Global Became Iridia, But Why?
On March 11th, 2013, we became Iridia Medical.
In the months leading up to this special day, we began telling our key suppliers, clients, and partners about our intentions. While they were universally supportive in their feedback, we did field the odd query about the change. Typically, these questions took the form of “had the company been sold?” or “had it been merged with another firm?” In the context of the reactionary rebranding initiatives that have become commonplace in response to acquisitions, divestitures, and bad publicity, such questions are not surprising.
But in our case, such events weren’t the reason for the change. We were not the subject of an acquisition or a merger, and hadn’t endured any bad press. In fact, we were very healthy. We were fortunate enough to have been one of the province’s Top 100 fastest growing companies for two years running (2011, 2012), had an excellent customer base, and a solid demand for our products and services.
In stark contrast, our rebranding efforts were proactive in nature and came to be by asking ourselves a simple question: Can we do better?
While we are proud to have made the BIV Top 100 list, truth be told, we have our sights set on a loftier goal. We want to be a Top 100 Employer. In the words of Good to Great author, Jim Collins, this in the eyes of many amounts to a Big Hairy Audacious Goal (BHAG). Perhaps it is, but to us, it is what we have our sights set on. To make our BHAG a reality, we have necessarily turned the microscope inward and critically assessed many parts of our business. As it pertained to our brand, we started by looking at our logo.
The classic golden oval with the familiar hearth rhythm overlay had served us well to date, and certainly provided a direct connection back to our founding moments with Harmac Pacific Pulp Mill, our first workplace AED client. This notwithstanding, we felt the logo could be improved.
And so began our rebranding journey.
While initially focused on a simple goal of tweaking a logo, the scope of our efforts grew quickly. Through introspective discussions with our team, we realized that far more was at stake than simply adjusting the design of a logo.
We found ourselves on a precipice, overlooking an incredibly unique opportunity that lay before us. We could redefine our brand so that it better resonated with the uniqueness of our company and our team. If successful, we would also be differentiating ourselves in the marketplace, and thereby positively influencing the perception of our brand.
With only two options, to retreat or press onward, the choice was easy. We dove in wholeheartedly and committed significant energy and time into a process that ultimately took the better part of two years.
In the end, we emerged with a new logo, name, taglines, marketing collateral, website, and a healthy dose of pride. While time will certainly be needed to truly assess the success of our rebrand strategy, at present we feel that we have good reason to be optimistic and are smiling accordingly.
Every young entrepreneurial company reaches a crossroad when it must position itself for long term sustainable growth. Our company reached that pivotal point toward the end of 2012 when Vern Biccum took on the role of President and Dr. Allan Holmes assumed the title of Founder.
When Iridia was founded in 1998 by Dr. Allan Holmes, he represented the entire workforce. Today, we have grown to include four divisions, each with its own team of staff. Indeed, things have gone well. We have been one of the province’s fastest growing firms for two years running, and have been very fortunate to see demand for services growing.
So why introduce a change?
We believe that all progressive companies make time for introspection. Honestly assessing the way in which a business is run, and confronting the reality of the findings is both healthy and prudent. When we assessed Iridia, the words of Good to Great author Jim Collins rang in our ears. He advocates strongly for having the right people on the bus (read “in the company”), and then figuring out where they should sit (read “what role they should fill”). Applied to Iridia, we recognized that we had selected members of our senior team that could benefit from a seat swap.
With more and more operational demands being made of Allan’s time, he wasn’t able to focus as much energy on his areas of expertise and passion. In the Founder role, Allan will be able to redirect his energies to these foci while Vern will apply his business acumen and strategic leadership to the running of the firm.
Greatness Within Reach for Iridia?
As we continue to build the Iridia brand, we are always on the lookout for pearls of wisdom that will aid us in building the best company that we possibly can. One authority to whom we turn for inspiration is Jim Collins, author of must-have business books Built to Last and Good to Great. Collins has made a career of studying the world’s best companies. He analyses and dissects them to identify exactly what makes them tick.
At Iridia, we have always pushed ourselves to be the best that we can be. But can we be great, is greatness within reach? Can we be Jim Collins great? Let’s explore!
Last year Iridia was fortunate enough to find itself being one of the province’s Top 100 Fastest Growing companies. Although last year was the first we entered the competition, similar levels of growth have been observed at Iridia for some time, including a span of years that included some very tumultuous economic times.
If we stay true to our focused strategy, continue to practice principles of fiscal responsibility, there is no reason we can’t maintain current levels of performance.
The article describes this criteria as the George Bailey phenomenon. More specifically, if a company closed up shop tomorrow, would anyone truly feel the impact? Would a void be left as was the case when a future without It’s a Wonderful Life’s Bailey Savings and Loan was foretold in the movie? Or would life simply carry on without missing a beat?
While we certainly cannot compare ourselves to George Bailey and what his company did for the community of Bedford Falls, we’d like to think our absence would be noted. We have worked hard to provide a supportive and rewarding work environment that empowers employees to make a difference in their roles with us.
In our consulting work, we pride ourselves on removing barriers and limitations that prevent practical, effective health solutions to come forward. Our paramedic services provide unique and specialized care to remote workers that would not otherwise have access to such services. Our AED programs make workplaces safer and our educational services help ensure that our healthcare worker have access to quality education.
While we still have much growth yet to do, we think an argument exists to suggest that our absence would be felt.
At 14 years young this year, we have only just started the equivalent of our business ultra-marathon. That said, we have already weathered many endurance challenges. Economic downturns, competition, changing legislation, and team member turnover have all reared their ugly heads. Thus far, we have been resilient. With a diversified portfolio of offerings and an eye toward continued improvement and evolution in all that we do, our prospects for longevity appear strong.
So, while we do not have a crystal ball, it is our hope that indeed greatness is attainable for the Iridia.