From Startup to World Class Company - 6 Easy Steps!

- Establish who you are, what do you do best? 

- Identify your market, what do you do different?

- Will you profit by offering value, or discounting?

- Focus remaining resources on core product

- Invest in people

- And the mission is - Growth!

When Bill Barkovitz became CEO of Triconex in February, 1986, investors were impatient with the new startup's prospects and plans for profitability.  In fact, Triconex would not break even until the first quarter of 1990, nearly 6 years after the company's founding.  For Venture Capitalists who have to deliver monthly numbers to investors, 6 years is a long time.   They would have to wait a little longer.  There was an IPO in 1992, and the sale of the company was announced in January, 1995, to Siebe (now renamed Invensys).

Bill Barkovitz took immediate action in February 1986.   Besides refocusing the company on its core mission, which included painful job cuts, he had to raise millions to continue operations, build an infrastructure, and fund growth.  Some of those laid off from Triconex, or later left voluntarily, went on to found Wonderware, which was also purchased by Siebe in 1998.  

Triconex was a hardware culture at its core, but the people it attracted as a startup were all risk takers who wanted to be part of something special and have a chance to make more money than they could anywhere else.  The theme of the History of a Safer World is ego, people believed they had something to offer that could make a difference in the world. 

The booming economy of Southern California of the early 1980's was driven by the massive increase in federal spending as a result of the cold war that dominated the political dialogue of the day.   Young engineers flocked to aerospace giants like Hughes aircraft, which employed future Triconex and Wonderware employees like Gary Hufton, Dennis Morin, and Jerry Cuckler.   Kontron was a German technology company with a base in Irvine that employed David Smith and Phil Huber, both of whom would play roles starting Triconex and Wonderware.  Talented engineers recommended their friends. 

The stories of Triconex and Wonderware is a cautionary tale in the age of globalization, with triumphs and consequences.  The visionaries of both companies operated locally but defined themselves globally.  It is a legacy and blueprint for entrepreneurs navigate and succeed in today's marketplace.   To become companies that will attract investment, customers, and most importantly, become the company that people want to work for.