By piecing together puzzles and fine-tuning engines — at least hypothetically — Lyndon Faulkner found the secret to success.
Well, he found what works for him, at least, though he’s quick to say that it’s not the only way to grow a company. Then again, his company has seen 161 percent growth in the last three years, landing at 2009 revenue of $307.6 million.
“If you want to lead the way in an industry, if you want to lead the way over your competition, then … be involved with businesses that carry innovation as a core competency,” says Faulkner, president and CEO of Pelican Products Inc.
Innovation is certainly core at Pelican, a Los Angeles-based designer and manufacturer of advanced lighting systems and virtually indestructible cases — and at other companies that Faulkner has led, including the Americas Operations Group at Microsoft and Nimbus CD International.
A commitment to perpetual ideation and improvement has secured Pelican’s place as the flashlight provider for the Los Angeles Police Department. Pelican’s customized solutions for each of its end markets also make it the go-to protector for everything from electronic devices to helicopter blades and the mission-critical military and medical equipment in between.
But it’s not just about having cool ideas for solving customer problems or being the first in your field to jump on a new technology.
“While we’re innovative and we pride ourselves on being innovative, most of our innovation turns to commercial success, as well,” Faulkner says. “We don’t just innovate for the sake of it. We do it very much with a goal of growing our business from it.”
Here’s how Faulkner brings all the pieces of innovation together to drive growth.
