From the Desk of a CEO...

From the Desk of a CEO... Bill Meeker, President of NACM Tampa Inc William (Bill)  Meeker, President and CEO of NACM Tampa Inc., wanted success and he  achieved it. It was not handed to him, and he had to work extremely hard to reach his goals. Though he had limited formal education,  Bill fused his studies and life experience with his tireless determination. In 1974, at the age of 26, Bill became the youngest Executive VP in the country. He would go on to turn a failing office into a prosperous, long-lasting company. He achieved this by taking risks, remaining honest, and upholding high values and standards. I had the opportunity to interview Mr. Meeker regarding his education and subsequent success in business. His story is intriguing and although he encountered many challenges, he continues to reap the benefits of his hard work: What made you decide to go to college? I have one year of college. I was drafted in 1968 and did not return to school. I did take one full year of accounting in 1972 after I was employed by NACM Dayton (Ohio). What obstacles did you face while you were in college? I tried to transfer schools when I was drafted. My tenure in the Army was valuable as I gained much needed maturity and I was given a computer job which helped me to obtain employment when I was released in 1971. What gave you the determination to stick with it? I was determined to work hard and move into management training. I worked many long hours and was promoted to collection manager in 73. Being the youngest [Executive VP] and with little education, I was bound and determined to make the office successful in the NACM family. The staff was behind me and we had 6 years of growth and recognized success.    Do you feel like your education helped you excel in business? If yes, how so? Even though my education was limited, several classes were beneficial to me, especially accounting. As I gained experience, I knew that my abilities were just as good as a graduate. It was apparent that dogged determination, courtesy, respect, and good common sense were key factors for success in business. Bill Meeker (dressed as pirate on left) and his staff dressed up for Halloween When you took over NACM, what gave you the willpower to see the business through even though our country was in a state of financial turmoil? I took over the Tampa office in 1980. The manager was very ill with cancer and the office was failing. It took over 10 years of hard work to finally turn the corner for success. [With a partner we began building our own software in 1992 and I hired a strong team].  We went through 2 recessions but our groups that were not related to construction pulled us through… I realized that a diverse income stream is vital in order to tolerate dips in the economy. So, from 2000-2003 I purchased [5 companies] which make up our corporate family today. We already owned NACM Inc and NACM Services. My father gave me all of his stock in General Motors to use as collateral for our first computer loan. I promised him that he would never lose it and that promise was my stimulate for success.      What advice can you give to anyone looking to become successful in running a business? Hire people that are smarter than you and treat them like family. Never give up, no matter how difficult your challenge might be. Use good common sense; be very honest in your business dealings and with employees. Remember, victory is never final and defeat is never fatal.   If you must sacrifice, issue it to yourself before you must give it to your employees. Employees always remember when you give a little extra and so do your customers. Learn More about NACM Tampa Inc here