Under the leadership of founder/CEO Pepper Rutland, the electrical and instrumentation powerhouse MMR has earned the top position as the largest electrical contractor in five states: Arkansas, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Mississippi and Texas, according to the industry rankings. These rankings were released by Engineering News-Record of Texas and Louisiana (ENR). This impressive ranking is based on revenue earned from the previous year (2018). MMR revenue in these states totaled $545 million in 2018.
MMR President/CEO James “Pepper” Rutland stated, “MMR is proud to be recognized by ENR of Texas and Louisiana as the number one electrical contractor. As we move into the new year, MMR will continue to provide the best service to our clients, focusing on breaking into new market sectors and expanding our geographic footprint domestically and internationally.”
In ENR’s Top Specialty Contractors edition, the magazine examines both the current and future of the industry in terms of projects and craft demand. James Pepper Rutland and MMR substantially completed work on the mega-project, Sasol, which is featured as a significant infrastructure project.
The Sasol Lake Charles Chemical Complex – Cracker and Derivatives project outside of Lake Charles, La. was a $300 million project for MMR. MMR’s scope of work for this project included ductbanks and manhole installations, finish assembly of twelve substations, high voltage cable installation and termination to eight substations, grounding, cable tray, cable and fiber optics, lighting systems along with Public Address and General Alarm (PAGA) and camera installations.
Eric Miller, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for MMR, reports the project brought together at its peak 2,000 craftsmen working in the Lake Charles area. MMR and Pepper Rutland continue to provide jobs for the community and its members through projects like this.
Additionally, the ENR magazine highlights James Pepper Rutland and MMR’s workforce development efforts among the industry-wide skilled labor shortage that specialty contractors are currently facing. MMR has taken an active role in addressing these concerns through the development of an NCCER accredited Craft Training Center and an apprenticeship program for electrical journey workers.
James Pepper Rutland and the entire team at MMR are proud of their recognition as the largest electrical contractor by ENR in five states. “MMR will continue to remain at the forefront of the industry thanks to the outstanding leadership and safety standards of the men and women who form our company,” said Rutland.
Author: Pepper Rutland
How Can you Become the Best Possible CEO? Pepper Rutland | Baton Rouge
Have you recently been granted the title of CEO? Congratulations! Now the real work begins. How can you become the best possible CEO? The following are three tips to ensuring your success as a CEO:
Build Your Leadership Team
One of the most important jobs you have as a CEO is to develop a team of people underneath you who are fully equipped to carry out the company’s mission. This process is multi-layered. First, you need to choose the right candidates for leadership roles. Once you have a team in place, you should provide trainings on a monthly basis. As your leaders grow into their role, you may start to notice certain holes in their leadership. Take the time to work on anything they need to improve upon.
Understand the Big Picture
A CEO’s job involves knowing and understanding what the big picture looks like.
CEO’s need to know the big things that will make an impact on the company, and then invest their efforts on improving those things. What are some parts of the big picture? The best CEO’s know and understand which client relationships matter the most when it comes to the big picture. They understand which team members contribute what and how they affect business. Lastly, it is critical that the CEO understands the money side of the picture. Which factors are impacting profitability and cash flow? Exactly how much are you attempting to grow by in the following quarter, and year? These are all parts of the big picture that the CEO must be very clear on.
Be the Gatekeeper
As a CEO, you will delegate tasks and projects frequently. Delegation is not the same as gatekeeping, however. As a CEO, you are the gatekeeper in your company. You determine who comes in and who goes out. You can control the culture of the company through your own actions. As a CEO, be prepared for people to try to get you to compromise your standardars in order to move more quickly. Don’t ever compromise your standards. Stay true to yourself and the mission of the company.
As the CEO of any company large or small, you are responsible for the success of an entire organization, including its employees. In order to be as successful as possible, start by building up your leadership team. Make sure you undertand the big picture of the company at all times. Lastly, be the gatekeeper for your business.
Pepper Rutland’s Holiday Giving Guide
The holidays are a wonderful time to reflect on the abundance in our lives. As people contemplate their own good fortunes, they are often inspired to give to charities. Being generous with money is an admirable quality, and the world always needs givers. For contributions to do their best, a bit of due diligence on the part of the donor is necessary. By implementing a few guidelines, supporters can ensure their holiday giving is utilized in the best manner possible. Here are a few “best practices” to help donors give effectively:
Do Research on the Charity
It is critical to ensure that the charity is reputable, reliable, and honest. Fortunately, there are a variety of websites that help with making determinations about nonprofits. Some of these include:
–Charity Navigator: charities are given stars based on their efficiency, transparency, and accountability on this website
–GuideStar: users can confirm that a charity is an exempt 501(c)(3) using this database
–GiveWell: this website works on global issues and lists the most effective ones.
Trust and Empower the charity to do the Work
When you give to a charity, especially if it is a larger donation, allow them to use the money as they deem necessary. Try not to put restrictions or guidelines on your monetary gift, as that can keep the charity from acting in the most effective way to solve the issue. Similarly, if you gave a gift months ago for a specific cause (such as building an elephant enclosure or providing Sunday dinners for the homeless), check with the charity and see if the issue has been resolved. If it hasn’t, consider giving another gift to assist with the same project. Continued support is vital for charities to maintain their focus and complete their goals.
Give as Generously as you Can
It is impossible to give to every cause that we encounter, especially during the holidays. Our mailboxes and social media feeds are filled with appeals from needy causes. However, after doing the research and searching for the causes that mean the most to us, it is important to give as generously as you can. Whether that is five dollars or five million dollars, the act of giving changes both the giver and the recipient, allowing us all to feel more gratitude.
As you engage in philanthropic giving this holiday season, follow the above tips to make the most of your donations!
Simple Ideas for Getting Involved in your Community | James B. Pepper Rutland |Baton Rouge
There are many reasons you might want to get involved in your community. You might be an introvert and looking for a way to meet new people. Alternatively, you might be looking for a way to share your success and give back to your community in some meaningful way. Whatever motivates you to want to get involved, there are dozens of ways you can put yourself out there.
Be on the Lookout for Local Events
Local events aren’t too difficult to find, if you know where to look. Pay attention to radio advertisements, community bulletin boards, and newspaper articles to find information about upcoming events. This is a great way to get advance notice of upcoming music concerts, art festivals, carnivals, and theater productions.
Seek Out Volunteer Opportunities
If you want to meet people and contribute to your community, the best thing to do is to volunteer your free time. You might volunteer at a hospital or nursing home, work at a soup kitchen, or help out at an animal shelter. What you choose to do should depend on your own personal interests. You should choose an activity that means something to you so your contribution will be more meaningful.
Shop at Local Stores
When shopping, stay away from the big franchises. Doing your grocery shopping at the local farmer’s market or picking up furniture at a local antique store can help you give back to your community and introduce you to new social situations. You don’t have to go to a store in the traditional sense. Maybe a girl down the street makes homemade jewelry or there might be an area in the park where artists sell their paintings. Purchases from these people will help you support your community in a very real sense.
Take a Training Course
If there’s something you’ve always wanted to learn, now would be a great time to start. By taking a course that will teach you how to do something new, help you meet people who share your interests. This can help you make new friends and become more entrenched in your community.
These are just a few suggestions to help you get started. If these tips aren’t appealing for you, look for other activities. Even just going for a walk in your neighborhood might lead to new possibilities. As long as you continue to put yourself out there, you’ll inevitably meet new people and discover new things to do in your community.
Pepper Rutland and MMR Partner With Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center for Oral Cancer Screenings and Tobacco Cessation Counseling | Baton Rouge, LA
MMR Group, Baton Rouge
PRESS RELEASE UPDATED: JAN 13, 2020
BATON ROUGE, La., January 13, 2020 (Newswire.com) – MMR President and CEO Pepper Rutland is kicking off 2020 with a rollout of wellness initiatives aimed at encouraging employees to adopt a healthy lifestyle in the new year. MMR will partner with Mary Bird Perkins Cancer Center to target oral cancer and tobacco use by setting up an on-site mobile clinic for employees.
“The mental and physical health of my team is top priority, and I am committed to providing exceptional benefits and cutting-edge health and wellness programs so that employees can seek the best care in a convenient and affordable way,” said Rutland.
Mary Bird Perkins – Our Lady of the Lake Cancer Center’s Prevention on the Go – Workplace Program brings early detection, prevention, education and screenings to company worksites at no charge to the employee.
In 2018, MMR was one of the first companies to participate in the program, screening 135 employees for oral and skin cancers, with nine abnormal findings. MMR has since increased its participation by including screenings for breast cancer and will extend the service to its other Louisiana-based offices in the new year.
On January 16, Dr. Robert Peden, an otolaryngologist (head and neck surgeon) with the Cancer Center, will be at MMR Headquarters to perform oral cancer exams. In addition, employees will have the opportunity to be counseled by a medical professional and receive smoking cessation support.
Pepper Rutland and MMR are encouraging all headquarters staff, over 300 employees, to register for the screening. All participants will receive giveaways and be entered into a drawing to win gift cards and prizes.
MMR’s involvement with the Prevention on the Go – Workplace Program is just one of the unique ways the company cares for employees’ health and wellness in addition to offering an on-site gym with bootcamp classes, paid/discounted gym memberships, telemedicine and more. In addition, MMR pays 100 percent of its employees (and their covered dependents) monthly healthcare premiums after seven years of employment.
How to Make Ethical Decisions in a Commercial World | James B. Pepper Rutland
All entrepreneurs must eventually make important ethical decisions. Sometimes, an entrepreneur may not know what to do in a given situation. Whether the error involves selling meals made with horse meat (Findus in 2013) or breaking sanctions against several nations, including Iran (Standard Chartered in 2019), people in charge often make unethical decisions for the sake of earning high profits. Entrepreneurs who make immoral decisions may think no one will notice. However, both of these companies soon faced the fact that consumers found out about their choices.
Choosing wealth over morality is often a fatal error for a business owner. This type of mistake can cause a business to lose loyal customers and even fail. In the United States, the governor of Georgia signed legislation to ban early abortions. As a result, WarnerMedia, Netflix and the Walt Disney Company declared verbally that they would avoid filming productions in Georgia. Additionally, several celebrities, including Sean Penn and Amy Schumer, vocally expressed their concerns about the bill.
The moral is that ethical decisions can damage the monetary flow of a business. However, serving morality and mammon is virtually impossible. So, an entrepreneur must have values and stick to these philosophical beliefs regardless of monetary expectations. Entrepreneurs need to consider many things before they make ethical decisions. Balancing ethics against making huge profits is a challenging activity. However, an entrepreneur’s competition also faces the same challenges.
A competitor may take a chance by making a moral decision and then profit from the choice. If consumers appreciate the competitor’s decision, business for the entrepreneur who chooses otherwise may not receive favorable reviews from consumers. An entrepreneur must satisfy their employees and shareholders, so the wrong choice can have negative repercussions. Some decisions are difficult to make and require contemplation.
The most important step is to find out all the facts. It is easier to make an ethical choice once everything is in the open. It is worthwhile to spend time thinking about the future. Admittedly, it is challenging to decide on something that serves the public, charitable endeavors, employees and investors. However, it is not impossible. In the final analysis, the only thing an entrepreneur can do is to follow their good judgment.
How to Improve Collaboration in the Workplace | James B. Pepper Rutland
Every business or organization can benefit from learning how to collaborate with others. A business is a corporation that usually has different branches or domains with people who have their own special area of expertise. It is seldom to find any successful major business that has one person operating everything. Everyone is an integral part of the workplace. They must know their importance as well as other people’s importance as it pertains to the functioning of the business. By cooperating with others in the workplace, the whole business profits.
Socializing Outside of Work
Schedule informal social events so that colleagues and management can come together outside of work. Forming a bond with coworkers and the management team can build trust and transparency. People get to see that everyone is still human at the end of the day. Inviting workers to dinner or to grab a coffee is just one way to socialize outside of the workplace setting.
Embrace Diversity
No one is identically the same. And, as stated previously, everyone has their own area of expertise. This should not intimidate any coworkers or management. Instead, this should be welcomed and appreciated. Ideas are no exception. It is vital to embrace one’s thought process so long as it is appropriate. Not everyone has the same vision or recommendations of approach. This is what makes people unique. Taking different advice for a change may just allow for the necessary modifications to be made to generate a major success for the company. As diversity pertains to one’s culture, a person can go out of their way to learn a little bit about the etiquette of different cultures so that they remain respectful.
Do Not Micro-manage
Collaboration does require coming together as an alliance to complete a task. However, there still needs to be some degree of space enforced in the work setting. Management or any other colleagues should not hover over anyone in the process of micro-managing. Workers should have the opportunity to complete their jobs without feeling eyes leering in their direction constantly waiting for them to mess up. This amount of pressure just makes for a tense environment. All people should know their roles in a team and seek to manage only themselves unless they are in a managing position.
Pepper Rutland | Are you Creating Burnout for Others?
Burnout is the feeling of fatigue or exhaustion that comes from constant stress and pressure. People can experience burnout physically, academically, emotionally, and mentally. It’s an overwhelming feeling to endure and makes one function less than normal. To figure out if someone is having this overwhelming effect on others, looking at these patterns should help.
A decrease in Worker Productivity
If the quantity of work or hours are diminishing with employees, this can show wavering emotions including fatigue. When people endure much stress, their mind can go on autopilot as they want to get away from the pressure. So, they are not entirely aware whilst working. Burnout is much like resistance as it takes even more of an effort to do the same amount of work as before.
Quality of Work Drops
If the quantity of work doesn’t swindle, then the quality may definitely be affected negatively. This is especially true in creativity-based jobs where much is dependent on one’s mind. People don’t often think straight when burdened with exhaustion and fatigue. Completing the work seems more of a chore than anything else.
Employees or Colleagues Don’t Speak to You
If coworkers or employees don’t speak to each other or avoid their management, this is a clear indicator that they might be the cause for the burnout. Perhaps these employees and coworkers do not feel comfortable or appreciated by their business. They may avoid speaking as they don’t feel a conversation is welcomed due to harsh management styles or strict the strict workplace environment.
Micro-managing Everyone
Watching over people’s shoulders is a sure way to create fatigue. Not only does a person have to focus on doing their job, but they constantly have to consider the fact that someone is always watching them. This amount of stress and tension may shift their attention away from the job they are trying to do. This may make them focus on the appearance of their work as opposed to their actual performance on the job. So, it is vital not to become that person who is micro-managing coworkers or employees even unintentionally. It is okay to care for the handling and functioning of one’s business. However, it is also okay to show trust and give people the necessary space they require to get the job done efficiently.
Things Socially Intelligent People Do Differently
What is social intelligence? People with social intelligence understand how to work with others and interact with them very well. Their social intelligence is higher than others because of several traits:
They Listen More Than They Speak
Socially intelligent people understand one of the most difficult parts of interacting: to listen more than to speak. This is one of the fastest and easiest ways to get people to like you. Socially intelligent people grasp this often over-looked aspect of human behavior. How so? They ask questions when engaged in a conversation with others. Most people are too busy thinking about what they are going to say next instead of truly listening, but socially intelligent people are fully present during their interactions.
They Withhold Judgement
People with high social intelligence are also usually some of the most respectful people. Throughout their day as they hold doors, wait in lines, and generally exist, they withhold judgment of others. Why? Highly socially intelligent people understand that everyone matters. People pick up on this and respond very well to it, mostly because it is so far from the norm.
They observe and interpret someone’s nonverbal behavior
Emotions and one’s mental state is communicated less by words and more by body language. People with high social intelligence understand the body language of others. For example, a person with normal social intelligence may not notice that someone is disengaged in conversation. People with high social intelligence will pick up on these nonverbal cues.
They understand that people’s behavior is governed by multiple factors
Everyone is going through things in their lives: personally, professionally and otherwise. Socially intelligent people understand this and do not take someone’s present behavior as a reaction to the immediate stimulus. They understand that someone’s reaction could be due to multiple outside factors that have nothing to do with the actual situation at hand.
Socially intelligent people are good listeners; they withhold judgment, observe nonverbal behavior and understand that people are complicated. Because they do these things so much better than most people, they are some of the best people to know and make some of the best employees!
Time Management Techniques for Small Business Owners
To succeed, small business owners have the responsibility of effectively managing their resources. Some of the most vital resources for small business owners include time and capital. When properly managed, time can help propel a small business into a huge investment. Most business owners, however, lack time management skills to turn their investments around. Here are some time management techniques that small business owners should consider.
Considering automation
Time wastage within the workplace can be effectively eliminated by considering automating some of the business operations. Process automation through digital tools and techniques enables workers to achieve greater production output. It is also a great way of eliminating time wastage in the workplace, especially where output requires the involvement of multiple workers.
Delegation of responsibilities
Every small business can become quite busy – packed with responsibilities and tasks to complete. It is the small business owner’s responsibility to delegate tasks and duties accordingly to ensure that workers get a fair share of a large project. To ensure fairness, it is important to consider the competency-based delegation of responsibilities where each worker is given a task based on his or her professionalism and skill base.
Prioritization
Time management in the workplace cannot be complete without setting appropriate priorities. When setting priorities, it is important to consider a systematic workflow where each task is appropriately placed in the list, based on how important it is in contributing towards the workflow. Prioritization helps the workers to become more organized and strategic in their operations.
Maintaining work-life balance
Time can become a major asset or reliability, depending on how prudent the investor is. It is important to consider setting time management discipline in order for the business owner to achieve business discipline and sustainability. Allotting sufficient time for work and equally sufficient time for social life allows the entrepreneur to relax and unwind accordingly.
Elimination of distractions
Nothing can be more frustrating than a small business owner who can’t achieve his or her goals and priorities due to workplace distractions. Being distracted by common elements in the workplace, such as tech gadgets, unnecessary meetings, or even social activities, can impair the business’s productivity. To achieve proper time management, it is important to consider setting focus and avoiding any common distractions.
Pepper Rutland 