I'm a straight shooter.

Jim Ginnetti
Jim Ginnetti / General Manager
Alsco
Los Angeles

You've been successful in business. What’s your secret?

I've worked for a lot of really good people. I've been fortunate enough to have bosses all along who recognize if you work really hard, and you find an interest in it, you’ll do well. I'm a straight shooter. It took a while for people to get used to me. I say it like it is. I don't hide things. If things are ugly, I say they are ugly. Covering up problems is no way to run a business. That's why we do a lot of testing at our Los Angeles plant in particular. We're able to make better decisions.

What's a typical work day like for you?

I get up about 3am to feed the horses—I have two—then jump on the freeway and get to the office about 5am. I usually spend the first two hours in my office with the door closed, taking care of paperwork. Then I go out and walk around the plant.

3am. That's early. You do that every day?

I wake up on the weekends the same time I wake up on a workday. I'm a routine kind of guy. I like to know where I'm going and what I'm doing. I think I get that from my dad. I’m one of six kids. He was responsible and worked really hard.

So even Saturdays and Sundays you're up early.

Early Saturday and Sunday...I have a certain ride I take on these mornings. I usually strap on a Thermos and head up the mountain behind the house. You can ride right out my gate and up into the mountains. And when I get up there, I have my coffee. I can see everything—my house, the high school football field—this is where I can think the most. I'm definitely an early morning thinker.

Alsco general manager...Horse owner...You’re busy! I hear you're a football coach, too.

Yes. I've been a coach for the last few years, but this is the first year as head football coach. It helps me in my job—any time you're in a leadership position it helps you. I had a lot of fun playing high school football. It's a lot of fun.

Are leaders born? Or made?

I think natural leaders are born, but I think they can either be stifled or nurtured along to assume bigger roles. Even from when they are born, you see that in some kids that the other kids follow. They are natural leaders. But sports transform kids, too. I had this one kid. Shy. Unorthodox. Started playing sports...and his confidence level shot up. Sports changed him into a leader. He's now a whole different kid.

What do you think the big trends are facing the industry?

I believe service will always be around. There was a trend where people were all going to paper. I think people will always expect the most for their money. The rental industry is changed. The owner/operators have dropped away. They were the character of the industry. Alsco is a big player, but still acts like a small company.

We will always have to deal with environmental issues. There are too many companies out there now more interested in growth of their stock instead of profitability.

We need to better each other, not beat each other up. Put your money where your mouth is. Some companies are more interested in creative marketing and clever ways to bill than in providing a better product. What people really want is a good product, great service at a fair price. You can always go out and sell all the business you want, but the real key is in keeping the business you have. That's where the real growth is in our industry.

Some choose to use voice mail. I don't use voice mail. I want my customers to talk to a live person when they call.

What's it been like working for a successful company like Alsco?

At Alsco, as a general manager, you're pretty much responsible for everything. You run the plant as if it's your own business. You get corporate marketing and payroll support, but pretty much everything is up to you. Alsco is great about giving people authority over the business. I've been with Alsco for 23 years. It's a great, steady company—always stayed on the service end of the deal. They haven't tried to move too fast and chase business tangents like other companies have. Other companies have gone in many different directions. Alsco hasn't done that. They've been very careful. They have their direction down. And it's working.

How do you approach managing people?

I've learned you can't micro-manage people. You got to give them a sense that they not only have a say, but you've got to let them try certain things. I've watched people get stifled by their managers and they don't react. But when you take them out of that situation, you see them take off...running with a great idea and doing something. If you're always telling them what to do all the time, the true "them" never comes out. And you never get to see what they can really do. That's unfortunate.

What's it like working with Milliken as a supplier?

I've been working with Milliken products ever since I've been in the business. I got really active with Milliken when we started doing a lot of testing. When you're testing products, Milliken's with you every step of the way. Milliken puts out a fantastic product. Milliken goes right to the end user to support the product. Among manufacturers that's unheard of. They help us develop things—things that actually help us improve our processes. Milliken knows what they're talking about. I've never met another company that does that. Milliken's a straight-shooting, upfront, reputable company. At Alsco, we work and think the same way. So, it's a natural match. They are a unique company. They're a big help.

Your plant has been involved with Project Green, right?

Yes. But honestly, when Milliken first launched Signature Plus, I was ticked off. We had a whole plant full of Signature! And they were now telling us that you could wash Signature Plus at lower temperatures—a potential huge benefit to our operation. To their credit, Milliken introduced Project Green and solved the problem for us. It helped us with our inventory of Signature. In our branch we've had a lot of success with Project Green. Milliken's doing even more research...like with mildew-resistant fabrics. Our biggest push in our plant is to get it through the iron the first time. Mildew is our biggest problem for rejecting fabrics. And Milliken is working on a solution that addresses this problem. Milliken continues to solve problems for us. I'm totally okay with that.