Creating a Culture of Employee Empowerment
As a seventh grader, Kyle Lambert knew his future profession.
When asked to write a paper on his career choice, the middle schooler was not sure at first.
“I went to the library and found a book on growing careers and accounting was one of them. I decided at that point I would be an accountant and stuck with it.”
What Kyle did not anticipate in seventh grade was where his career choice would take him.
The South Dakota native and University of South Dakota graduate is now the chief financial officer and chief operations officer of A&B Business Solutions, a regional office equipment dealer that encompasses a wide range of services from copies and printers to office furniture, purified water, and coffee products.
Kyle’s role has evolved since joining the growing company in January 2021. He created new a financial strategy based on office equipment operational metrics and developed a new four-tier organization chart which broke the company into three departments, sales, service, and operations, with a vice president for each.
His most recent role was one of his hardest.
Kyle, working with A&B owner Dennis Aanenson, acquired the local marketing agency, Robert Sharp & Associates.
The latest acquisition adds another branch to A&B’s umbrella of companies which includes Cask and Cork, a wine and liquor distributor, and creates a new line of comprehensive services for its customers.
Kyle is now taking the A&B culture of openness, accountability, empowerment, and opportunity to the newest employees of the A&B family. This includes an initiative Kyle refers to as “Break the Walls Down” which cultivates an environment of candor and honesty. “It really turns work into fun and makes people feel empowered,” he said. “And if we communicate, we will be successful.”
When acquiring the marketing agency Kyle said it was important to discover its culture and brand and how it would fit into the A&B environment. He also knew finding the right leader for the marketing agency would be important for its future growth and success. “When we found Angela, we knew we had the person who could take this marketing business to the next level. Not only is she a strategic businesswoman and passionate team leader, but she is also a perfect cultural fit from an A&B standpoint,” said Kyle referring to the new A&B Vice President of Marketing and marketing agency COO, Angela Avila.
“People think it is just the number, what is the purchase price, but it is so much more than that. It includes hiring the right team members, getting to know the current employees, listening to customers, and getting feedback.”
Also, it is important to know if the cultures will align and how the company will run years from now, Kyle said of an acquisition or merger with a new company.
Initially, Kyle believed the RSA’s company’s culture aligned with the one he and Dennis had built at A&B. However, as they began to work through logistics and the changes in leadership, visions and culture did not align, and tough decisions had to be made. “A few months went by, and we realized we had issues that could prevent our vision from coming to fruition and needed to make changes.”
A&B made some tough decisions to better position the marketing agency for growth under fresh leadership and committing to a culture of empowerment. “We had real honest conversations about the reality of the situation. We wanted the employees to have the courage to tell us that these are problems we want to fix. We don’t see problems as things we will sweep under the rug.”
For the acquisition to be successful three things needed to happen: the employees needed to stay, the customers needed to stay, and the cultures needed to be in sync, Kyle said.
“We had some great discussions. No acquisition or merger is going to go perfectly. There will always be bumps, but we are soldiering through it. I just don’t see the company, the brand, I see the employees first. These people are now our family and our responsibility.”
A&B is now in the process of rebranding Robert Sharp & Associates with a new name and logo and is bringing together their employees to help with the process.
“We are offering an incentive to any employee that comes up with a new name and logo,” Kyle said.
With his first acquisition achieved, Kyle said he learned a lot and knows what he will do differently next time. “There is no playbook, and I can tell you it was scary and exhilarating I am excited to do another one because I know how to be more successful, how to ask different questions and maybe find more pitfalls to make sure it is the right decision.”
Kyle and Dennis, who have wanted to own a marketing firm for decades, are excited about the opportunities that lie ahead for the growing company.
“Having a marketing company benefits all the businesses. Now instead of having one person doing the marketing, we have a set of 15 brilliant individuals working toward making us all more successful.”
Kyle has big plans for A&B’s newest business.
“We see this company growing 10 times over the next five to 10 years. Dennis, Angela, and I are committed to giving it the resources it needs, and we will give the opportunity and empowerment to the employees. We are going to let them take us as far as we can go.”
Kyle’s goal for the new marketing sector is to expand to Sioux Falls, regionally and eventually nationwide.
“I have always found that whatever I am doing I am going to put my heart and soul into it, and that’s the mentality everyone needs to have in business.”
That mindset position’s Kyle along with the rest of the extended A&B family on the path to future success.
This story was originally published in the June 2024 issue of Elevate Magazine.
