June 10, 2013
2013 Family Business Awards: Coghlin Cos., Worcester
A Foundation Of Passion And Trust
PHOTO/Matt VOLPINI
Jim Coghlin had two rules for his sons: that they attend college and work somewhere else before joining the company business. Here, he's shown between his sons Chris (left) and Jim Jr. at Coghlin Cos. headquarters in Worcester.
At the Coghlin Cos., there is a major focus on utilizing personal strengths and loving what you do.
Lucky for the Worcester-based company and its customers, members of the Coghlin family continue to find ways to play up their personal strengths by working at the 128-year-old family business.
Coghlin is the parent company of three other companies: Columbia Tech, which provides turn-key manufacturing and fulfillment services; DCI Engineering, which provides product engineering, design and development services; and Cogmedix, a medical device contract manufacturer.
"The whole mantra around our dinner table from Dad to us was always, 'Find out what you're passionate about and love to do, and try to make a living at it,' " President and CEO Chris Coghlin said.
Chris considered a career in music but ultimately joined the family business. His father, Jim, wanted Chris and his brother — COO Jim Coghlin Jr. — to bring value to the company through the experience they acquired elsewhere. His two rules were that his sons go to college and spend time working at another company first.
So, both Jim Jr. and Chris attended college and worked elsewhere — Jim at Hubbell Inc. and WESCO (the latter of which had purchased a business unit from Coghlin Cos.) and Chris at Northeastern University and Digital Equipment Corp. — before joining Coghlin Cos. in the early 1990s, finding their passions within the firm.
"We all have different strengths and unique abilities," Chris said. For him, those strengths are meeting with people and being the face of the company, selling them on Coghlin. "I love listening to what people are looking for and then trying to find the best way to deliver a solution for it, better, faster and more cost effectively than anyone in our industry possibly can," he said.
Meanwhile, Jim Jr.'s strengths, similar to his father's, lie on the operational side of the business.
"When Jim came into the businesses, our companies were really growing, and on the manufacturing services side, when we're really growing, it means we're buying a lot of material from a lot of people," Chris said. "So what's great about the chemistry between us is that when I am out selling and negotiating to win deals … I have the highest level of confidence that once we close the deals, Jim and his core supply chain and operations team will leverage that buy, meet the schedules (we) committed to and deliver world-class quality products in a customer-focused flexible manner like no other."
Making the most of personal strengths is highly valuable to Jim Sr., the company chairman.
"Jim could do what Chris does and Chris could do what Jim does, but they wouldn't enjoy their day as much," Jim Sr. said. "So, that unique ability theory, to me, is one of the prized things we have at this company. We really work hard finding great people who love what they do each day they walk through our doors."
Employee Empowerment
The importance of personal strength also flows into a deep trust between the company's owners and their employees — called "caring associates" — and a sense of empowerment given to each of them.
Chris said their more than 350 employees know they can find a solution to a problem, ask him what he thinks of it and that he will trust them.
"People become … more valuable to the company because of the level of empowerment and understanding that if they make a mistake, it's OK, and we will all learn from it and continuously improve as a result. And if they (made a mistake), they did it clearly in the best interest of the company and it didn't work out the way they thought it would."
When asked how they solve conflicts that may arise, the Coghlins said they tend to just trust one another's judgment. Jim Jr. said they may have differences of opinion, but if one of them defends a position more passionately, the others are likely to trust that, saying each one knows his area of expertise.
"It's an incredibly complementary deal," he said.
Their enthusiasm for the company extends beyond the work week. They admit that their families might say they talk about work more often than not, while they would say not enough.
"It's hard because it's a part of our life," Chris said. "It's ingrained in us, and we're always trying to improve our solutions. It's not a job, it's not a career. It's a passion. It's a way of life."
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2013 Family Business Awards - Coghlin Cos.
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