Greg Booth protects and diversifies Zippo’s billion-dollar brand so it’s no match for the competition
After more than 10 years as president and CEO of Zippo Manufacturing Co., Greg Booth is still amazed by the product’s brand recognition. In many places, there’s 90 percent brand awareness. When Japanese consumers were asked to name top American brands, their first responses were Coke, McDonald’s, Nike and Zippo. “Prior to coming to work […]
Lessons learned: John Sheppard draws on his experience to lead EveryWare Global into a new future
When John Sheppard stepped into his role as president and CEO of EveryWare Global Inc. nearly two years ago, he knew he was faced with the difficult challenge of bringing together two ingrained cultures of two iconic brands — what he didn’t know, was that the two companies had yet to meet. Anchor Hocking and […]
How plan sponsors are expanding options and managing risk
Smart Business spoke with Phil Scott of Sequent Retirement and Benefits Group about trends for plan sponsors. What are some areas of growing interest and focus for plan sponsors? One area that continues to be explored is automatic contribution enrollment and automatic contribution increases as ways to boost participation. By providing better education and communication […]
How the Ohio health insurance market is responding in the ACA era
Health care used to be one of the more scrutinized types of insurance, but that’s no longer part of the landscape. Under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), the only criteria that determines price for small group health insurance is date of birth, zip code and whether you smoke or not — making it one of […]
How to keep up with technology in a business or educational setting
It can be more than a full-time job to keep up with technology as it evolves, and smaller and midsize entities that tend not to have dedicated technology staff can face even more acute challenges. So many changes occur, it’s hard to know what’s available, says Paul Karlin, M. Ed., director of Education Technology & […]
What plan sponsors need to consider when starting a 401(k) plan
More Ohio employers are becoming financially stable after the Great Recession. These same business owners are earning high compensation and looking for additional ways to defer taxes. This has led to an increase in companies desiring to start a 401(k) plan. The 401(k) plan is not only good for retention and recruiting, it’s also a […]
Determining the difference between public and private alternatives
There’s no question that a fair amount of confusion exists about the Affordable Care Act — including the lack of clarity about the differences between private insurance exchanges and public exchanges. Beginning now, individuals are, as a result of the ACA, required to either obtain health insurance or face penalties. Most people are covered by […]
How to construct an employer health and productivity road map
Improve performance, optimize efficiency and deliver value. That’s what employers are always under pressure to do. What many employers do not realize is that an integrated approach to safety and health can play a major role in creating healthier, high-performing workforces. “Employers can have a major influence on the health and care behaviors of employees,” […]
How office relocation and redesign is made easier with a design firm
A commercial interior design firm works to help companies find a space that’s an effective setting for their operational and aesthetic needs, and tailors its services to best suit specific client goals. For example, one client may be relocating because of growth, another wants to reflect its rebranding throughout a new office, and another is […]
How organizations can create a climate for ethical decision-making
We’re in the midst of a crisis of leadership — a situation that has weighed down economic development in the public and private sectors, says H. Eric Schockman, Ph.D., chair and associate professor at the Center for Leadership at Woodbury University, where he focuses on nurturing the next cadre of leaders coming up through the ranks. “We know that leaders aren’t born,” he says. […]