Case Study — Wood-Mizer
ABOUT
Since 1982, Wood-Mizer has earned the reputation as a world-leading wood processing equipment manufacturer with a strong legacy from its innovative sawmilling products. They offer an extensive line of equipment for woodworking and forestry hobbyists and professionals all over the world.
We need current leadership to be as strong as possible, but we need to develop new ones as quickly as possible. CHORUS has been a strategic partner in helping us develop our next generation of leaders worldwide.
John Smith
CEO, Wood-Mizer
Challenge
As a successful and growing global company, Wood-Mizer experienced several complex business challenges, including sourcing raw materials, and deciding where to assemble large machines and ship them efficiently. They faced international currency value fluctuations and even geopolitical pressures.
The people side of the business also created a challenge. CEO John Smith explains, “There’s an art to manufacturing these big machines, with skilled jobs that are not easy to fill. We need people who are experienced in manufacturing who do not yet have strategic skills; and strategic business experts who need to learn manufacturing.”
Wood-Mizer is 100% employee-owned and committed to developing its next generation of leaders. This led Smith to seek out expert guidance, which led to an engagement with CHORUS.
Solution
According to Smith, “Demand is so great… we know one of our future problems will be having enough leaders to keep up. We need current leadership to be as strong as possible, but we need to develop new ones as quickly as possible. CHORUS has been a strategic partner in helping us develop our next generation of leaders worldwide.”
CHORUS was also an instrumental advisor on individual leader and team development aligned with their strategic focus as a company.
President of US Operations Daryl Floyd explains, “This is a hardcore manufacturing industry. We have talented people doing the work, but we need them to think like business people. CHORUS has helped our leaders envision their next level of best, so they could grow in professional leadership and impact those they lead.”
Robert Bagiński, President of Wood-Mizer Europe, added – “Our culture includes multiple languages and international business practices, and CHORUS really listened carefully to understand who we are and what we need. They helped us recognize our potential, decide our direction and how we as leaders should grow.”
CHORUS has helped our leaders envision their next level of best, so they could grow in professional leadership and impact those they lead.
Daryl Floyd
President, Wood-Mizer US Operations
CHORUS has helped our leaders envision their next level of best, so they could grow in professional leadership and impact those they lead.
Daryl Floyd
President, Wood-Mizer US Operations
Highlights of the Engagement Included:
- Record % growth last quarter
- Reaping rewards of strategic and smooth succession
- Individual and team examples of successful development and coaching
CHORUS Services:
- Strategic Assessment
- Succession Planning
- Leadership Development
- Team Development
- Executive Coaching
Results
Wood-Mizer has seen record growth and is reaping the rewards of strategic and smooth leadership succession. CHORUS involvement mitigated risk and helped Wood-Mizer transition to a new generation of leadership in a more efficient and effective manner. This minimized emotional drag on the organization and enabled leaders to focus on growing the business, not just repairing things.
Our culture includes multiple languages and international business practices, and CHORUS really listened carefully to understand who we are and what we need.
Robert Bagiński
President, Wood-Mizer Europe
The CHORUS advisory team worked with Wood-Mizer’s C-level executives, Senior Leaders and next generation leaders, equipping them with leadership best practices to lead effectively in a high growth environment. Equipped with new skills, leaders are realizing their potential much faster, translating into top line performance and bottom-line profitability.
Deanna Bunten is Wood-Mizer’s Corporate Director of Marketing, and she participated in the process. “My CHORUS coach helped me personally in several ways. Not only was I better prepared to make sound business decisions aligned with company strategy, I discovered I was capable of doing far more than I thought I could.”
Next Steps
Wood-Mizer and CHORUS recently launched a new global leadership development program that will ensure a pipeline of new leaders to execute their strategy.
