In the modern business era, we consistently hear the terms “core values” and “company culture”. Among many other business terms, we have integrated these words into our everyday language. But what are company core values and why are they so important?

In this two part episode of MakingChips, Jim and Jason sit down with Craig Zoberis, founder and current president of Fusion OEM. Fusion is an OEM contract manufacturer for industrial OEM’s whose offerings range from Vendor Managed Inventory (VMI) and Kanban system systems for machined parts and private labeling equipment.

Craig founded Fusion OEM from his home in Illinois, and has grown the company exponentially since it’s inception in 2002. In 2009, Ink magazine named Fusion OEM as one of the 500 fastest growing privately held companies in the country.

Craig begins by giving us a bit of information on his background, what sparked the idea for Fusion OEM, and what his business is all about. Later in the episode, he shares valuable insight on his company’s culture, customers, and core values.

Outline of this Episode

[0:08] - Intro (Preview)

[1:26] - Veterans Day (Workshops for Warriors)

[4:12] - Welcoming Craig Zoberis

[7:20] - Fusion OEM

[12:30] - What Sparked the Idea for Fusion OEM?

[16:15] - Fusion’s “Ecosystem”

[21:55] - People

[24:00] - Core Values

[25:30] - Wrong Core Values

[30:20] - Jason’s Example of Core Values

[32:26] - End of Episode

Mentioned in this Episode

Workshop for Warriors (http://www.workshopforwarriors.org)

“Who: A Method for Hiring” by Geoff Smart and Randy Street (http://www.whothebook.com)

“The Advantage” by Patrick Lencioni (http://www.tablegroup.com/oh)