Page 44 - Peterson 85 Years and Going Strong

Strategy is about choices. Success is all about governance. Peterson definitely gets it.
– Pete Issitt, growth services manager, Caterpillar
Peterson’s Executive Committee in 2010: (L-R) Duane Doyle Sr./CEO,
Tom White/Treasurer, Rich Hasper/HR director, Jerry Lopus/Tractor president,
Jeff Goggin/PMCo president, Keith Davidge/CFO, Bill Nicholson/IT director, Chris Smith/Cresco president, Mark Ehni/GM Parts, Eric Martin/Power president
• Commitment to better communication from the top down
• Pushing decision-making down into the company to involve and empower more people
• A finely honed, five-year roadmap
• Resolve to engage and encourage all employ- ees to participate
• Melding the company into one team
• Promoting the family-feel of the original company
• Long-term accountability through regular monthly governance meetings
“Strategy is about choices. Success is all about governance,” explained Pete Issitt, Caterpillar’s growth services manager at the time, who guid- ed Peterson through the process. “Those that stick with this process will be the long-term survivors. They will be the ones who get the market share and win the loyalty of their customers. The ones who get—and keep—the best employees. The ones who make their competition irrelevant. Peterson definitely gets it.”
While the strategy realigned and streamlined Pe- terson in many ways, some things did not change. Peterson’s core values are still the same founda- tional beliefs Howard Peterson laid out back in 1936. Through the years, those founding values have come to form Peterson’s corporate character. They underlie everything the company is and does.
42 | PETERSON: 85 YEARS AND GOING STRONG