Abstract
West Paw Design is a pet toy organization that is well-known in its local territory. Owned by Spencer Williams for 20 years, the company has a small working team, in which the employees tightly cooperate with each other and with the owner. They share the same values and vision, which gives them an opportunity to achieve success in the pet supplies market. West Paw Design emphasizes that it is an eco-friendly organization that cares about the quality of its products. In addition, Williams does his best to ensure that his staff has a positive working environment.
West Paw Design
West Paw Design is a pet toy organization that initially appeared in 1996. Back then, it was just a small company in Livingston, Montana. It was bought by Spencer Williams, who had spent the larger part of his life on a ranch. Due to his living conditions, Williams often interacted with various animals, but dogs and cats had a special place in his heart. Being focused on them, he decided to start his own business that could benefit pets with the help of a team that consisted only of five full-time employees and several home-sewers.
At that time, his main aim was to produce the safest toys of the highest quality for cats and dogs under the vision that “business success will be friendly to both people and the planet” (West Paw Design, 2016c, para. 5). By 2000, the company had expanded enough to move to another facility and was headquartered in Bozeman. Even though a majority of businesspeople had started cooperating with companies in Asia, Spencer decided to support his local market. He invested in local talent and created a manufacturing facility that is still in operation today. The company strives to maintain the highest level of general development and is eco-friendly, which can be demonstrated by the fact that it utilizes only certified organic catnip, recycled plastic fill, any re-usable boxes.
The employees of West Paw Design want not just to provide good products but also to make a difference. The company operates successfully and was even named “One of the Best Small Companies” this year, according to Forbes (West Paw Design, 2016b, para. 6). In addition, it was the first company of its type to become a Certified B Corporation and is the best place to work in the state. More than 70 professionals work in it today.
The business processes of West Paw Design are tightly connected with a strategy that emphasizes “growth, strength, and positive numbers in employment” (West Paw Design, 2009a, para. 1). The organization is willing to benefit various populations but believes that its location in Bozeman provides it with the best opportunities to reach its goals. West Paw Design wishes to take care of pets first, and that is why it pays careful attention to those materials that are used to produce toys. Being close to natural resources, the company does not need to spend much time and money to receive high-quality raw materials, which allows it to focus more on other aspects.
The company values the ecology and tries to be environmentally friendly. It even encourages the representatives of the general public to support its eco-strategy. Williams often underlines that people should recycle if they want to support his company, as well as ensuring that their cats and dogs play with safe toys. His organization tries to use recycled materials that they also can be easily utilized or reused, such as banana boxes. Of course, much emphasis is put on the safety of products. The wellbeing of the customers’ pets is vital for West Paw Design, as it consists of employees who are happy to spend much time with animals.
Even though West Paw Design has grown since its inception and has even had an opportunity to change the location of its headquarter for the better, the number of people working for the company has not yet reached a hundred. However, this fact does not prevent the company from moving forward and providing excellent products. The thing is, Williams cares about his team greatly. The owner is willing to prove that the local workforce is talented and educated enough to cope with business-related difficulties and make the organization prosperous. He does his best to unleash employees’ creativity and develop an amazing culture within the organization (West Paw Design, 2009b). The employees have flexible working hours and a beneficial vacation package so that they do not have difficulties with finding a balance between their private life and work. Ideas about being helpful to people and the surrounding area are supported by paid days off that are allocated to volunteering. In this way, the owner also receives a chance to spread such values among the staff and to make them united.
As Williams has supported his employees, he has become more connected with them, and their relationship keeps improving. As a result, this approach gives him an opportunity to use transformational leadership and participative management effectively. The owner cooperates with the staff on an everyday basis, which allows him to educate them with his own example and to share his views and values. For example, he has helped to create prototypes of new toys and accessories (West Paw Design, 2009b). Williams not only provides ideas regarding new designs but also seeks out his workers’ attitudes toward new products. He contacts salespeople, seamstresses, and seniors to get to know what they think about some item, how it can be improved, and what other products they can offer. He has even invented special company awards that are used to motivate his employees and encourage them to perform better.
Of course, it is significant that West Paw Design is profitable. Even though the organization does its best to reduce expenditures, both personal and those of its customers, it requires funding to remain competitive and operate in the market. That is why it tries to prove that it is better than its competitors. In this respect, one can find the company’s awards, related press releases, and other news on its website (West Paw Design, 2016a).
Thus, West Paw Design is an organization that has successfully operated in the local market for 20 years already, providing toys and accessories for pets. West Paw Design focuses on people, animals, environment, and profits, which allows it to consider all critical dimensions and implement changes to become a competitive company in the sphere and the best workplace. The company values eco- and pet-friendly endeavors, high quality, safety, creativity, local talent, and teamwork. It is willing to provide its customers with the best environmentally friendly toys and accessories for cats and dogs. Finally, its owner’s top management style is participative, which ensures the cooperation of all team members and improves their relations.
References
West Paw Design. (2009a). Bozeman daily chronicle. Web.
West Paw Design. (2009b). Inc. Magazine interviews West Paw Design – On our “Strategy” to unleash our employees’ creativity. Web.
West Paw Design. (2016a). The scoop. Web.
West Paw Design. (2016b). The West Paw Design story. Web.
West Paw Design. (2016c). West Paw Design celebrates 20 years! Web.