The economic turmoil of the past year or so has elevated this question to a leading place among our “standard” greetings, almost to the equivalent of “How ya doin’?” When we ask, “How’s your business?”, we are really asking “How is your bottom line?”, in light of the struggles many businesses and nonprofits are facing right now. It is no surprise that friends and colleagues would want to know about the financial stability of the company you own or work for and how well you have weathered the economic storms of 2008-2009.

Let me propose perhaps a better question: “How are your relationships?” The cycles of capitalism almost ensure an unpredictable “earnings curve” for most organizations, and often the ups and downs of revenues and profits are dictated by factors over which we do not have much control. But relationships are something else entirely.

Unlike economic ebb and flow, the practice of creating and sustaining good relationships is virtually unrestricted and universally positive. Regardless of how your bottom line looks, you can build new relationships and strengthen existing relationships. Regardless of whether your profitability is positive or negative this year, strong relationships will contribute favorably to your future.

On behalf of all the employee-owners of Keller Schroeder, I want to thank you for the relationships we have with each of you, our clients. We are blessed individually and personally by these relationships, and we have great optimism about today and our future because of these relationships. We value them deeply, and we appreciate your willingness to open your doors to us year after year.

The foundation of a good relationship is trust, and the foundation of trust is simply saying what you’ll do and then doing it. We expect you to hold us accountable for that, and we’ll do our part to continue to earn your trust in the months and years ahead.

Meantime, I wish you and your business a promising and prosperous 2010. We look forward to being part of your success story!

Larry May, President
Keller Schroeder

Keller Schroeder’s annual Client Appreciation Event was once again a dual success – an opportunity to say thank you to our clients, and an opportunity to make a positive impact on our community.  This year’s event (held on October 2^nd) sported a Hawaiian theme and included good music, abundant food, and great conversation between Keller Schroeder employee-owners and over 250 client attendees. 

Attendees were asked to join Keller Schroeder in bringing food items that could be donated to the Tri-State Food Bank for the event.  In all, over 2000 dry food and produce items were collected and donated by Keller Schroeder employee-owners and clients.  In addition, Keller Schroeder partnered with Marx Barbeque to donate 500 lbs of fresh meat to the Food Bank.

Keller Schroeder’s strong relationships with key vendors were on display, as the event was supported and attended by Cisco, NetApp, LifeSize Video, and IronPort.

Information technology companies can be creative in the use of white papers, webinars, and ad campaigns to tell their success stories.  But, “Nothing speaks more credibly about us than the very words of our clients”, says Keller Schroeder President Larry May.

Those words came through loud and clear from Keller Schroeder clients in this year’s customer satisfaction survey, administered by Microsoft and required of all its leading Partners.  Keller Schroeder received an overall performance rating of 94 percent, compared to the average score for all Microsoft Partners of 65 percent.  Loyalty ratings for Keller Schroeder were 100 percent, compared to 86 percent for all Microsoft Partners.

As part of an ongoing qualification process, Microsoft Gold Certified Partners participate in an annual evaluation which includes a customer satisfaction survey completed anonymously by active clients.  “We are passionate about seeing our clients succeed,” says May, “and it is gratifying when they tell us so resoundingly that we are impacting them in a positive way.”

Since becoming the first Evansville-based Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in 2007, Keller Schroeder has seen its Microsoft business grow faster than any other segment.  While some firms specialize in infrastructure-related Microsoft tools (such as server and data management software), and others specialize in applications-related tools (such as SharePoint and .Net development), Keller Schroeder’s expertise includes the full spectrum of Microsoft solutions for businesses of any size. 

The firm’s reputation for excellence extends well beyond the Microsoft space.  Keller Schroeder received the 2007 Cisco Outstanding Indiana Customer Satisfaction Award, the 2008 Cisco Outstanding Growth Award, the 2008 Spirit of United Way Award, and was named as one of Indiana’s “Best Places to Work” in 2006.

Employee ownership makes a difference! Keller Schroeder celebrated five years as an employee-owned enterprise in March. Since becoming majority-owned by an ESOP (Employee Stock Ownership Plan) in 2004, the firm’s positive momentum has accelerated:

• Named as one of Indiana’s “Best Places to Work” in 2006
• 2007 Cisco Outstanding Indiana Customer Satisfaction Award
• Became the first Evansville-based Microsoft Gold Certified Partner in 2007
• 2008 Cisco Outstanding Growth Award
• Celebrated 30-year anniversary in 2008 (founded in 1978)

Keller Schroeder’s annual Client Appreciation Event was also a birthday celebration this year, marking the firm’s 30 years of service to Evansville and tri-state area businesses with a special United Way emphasis as a way of giving back to the community.

Keller Schroeder invited the employees of its 300-plus clients to an annual cookout, which included food, fellowship, giveaways, and an opportunity to meet and learn from some of the firm’s software and hardware partner companies.  At this year’s event, held on October 3rd, Keller Schroeder’s clients were offered an extra incentive to attend.  In celebration of its 30 years in business, Keller Schroeder donated $30 to United Way of Southwestern Indiana for each of the 341 registered attendees, resulting in a total gift of over $10,000.