There’s no arguing that the downturn in the economy made 2009 one of the most challenging
years in recent memory. Still, some firms found a way to thrive. Three of them—Paxen
Leaning, Bright Future Electric, and Smart City—experienced such significant success during
that difficult year that they were recognized by the Orlando Chapter of the Association for
Corporate Growth (ACG Orlando) with highly-coveted SMART awards.

The awards recognize the outstanding achievements of Central Florida-based companies in the
areas of revenue and profitability growth, business strategy and operating excellence, and
community involvement.

“It is during tough economic times that our programs are really needed the most,” said Herb
Hilderley, CEO of Paxen Learning, a premier provider of outcome-based educational and
employability programs for at-risk learners based in Melbourne. “A large part of our success
last year can be attributed to the fact that during these periods of employment uncertainty,
people reevaluate their career goals and seek to build new skills for new opportunities—the
type of skills training we provide.”

But Hilderley quickly cautions that, as sound as a strategy and solution may be, an
organization still must deliver on it. For its part, Paxen continued to intensely focus on driving
program results, growing key partnerships, and remaining attentive to existing and emerging
market needs.

As both a provider and publisher of targeted educational and training solutions, Paxen features
a unique business model that offers it the adaptability to remain highly successful as the
economy continues to improve, explained Hilderley. The company provides programs that
enhance a community’s workforce as the economic climate morphs and new skill requirements
emerge. “The key is to both take advantage of the opportunities that present themselves
today while, at the same time, making the appropriate operational adjustments to create your
own opportunities in the future,” he said.

For full-service electrical contractor Bright Future Electric, company CEO Danniel J. Petro
pointed to “awareness” as a key factor that allowed his company to grow during last year’s
economic downturn. His team was tracking the market trends developing in their industry
heading into that year, so they had an early realization that there was going to be a significant
slowdown in the economy and the construction market.

“We developed a plan to build our backlog before the market and pricing fell and conducted
intense marketing of our contractor base to assure them we would be there for all their
needs,” said Petro. “We also quickly made appropriate cuts in our operating costs at all
levels.”

To keep the Orlando-area-based company on the path to success in 2010, Petro explained that
his company is continuing to reinvest in the type of resources that will keep his team welltrained,
educated and using the latest tools and technologies to perform their jobs at the
highest level. He also highlighted the importance of a corporation to have flexibility. “Our
world is continually changing so we must be prepared to adapt our business strategies and
operations to take advantage of the new opportunities that develop.”

For Orlando’s Smart City, the leading telecommunications company serving convention centers
and theme parks, the key to past and continued success is preparation. “We recently
celebrated our 25th anniversary and we have learned and continue to learn about dealing with
economic downturns,” said Smart City CEO Marty Rubin. “Approximately ten years ago we
institutionalized our knowledge into the company’s “Buckle Down” plan. Whenever we begin to
sense economic headwinds, we pull out the plan and start reviewing it. The plan came out of
our desk drawers in early 2008 in preparation for its implementation, which came a year
later.”

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