Remaking SRC Holdings

I was first introduced to Springfield ReManufacturing Corporation (SRC) in an Inc. interview with its Founder and CEO, Jack Stack. The article focused on the practice of open book management and how his methodologies allowed him and a group of managers to take a failing company and turn it into a powerhouse over the course of nearly three decades. I subsequently read his book, "The Great Game of Business", a must read for anyone who takes their business, and the livelihoods of their employees, seriously. After you get past the "wow" factor, it just makes sense.

As a designer, I find myself in search of that "wow', the thing that makes an image or a brand stick. There is no doubt that SRC Holdings has it in spades in terms of their day-to-day functioning. But where is it in their branding? The chromes and metallic shines of their current family of logos veer towards cliche. They are one-liners that speak very literally to a multi-dimensional audience. One other thing their branding fails to do is to speak of their currency in the market. It doesn't say, "Welcome 2010 and beyond."

Staying power is important, and SRC has no exit strategy, no plans to sell off their assets and put their workforce to pasture. What is relevant are all of the elements that make their company unique. Machinery, longevity, integrity and environmental responsibility all spill forth from what and how they operate. That's a recipe anyone starting out should be eager to adopt and a trend that anyone who's been around for awhile should be eager to follow.

While you can't put a diesel engine on a grocery store shelf, you can still think about your shelf appeal. What is your brand saying when you're not there? And what will it say in another 30 years when your legacy passes to the next generation?