Face to Face - August 2004

Face to Face

Name: Joe Thomas

Title: General Manager

Company: Cintas Corporation

Type of Business: Diversified outsourcing: corporate-identity uniform rental and direct sales, restroom hygiene services

Location: North Las Vegas

Years in Nevada: 6 years

Years with Company: 13 years

Biggest Business Challenge:

Managing the operational challenges associated with rapid, exponential growth. Our revenues have grown from $5 million to over $17 million per year in Southern Nevada alone over the past six years. We have great people at Cintas, and that has allowed us to meet every challenge through every stage of growth

What do you like best about your job?

Working side by side with all of our employee-partners. Our partners make this organization tick, so I try to spend as much time as possible getting to know them personally. Recognizing people for a job well done is always the best part of my day.

How do you spend your time when you’re not working?

Golfing, snowboarding, coaching my three sons’ youth basketball, baseball and soccer teams, enjoying my family. Serving on the board of directors for the North Las Vegas Chamber of Commerce and on the board of the Las Vegas Executives Association.

Favorite Business Book:

 Lincoln on Leadership, by Donald T. Phillips

Best Business Advice :  

Cherish your employees. Your people are everything. Hire superstars, people smarter than you, then coach, lead and recognize their achievements. Without great people around you, be prepared to fail.

What would you like your legacy to be?

In business, I want to be remembered as a person who was fair, honest, moral, and one who genuinely cared about his fellow employees. As for my personal life, I want to simply be remembered as a great dad and a great husband.

What efforts is Cintas making to increase employee retention?

 We constantly review our benefits and compensation programs so we remain the employer of choice. We are continually introducing new reward and recognition programs to our partners, and maintain an open level of communication that makes Cintas one of the most approachable companies in any industry. Cintas was recently named a finalist in the Southern Nevada Human Resources Association’s "Best Places to Work" report .

Name: Lucinda Stanley, CCIM, CPM

Title: Corporate Broker/Senior Vice President

Company: Shea Commercial

Type of Business: Commercial Real Estate Brokerage – Sales, Leasing, Land Acquisition and Investments

Location: Las Vegas

Year in Nevada: 25

Years with Company: 9 months (20 years in the real estate business)

Biggest Business Challenge:

Finding available land to develop office condos and finding real estate agents who are actually willing to work and learn, make the sacrifices like we had to (and still do).

What do you like best about your job?

What don’t I like about it? We have absolutely the best work environment and upper management than I’ve ever experienced in my working career. The generosity, camaraderie, friendship, support and drive that the president, Jim Riggs, has given to our office is beyond words.

How do you spend your time when you’re not working?

Being home with my husband, three dogs and two cats; traveling to our Colorado property; visiting my folks in Maine, biking, hiking and doing pilates.

Favorite Business Book:

Best Business Advice:

Specialize, focus, be patient, set goals, find a mentor, be positive (all the time), accept challenges, as that is when growth happens. Most of all, stay true to yourself and those around you and don’t forget the family.

What would you like your legacy to be?

Lucinda shared everything that she had with those who needed, gave to those who needed, loved all whether they needed (or deserved) it, forgave those who hurt her and somehow made a difference in the lives that crossed her path.

How are companies responding to the idea of buying their own buildings instead of leasing?

With open arms. Showing the owners a lease-versus-buy analysis and the potential return on their investment makes the decision for them, provided they have enough for the down payment. Lenders have really opened up their checkbooks to businesses. With the low interest rates, for stable business that have been operating for at least 3 years or for professionals who have built up their practice, it has been extremely easy to go through the process.