SJS Incorporated - Idaho Falls
"We got our life back" is how LeAnn Sutton describes her successful collaboration with the Idaho Small Business Development Center and Idaho State University.
Steve and LeAnn Sutton had successfully operated SJS Incorporated, a national freight hauling trucking company, for years. But the business required so much of their personal time that they had little left over for anything else. It was obvious that the more work they brought in, the more taxed their time became. They were completely immersed in their business and it was taking a physical and emotional toll on them. Something had to change.
LeAnn started searching for answers. Initially, the Suttons attended a NxLevel business planning and development class sponsored by the Small Business Development Center (SBDC) in Idaho Falls. While this first step was helpful, LeAnn realized they needed more assistance.
NxLevel business instructor Dave Noack of the SBDC was able to link them with Verl (Skip) Stuart, a business professor at Idaho State University who placed a student business team with SJS trucking.
It was a glowing success. Before the Suttons met with Noack, Stuart, and the student team, SJS had 21 employees in the office and on the road. Now SJS trucking has 35 employees and is contemplating adding four more in the near future. This is due in great measure to the success of the student team.
Skip positioned each student to work on either finances, business planning, or management. After weeks of collaboration with the student team, a plan emerged and was implemented.
The students saw an overall picture that the Suttons were "too tired to see" as LeAnn puts it. SJS Trucking implemented a whole new operations and management system that freed up much of the Suttons' time and allowed them to focus on business growth instead of on management and maintenance.
The Suttons are excited about the future. They are currently attracting more business than they can haul. They are considering continuing expansion and plan to open a brokerage for freight hauling as well. In the near future, the Suttons also plan to add 10 long-haul trucks.
The Suttons will continue to work with the SBDC, SBA and local financial institutions to help make these plans a reality.
