Man with a Plan

Potterfield says he thinks about it from time to time: How would a restaurant owner create a menu and hire staff that together would produce entrees that would get every customer’s approval every time? “That would be an interesting problem to solve, wouldn’t it?” he asks, bright-eyed, like he might have it almost figured out. “That would be close to impossible to always get that A+ rating, but I think I might enjoy a task like that.”
For those who know Potterfield, it’s easy to think he probably would. In Columbia’s business world, his penchant for the challenge of excellence has made him someone to know. Although he might not be a restaurant owner, he certainly seems to have the recipe for success.
Potterfield and his wife, Brenda, are the owners of MidwayUSA, a catalog and Internet retailer offering nearly everything for gun enthusiasts. First founded in 1977 by Potterfield and his brother, Jerry, MidwayUSA has become one of Columbia’s fastest-growing businesses. Originally 1,632 square feet, the company now spans more than a quarter of a million square feet and provides jobs for more than 350 people.
In 2009, MidwayUSA was the recipient of the prestigious Malcolm Baldrige National Quality Award, a coveted prize issued by the president of the United States that recognizes organizations for performance excellence. Up to 18 awards are handed out nationally in the categories of manufacturing, service, small business, education, health care and nonprofit. As of last year, 91 organizations had received the award.

Baldrige: The not-so secret trade secret

The Baldrige program was developed by the Reagan administration in 1987, named after then-Secretary of Commerce Malcolm Baldrige. Government and
industry leaders were in agreement that for the U.S. to remain competitive in the world market, the country needed to improve its focus on quality. Business owners, though, didn’t seem to know where to begin. Baldrige helped provide that structure.

In 2010, the award was renamed the Baldrige Performance Excellence Program to reflect its broader focus. Rather than measure quality in terms of product, service and customer satisfaction, the new standards began to look at overall organizational quality.
For Potterfield, the award was confirmation that the management structure at MidwayUSA is leading to continued growth. “Football players are validated with wins and trophies,” he says. “Celebrities are validated with awards. At Midway, we’re always looking to measure our efforts. To me, this shows that we’re on course for our vision.”
 

Excellence begins here

Founded in 2010 by Potterfield, the Columbia chapter of the Baldrige Performance Excellence Group meets the fourth Tuesday of every month except December. Business leaders come together to share ideas and strategies for making Columbia an exemplary city, one business at a time.
Deanna Herwald is the current president of the local BPEG chapter. For her, it’s exciting to see area organizations take responsibility for their own improvement. In turn, they’re all taking steps to fulfill the group’s mission.
“It’s one of those the-sum-is-greater-than-the-parts kinds of things,” she says. “If I improve my organization and you improve yours and our neighbor improves theirs, then collectively we begin moving toward excellence. Everyone is focused on improving their organization and making Columbia a better place is a result of that.”
Currently, 24 organizations are attending BPEG meetings, with representatives from groups including Columbia Public Schools, city management, banks, hospitals and more. About 10 of those are putting the Baldrige criteria to use.
To become eligible for the award, organizations must have a role model organizational management system focused on continuous improvement, demonstrate efficient and effective operations and have a way of engaging and responding to customers and other stakeholders. The program also encourages business owners to share successful strategies.
Potterfield suggests that if a person were to read all the business and leadership books that have ever been written (and he’s read his fair share), that when it comes down to basics, all that information could be condensed into about 30 principles. Those, he says, are the defining structure of Baldrige.
“Just think if you could keep all those 30 principles in play at all times what kind of place you’d be running,” Potterfield says. “But preaching is one thing. Our goal is to have every organization practice putting these leadership and management ideas to work, and in doing that, they’ll shine for everyone else to see.

Leading by example: MidwayUSA

Walk through the halls of Potterfield’s business and there is one quality that’s hard not to notice. MidwayUSA is clean — exceptionally so. It’s not just the offices but the whole place: the stocking area, the machinery, the filming room. All of it is organized and clean.
“That’s just one of our values,” he says. “Cleanliness doesn’t necessarily make you money, but it does set the standard for how people think about the place. And really, every business could be like this. If the boss wants a clean business, there needs to be a process in place for it. If the boss doesn’t care or communicate that clearly to employees, then it’s hard to imagine that those workers would give it much consideration either.”
Cleanliness, Potterfield explains, is like everything else at MidwayUSA. It’s about process. When there is a spill, for example, it doesn’t sit there. The situation is addressed. There is a standardized procedure for action that has been written down, included in training and repeatedly communicated to employees.
Another process — perhaps the most important — is communication. It is constant at MidwayUSA. One example of that is Midway’s surveys, conducted quarterly for employees and vendors and on an ongoing basis for customers.
“There is constant evaluation going on,” Potterfield says. “When something isn’t up to par, we find out why. That way we can make adjustments in the process and make sure business is flowing like it should.”
But above all the work goals and management strategies and the tidy work environment, there’s another factor in the works at MidwayUSA. It’s a typical afternoon, and Potterfield strolls through the campus wearing jeans and a Hawaiian-print shirt. Employees smile when they see their boss. They shake hands. For both parties, there is respect.
That, he says, isn’t necessarily Baldrige at work; that’s just a good Midwest upbringing. “I’m just a country kid from Missouri,” says Potterfield. “I enjoy people, and I always have. That’s just something Mom and Dad gave me. … My wife is the same way. We truly appreciate everyone who is working there, and I think that probably sets the tone.”