional respect and a personal bond.  When asked about memorable moments from the last 20 years, Brian was quick to respond that it is less on the business side but more the personal connection they share.  Through significant life events – children, grandchildren, losing loved ones – the men have supported each other, acknowledging that they continue to talk almost daily.

It is no surprise that relationships are key to Appalachia’s success.  In the early days, the partners were on the receiving end of services from vendors – and they weren’t always great.  “Relationships mean everything,” says Mike.  “We didn’t set out to just kill it around building brand and reputation.  We just knew if we took care of our people, they would take care of our clients, and the clients were going to refer us to their partners and others they interact with in the local business community.  A lot of referral going on and that only happens because we’re out there doing good things for clients.”

Team Culture and Core Values: What Makes Our Team Different

Appalachia is heavily invested in our five Core Values: We Salute Our Staff, We are One Unstoppable Team, We Own the Client Experience, We Communicate Relentlessly, and We Improve and Evolve. Our Core Values drive decision-making and keep our employees aligned.  In our annual performance reviews, managers provide feedback to staff specifically linked to these values, and employees are likewise asked for feedback on their managers.  More recently, Core Actions were added to compliment the values.  “Our culture is, and always will be, our single biggest focus and differentiator,” notes Mike Williams, President.  “We unwaveringly and unapologetically live here...it’s that important to us as individuals and as a business.”

Alignment with our Core Values supports our staff in delivering the best service possible.  Combined with the emphasis on relationships that has been modeled by our founders since the beginning, it serves as a differentiator for our clients.  And through the care put on relationships, it helps to weather any bumps along the way.  “We’re not perfect...we know this, and we own it. Honest accountability, as well as the desire to continually improve, is vital and a core value for us,” continues Willams.

While to some, the idea of a “work family” is cliche, Appalachia has lived it since its inception.  As Mike Romano remembered the early days when they were able to start adding staff, there wasn’t much to offer them as a newer business.  Mike and Brian focused on company culture and supporting the work family.  Mike shared that they “worked really hard to make them feel like they were part of something special…Making them feel they could do their best work as key to success.” 

Culture as a Business Strategy: A Model to Others

“We have, hands down, one of the best cultures,” expands Brian.  “We’re in peer groups with other companies.  Some are larger, some have different models, some aren’t near as mature in some levels…there’s a culture gap.  It’s something you have to work at every day.  It’s culture and communication.”  He thanks President Mike Williams for spearheading the initiative to drive company culture, including the participation in the Best Places to Work in PA annual survey and awards.  “It’s our team saying that, in an anonymous fashion, on what we’re doing right, how we can get better.  We give Mike Williams the credit for that.”

“Culture is the overhead you want meaning there’s always business expenses out there…that’s one area we will never sacrifice,” concludes Mike Romano.

➤ Experience Partnership: See why businesses choose us again and again. Experience partnership the way it is meant to be. Contact us to learn more about how Appalachia Technologies can support you. Email info@appalachiatech.com or call 888-277-8320.