July 2021 is a monumental milestone for Quantum Services as we celebrate 50 amazing years of inventory auditing services. The longevity of our company can be attributed to so many things but it really boils down to our values and our people. At Quantum Services we understand that every mountain climbed has a rough terrain that leads to the top, and as we look back over 50 years, we take pride and give thanks for every step we’ve taken as we bask in this incredible view.
Where it All Began
In 1971 at a drugstore with 25 lbs. of equipment, a long extension cord, and some determination, we conducted our first inventory audit. From there, our business grew and throughout the 1970s we performed audits in several different retail spaces. We conducted inventory audits in grocery stores, drugstores, discount centers, and even a frozen food warehouse. We achieved sales of $5,300 in 1971 to $713,000 in 1979. At this point, although proud of what we had accomplished, we knew that it was time to make some strategic decisions to make our company stand out from the rest.
3 Strategic Decisions
When we think about where we are versus where we were, there are three main strategic decisions we made that changed the face of our business forever.
- The first and arguably the most important decision we made, was specializing our services. Instead of catering to all different retail spaces, we focused on C-Stores and became experts in their processes, products, goals, and most of all, inventory. At this point, we went from “Accurate Inventory and Calculating Service” to Quantum Services. Accuracy is a given with Quantum Services and it was time to stand out from the rest.
- The second strategic choice we made was in 1986. We knew the C-Store world inside and out, but we needed to invest in ourselves and our people. At this time, we decided to get help from the American Management Association to train to streamline our processes and refine our values.
- Finally, after over 40 years in business, it was time to look to the future and the next generation of leadership. We built a strong succession plan and followed it to keep Quantum Services growing for many more years to come!
Over the next 20 years, we became a national service serving clients in over 65 cities in over 20 states across the US. We have also had to improve our technology and equipment enabling us to provide consistent and accurate audits to our clients from coast to coast. These three strategic decisions also gave us the ability to offer something our competitors cannot; a 100% guarantee.
Bumps in the Road
During our 50-year tenure of providing excellent inventory auditing services, we have encountered some bumps on our path to success. Being able to adapt, strategize, and work together, has proven to be an enormous asset to overcoming these unforeseen drawbacks. In the 1990s we overcame the oil supply crisis and the potential risk to future oil supplies and what effect that could have on C-Stores. In 2008, we battled the recession causing businesses all over to close, downsize, or disappear. And most recently, we survived the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. With our core values and the determination of our leadership and our amazing field staff, we can not only rise above these barriers but also continue to grow.
The “Mom Rule”
Above all else, Quantum knows the real reason we have thrived over these last 50 years; our people. Our field teams go out every day and do their absolute best in every facet of their job. They are the reason we can give that 100% guarantee. They are the face of Quantum Services and make us look our absolute best. They live our values, they work hard, and they carry huge amounts of integrity, dedication, and the ability to adapt and learn. Ray Crook, founder of Quantum Services, often acknowledges what he calls the “mom rule,” which our employees embody. Simply put it is this:
You go to work, then you go home. When you get home, you are going to talk to your mom. If you do anything you wouldn’t want to tell your mom about, don’t do it. If you can’t share everything you did that day at work with your mother and be proud of it, then don’t do it.
The accuracy of our audits are our primary concern and our auditors put that first always. We appreciate the continuous hard work, adaptability, and improvement our people show us every day. Thank you for working by our shared values and helping us make it to 50 years! Our people and our values are why we are still here today.
