The Fastest Growing Firms, 2015: Performance Solutions by Milliken

This approach helps client organizations engage and empower their associates by working side-by-side to establish a culture of continuous improvement and drive breakthrough operations impact. Performance Solutions Practitioners currently serve companies in more than 100 operating locations in 28 countries across a wide range of industry sectors, according to John Stoner, Executive Director.

With 202 percent revenue growth, the firm settles in at No. 13 on the Fastest Growing Firms list. Stoner sat down with Consulting to discuss.

Consulting: What were the main factors that contributed to your exceptional growth?

Stoner: By far, the most important factor that contributed to our exceptional growth rate between the years 2011 and 2014—and which continues to contribute to our ongoing rapid growth—is our unique value proposition, which is comprised of four components: 1) The distinctive expertise of our Practitioners, who help our clients achieve both substantial and sustainable improvements in their operations; 2) Our unwavering belief in the importance of building a strong foundation of associate engagement; 3) The practical insights we have gained through the experience of building the world-class Milliken Performance System; and, 4) Our ability to use loss analysis to drive performance improvement initiatives.

Consulting: How is 2015 shaping up for your firm?

Stoner: Exceptionally well—in fact, our revenue growth rate for your Fastest Growing Firms list next year will almost certainly be higher than it was for your inaugural version this year. We have also doubled the size of our Practitioner team to support that growth, so 2015 has been an outstanding year for us on almost every dimension.

Consulting: How would you describe your outlook for 2016?

Stoner: Our outlook for 2016 is quite bullish; we have created a distinctive value proposition and built a highly successful business model—a combination which provides a solid foundation for continued growth. Our opportunities for 2016 remain with companies that are interested in improving the financial and cultural success of their operations—we are highly successful with organizations focused on those goals.

Consulting: What do you see as the biggest challenges in 2016?

Stoner: The biggest challenge we face in Performance Solutions in 2016 is to continue effectively radiating our unique value proposition to potential clients in the markets we serve. Our experience demonstrates that, once our clients fully understand how building associate engagement helps drive substantial and sustainable improvements in the safety and performance of their operations, they are eager to form a partnership with our team which will enable them to do so.

Consulting: What does being named one of Consulting's Fastest Growing Firms mean to your firm, your employees and your clients?

Stoner: As a team, we are very proud and honored to receive this kind of national recognition from Consulting Magazine; it's fitting acknowledgement of the distinctive work our Practitioners do with their clients each and every day.