How did a Sarasota company that started off Fruitville Road grow into a global firm?
Art Lambert and Ron Simkins have built a global company operating in almost 80 countries and accepting seven different currencies — all from a headquarters in Sarasota.
It is a success story that started with just a couple of employees in a warehouse district near Fruitville Road and Interstate 75 but has since grown to 120 employees in Sarasota with a global headcount of about 200.
S-One Holdings Corporation is the parent company of LexJet, DigiPrint Supplies, S-One Labels & Packaging and Brand Management Group.
The business focuses on the graphics and digital printing industry, including licensing agreements with HP and Kodak brands to sell wide-format printing equipment and supplies.
Lambert attributed the early growth of the company to being in the "right place at the right time."
Both he and Simkins had worked in the computer industry at Zenith Data Systems in Chicago before relocating to Sarasota. When they formed LexJet — combining Lexan materials with Inkjet technology — they positioned themselves for the transformation from analog to digital printing.
Lambert said the company realized a lot of their customers needed help in understanding how to use their products given the transformation that was occurring in the industry.
The company saw a niche and started to fill it as quickly as possible.
"While others were selling stuff, we were selling knowledge," he said.
Lambert emphasized a company culture that wasn't about a cutthroat sales quotes or the latest business buzz, but instead focused on the customer and how to meet their needs.
He has numerous sayings from his almost 30 years growing the Sarasota business.
High employee retention rate
Two important ones he emphasized were established early in the companies growth:
"Stop selling and start helping." and "Have fun, make money, and don't get in the way of anyone having fun or making money."
One thing Lambert stressed during an interview about the companies growth through the years was retaining employees.
S-One has an average tenure of 10.9 years with 62 employees having more than 10 years experience at the firm. Thirty eight employees have more than 15 years and 17 have more than 20 years.
The company boasts of an employee retention rate of 90% with team members ranging in age from 23 to 77. Lambert said the company doesn't have individual offices — not even for the cofounders — to foster more collaboration between employees across all departments.
Adapting to flexible work
While the company did transition to work from home after the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, it has since transitioned to a hybrid approach.
Maintaining the hard-fought culture the company has built is something he does worry about.
"If anything keeps me up at night it's to make sure that our remote workers stay engaged," he said. "... I'm surprised frankly that as many people do come into the office."
The company moved into new offices at 4728 S. Tamiami Trail where they have 40 to 50 people that use the space, even though the company's investments in technology allow for fully remote work.
Another business venture includes the construction of the "biggest green screen in Southwest Florida's Gulfcoast" at the new office that is available for external companies to create television quality productions in Sarasota, according to a company spokesperson.
With all the successes, S-One still is focused on growing the business and finding start-ups ripe for an acquisition.
"S-One has been structured from the ground up as an acquisition platform," the company's website explains. "We have been content to reinvest tens of millions of dollars into the infrastructure and personnel at S-One as we watched and waited for the industry to consolidate and shift from a traditional distribution/dealer model to a direct to the end user model."
Lambert said the company is also strategic in the choices it makes.
"If we see an opportunity we will jump on it," he said.
Recent business coverage: Sarasota real estate company enters new phase as third generation takes control
Recent real estate news: Sarasota-Manatee remains a 'pretty darn stable' real estate market
This article originally appeared on Sarasota Herald-Tribune: How Sarasota company S-One grew into a global firm with 200 employees
