The 2018 Fastest Growing Firms: J.J. Keller & Associates

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

Murray: The suite of services we provide our customers is unmatched in the industry. So no matter the size of the company nor the size of the safety and compliance budget, we have solutions to support the most immature to the most sophisticated of safety organizations. Additionally, our commitment to building out solutions for our clients that enable us to establish long-term relationships has led to significant growth of recurring revenue streams for our business.  

Consulting: How is this year shaping up for your firm?

Murray: We have seen significant growth in our DOT consulting business this year for a couple of reasons. One, economic growth has led to a shortage of qualified drivers, leading our customers to paying 10 percent to 20 percent more to move their freight. As a result, more and more companies are starting their own fleets to combat this shortage of capacity and increase in costs. Second, the overall labor shortage is putting pressure on our customers' ability to find qualified DOT expertise, so they are continuing to outsource more of their compliance to firms like J. J. Keller. 

Consulting: How would you describe your firm's outlook for 2019? Where do you see the most opportunities?

Murray: We are very bullish on 2019 as we finalize our budgets for next year. In an industry that has invested significantly in technology over the past few years, these companies are now dealing with significant amounts of data that they do not know how to manage. This presents great opportunities for us to help our clients manage the volume of data and enable them to make better business decisions, saving them money and protecting their workers and the public. 

Consulting: What would you say are your firm's biggest challenges in 2019?

Murray: We take pride in providing our clients with the most qualified, educated, and diverse group of safety consultants in the U.S. Finding high quality talent to meet our customers growing demands will be a tall task in 2019. With unemployment in northeast Wisconsin less than 3 percent, we will need to be creative with finding ways to ensure that we are attracting and hiring only the best of the best. 

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

Murray: Our industry expects us to be the experts in the safety and compliance space. Being named to this list provides validation to our consultants, associates, and clients that they have partnered with one of the best and most reliable consulting organizations in the U.S.