While it is best known as an engineering firm, A&A is an
organization that believes in the value of innovation, not only in its internal operation,
but for its clients as well. "Innovation is something we like a lot at A&A,"
Anderson said, as he began a Net Meeting with a client over his computer. Using the
system, they examine and change a document while communicating by computer, thus saving
time and travel costs. "We encourage staff and clients to use technology like
this."
A&A’s unusual company culture has long seemed almost counterculture in
Southwest Virginia in the
freedom it allows
employees. Staff can set their own hours as long as they meet their responsibilities to
their teams and clients. Everyone, including President Ken Anderson, is an hourly employee
with ownership in company stock (after 1000 hours on the job). Although Anderson is still
the majority stockholder, he plans to sell his stock at age 65 and his role will then be
determined by the board of directors. Even more uncommon is A&A’s open-book
policy that allows employees to read all A&A’s financial records, including
salaries.
One of the company’s key goals – right up there with making a profit and
satisfying the client – is to provide growth opportunities for employees. Through its
solid corporate beliefs and values, A&A has created an environment that educates and
encourages employees, enabling them to succeed both professionally and personally. The
motivation of A&A's employees certainly comes from within, but A&A ensures that
its staff will be given the tools they need to succeed and the power to use them. An
example of this is the encouragement employees receive to acquire new skills and tackle
new challenges. As staff members become ready to take on new responsibilities, the company
often expands geographically or in services to accommodate them. Executive Vice President
Tim Stowe, for instance, started work as a Virginia Tech intern, became a project
engineer, then a project manager, then vice president of transportation and is now branch
manager of the Middletown, Va., office.
"Somebody said this sounds socialistic, but it’s not. We’re very
capitalistic. We think it’s good capitalism to have happy employees working at their
most productive level," Anderson says.
