“MIT’s Edgar Schein in his classic work Organizational Culture and Leadership argues that organizational culture arises during the early stages of an organization when it faces particular problems or must accomplish particular tasks…In each instance, organization members responsible for resolving the problem sit down and decide on a method for resolving it. If the method works successfully, the organization likely uses it again and again when faced with similar problems and it becomes part of the organization’s culture (a taken-for-granted way for how the organization addresses certain problems). If it does not work well, the organization’s leaders will devise a different method for solving problems and will continue to search until a method successfully solves it…Ultimately, if the founder’s methods for reaching solutions work reliably and successfully, they come to be taken for granted for accomplishing particular tasks in the company. It is through the repeated, successful application of the founder’s initial solutions that they become embedded in the organization’s culture. The point, of course, is that the DNA of innovative organizations likely reflects the founder’s DNA.” —Jeff Dyer, et.al., “The Innovator’s DNA,” 2011.
In looking at innovative companies, Jeff Dyer wrote they had three P’s: “people who are like them (innovative), processes (that encourage innovative skills they depended on: questioning, observing, networking, experimenting) and philosophies (a culture that encourages everyone to innovate and take smart risks).”
Underlying a craft or a successful business product is a philosophy of excellence and persistence.
Included in that is how a business owner manages his or her people with the utmost respect and guidance and of course, a third, a process that delivers the best product possible at the right time, combining efficiency and quality.
Founders of Optical Zonu and their collaboration with a congressional representative
When I recently sat down with Dr. Meir Bartur, the founder of Optical Zonu Corp. (OZC), I asked him about the end game for his fast-growing fiber-optics manufacturing business, a rising star in the San Fernando Valley. He smiled and said, “None. It is about the process. We want to build a solid, organic, and strong foundation for the company.”
It gave me a sense that he is a quality-oriented person, a sure hand to hold the scissors for the day’s ribbon-cutting event.
“If I am here for the money, I could have done a lot of other things – we want to be independent, and when in doubt, always do the right thing,” he added.
He described OZC’s cautious growth strategy, of not paying himself a dividend but putting profits back into developing new products. “Money is used for training and continuously improving manufacturing processes, including a new building,” he said.
Another co-founder, Farzad Ghadooshahy, spoke of their numbers exploding as a testament to their commitment: “We have a beautiful, bright future ahead. Our vision is to be the worldwide leading provider of cellular WiFi transport and coverage technologies, for RF over fiber industries and for digital-telecom industries.”
During my visit with OZC, “manufacturers of proprietary products to enhance cellular connectivity,” two signs prominently hung: “Persistence – We lead, because we work till the job is done and done right.; Excellence – We’re respected because we all deliver the best product and experiences.”
Those who attended the ribbon–cutting ceremony for its new facility were given a tour of the company’s production area.
OZC is now a medium-sized company, yet poised to grow exponentially in the next decade, whose people “speak seven languages and come from six different countries and majority are U.S.-educated,” Dr. Bartur continued.
“For the strength to carry forward, my deepest thanks go to my employees,” Dr. Bartur said, “without them, we are not where we are. We are the only company in existence that has a solution for WiFi distribution in high security, mission-critical areas…approved by the top intelligence agency in the U.S.,” he shared with over 100 folks who attended the ceremony.
He credits Rep. Tony Cárdenas for introducing them to several agencies of the federal government.
Cárdenas, who is an electrical engineer by professional training, shared in the ribbon-cutting. Now in his second term, he is a member of the House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee.
He offered his insight to the Asian Journal: “Optical Zonu fits in with my philosophy of creating more good paying manufacturing and engineering jobs in the San Fernando Valley, which I represent. OZC has 30 employees who develop, design, manufacture and commercialize proprietary products in the wireless telecom industry.”
Cárdenas is an advocate for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) and STEAM education (with arts).
“Valley’s ingenuity, business friendliness, and diverse, competitive workforce, all of which Optical Zonu represents following three years of double-digit growth,” he highlighted.
He emphasized that small businesses often reinvest their profits and owners often work 70 hours a week, sometimes not getting paid at the end of the month. Small business owners look at employees and say, “we will not give up on you.” He used to be a small business owner and spoke of his own experience, as well as OZC’s owners.
Cárdenas felt strongly about attending the new facility’s ribbon cutting on Sept. 1 to celebrate OZC’s entrepreneurship, “after being told no, no, no, 30 employees get to feed their families and continue to be innovative and to get this company to grow,” he enthusiastically told the crowd.
Growth potential
Wireless connectivity is presently used in these industries: health, news, aerospace companies, political conventions, sports arena, manufacturing, stock sales, commercial building towers, travel, YouTube streaming, webcast, education, presidential debates, and more. Think of countries that may benefit from the wireless connectivity of 3G, 4G, and you immediately think the world has become smaller, as now we can communicate with them reliably. Think also of having wireless connectivity in all 400 national parks in the future.
Clients were enthused about OZC’s being positioned to achieve more double-digit growth potential. Why? OZC’s radio frequency engineers/clients described the successful use of OZC’s products in these locales: Phoenix Convention Center for Super Bowl, Washington Dulles Airport, Disney Studios, Disneyland Resort in Shanghai, Kentucky Speedway and Charlotte Airport.
“We were able to cleanly transport RF signals from a parking lot five miles away from the activities center. In fact, OZC’s products have been used to service all major cellular providers: Verizon, T-Mobile, ATT and Sprint,” one client shared.
“That can all be done with a DAS, a distributing antenna system and OZC’s products. OZC products have simplified our work, from us running coaxial cables to fiber optic cables. OZC’s receiver converts radio frequency sounds into fiber optics (light) and transmits that back to radio frequency sounds used for telecommunications power. We can now go the distance, up to 5 miles, where before we can only go 300 to 400 feet, with lesser volume of cables and lesser physical space used,” one radio frequency engineer added.
Gary Grimes, OZC’s director of sales, pointed out that newer cell deployments are made a lot easier to distribute as now they only require GPS coverage using cheap space from the basement to fiber links to the antenna. OZC will soon get more approvals and the company is excited about these new client developments. The growth should be exponential as fiber optics are replacing technologies used from 20 years ago, which have become four times more expensive and four times more difficult to use.
“Every American, instead of complaining and looking at everyone else, we can ask ourselves – what are we contributing to the America that we live in? The potential is phenomenal as we stand head and shoulders in providing answers and solutions to any place on the planet. We can deliver effective, cost-efficient solutions, even to remote, high-intensity usage places, ” Dr. Bartur said, “but also because we don’t know how to give up. When we have an idea, we pursue with lots of innovation, we just pursue it and we are okay with that.”
He continued to express gratitude to his employees, “I rely on them to be conscientious. I trust them. I don’t work over their shoulders. I give the employees a lot of credit. I care about their attitude, their character and their dedication.”
The 3P’s of philosophy, process and people are, in fact, the core ingredients of OZC, a growing company that has experienced double-digit of growth during the last three years!
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Prosy Abarquez-Delacruz, J.D. writes a weekly column for Asian Journal, called “Rhizomes.” She has been writing for AJ Press for 9 years now. She contributes to Balikbayan Magazine. Her training and experiences are in science, food technology, law and community volunteerism for 4 decades. She holds a B.S. degree from the University of the Philippines, a law degree from Whittier College School of Law in California and a certificate on 21st Century Leadership from Harvard’s Kennedy School of Government. She has been a participant in NVM Writing Workshops taught by Prof. Peter Bacho for 4 years and Prof. Russell Leong. She has travelled to France, Holland, Belgium, Japan, Mexico and 22 national parks in the US, in pursuit of her love for arts.