As a fourth-generation Porter, Mark grew up in Porter’s Office Products, Rexburg, Idaho—a company founded in 1915 by his great-grandfather. Mark left to pursue other interests but returned to the company in 1998. In 2001, he bought out his father and grandfather.
A family business that has thrived for 110 years can’t rest on its laurels and no one understands this more than Mark, as his job title of “visionary” would suggest.
“One reason I believe Porter’s has remained successful is we don’t take our eye off the marketplace or take things for granted,” he says. “In fact, I am less involved in the day-to-day operations now; in addition to maintaining key customer and vendor relationships, my role is to look ahead for the next big idea to present to my management team. Together, we decide if it’s a go or not.”
“We are also involved in our community and are at the forefront of technology,” he continues. “For example, I believe we are in the 1–2 percent of independent dealers that use all the features DDMS offers. We talk to people at ECI and they tell us they wish more dealers would use all the platform’s features. Many dealers struggle with issues that DDMS could solve, but they don’t want to take the time to learn the capabilities or try new methods, so they are still doing a lot of things manually. We use all the system’s features, which has really helped us streamline our operations.”
The Blue Cow brand we developed has also helped the company. “We brand everything we do as our ‘Blue Cow Service,’” the visionary explains. “These services are no different from what other dealers offer but branding them in this way makes them seem unique.”
Another strategy that has helped keep the business running smoothly is the adoption of an entrepreneurial operating system (EOS). “There are books that explain how to this,” says Mark. “But we implemented EOS on our own about three years ago and it’s been a huge success. A lot of dealers, myself included, fly by the seat of their pants. Having a system in place has helped us grow faster and utilize our staff’s talents.”
For Porter’s, its EOS has involved setting three goals for each department and each employee, all aimed at achieving the company’s three overarching quarterly targets. To hold people accountable and remove the risk of personal bias, the company keeps track of how well these goals and targets are being achieved using scorecards. When there is an issue or a low score, the team can identify the challenge and find solutions to get back on track. Management also holds a weekly meeting to help ensure operations are running smoothly.
Mark has felt the benefits of EOS at a very personal level: “In 2021, I was really sick and out of the office for 18 months. Because we had used EOS to allocate duties, the business didn’t depend on me. The fact that the business can run without them might be hard for some owners’ egos, but not mine. Implementing EOS allowed me to prioritize my health, take the time I needed to recover and not worry that my absence was hurting the business. I think it also helps my people feel freer, knowing they can make decisions without being second-guessed.”
Headquarters: Rexburg, Idaho
Top management: Mark Porter, visionary; Kristy Benson, integrator; Shawn Call, vice president—sales; Kyndra Valentine, finance director; Jeremy Bryan, project manager
Number of employees: 25
Product mix: 50% office products, 40% furniture, 10% breakroom