Jerry Stallard just thought the letters
GTS sounded good together when he
started GTS Communications from his one-bedroom apartment in Olmsted Falls
back in 1996 during his last year in the U.S.
Coast Guard Reserve.
As president and founder, he didn’t exactly
know much about installing telephones
when he started the company, but he knew
he had an interest in it. His first installation
was for his brother, but he used troubleshooting techniques that he learned during his coast guard experience and received
additional training to fill in his knowledge
gaps. Finding clients was initially difficult to
balance along with answering calls and serving as the technician, so his wife entered the
picture to answer those calls while working
at another job. This allowed him to focus on
his craft, as he thought his overall work
would be the best advertisement for GTS.
Those letters that sounded good have translated into a telecommunications business
that’s still doing great 11 years later, as it’s
never experienced a year with negative revenue growth. Additionally, first quarter 2007
sales have increased 26 percent.
Stallard takes an innovative approach to
business by building his company as an alternative to a larger competitor and created a
niche in installing Nortel phones, which are
commonly installed by larger competitors.
Stallard also strives to maintain a family
culture at the Strongsville-based GTS headquarters. With just 10 employees, he is dedicated to providing gift bags for them on holidays as well as hosting company outings and
dinners at his residence.
As Stallard pushes his business to continue
growing, he maintains a down-to-earth attitude and dedication to working hard. He
leads growth without getting ahead of himself, and with that mentality, he will open a
second GTS office in Orlando, Fla. in August.
GTS is on the fast track for future success
with an average expansion of approximately
25 percent in both sales and employment
growth.
HOW TO REACH: GTS Communications, (877) 487-8866 or
www.gtscommunications.com