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General meetings of Facilities Services Network have become even better opportunities in recent years to learn how the member companies operate. This educational focus is achieved by holding two of the three annual meetings in the home market of an FSN member. Environments Plus and Service West were the host members for FSN's recent meeting in Los Angeles.
Host Members for FSN's 40th Meeting
Environments Plus (EPI) is based in the San Fernando Valley and serves Southern California through a primarily non-union business model.
Service West, with branches in Sacramento, the East Bay and Orange County, performs union furniture projects throughout California.
Each company had a major portion of the agenda for the second day of FSN's Los Angeles meeting. Both are founding members of FSN.
A tour of each company's Los Angeles-area facility would have been the preference of every meeting attendee. However, due to the long distances involved and the metro area's famously sluggish daytime driving conditions, it was decided to restrict travel to a site visit at Service West - Orange County, in Fullerton.
Environments Plus Presentations in the Morning
EPI's co-founders and principals, Mark Cordell and Regina Cordell, and some key staff members brought their company's story to the meeting room at Loews Santa Monica Beach Hotel.
Follow EPIMark led off with a special welcome which included recollections of FSN's founding in 1999 and the group's earliest meetings. Mark Cordell Jr., who is involved in both new business development and account management, provided an update on EPI's capabilities, clientele and current market initiatives, described the company's organization and key staff and guided the attendees on virtual tours of EPI's San Fernando and San Diego facilities. Aaron Buckner, the business development lead, gave an overview of EPI's capabilities and market strategy for earthquake preparedness services, a relatively new initiative in response to regulatory changes. Regina Cordell and Paul Gomez, the warehouse manager, were on hand to provide additional EPI perspectives during the question-and-answer periods.
A Tour at Service West in the Afternoon
The afternoon began with a coach ride to the Service West facility in Fullerton, where the first order of business was a light, informal luncheon for the hungry meeting attendees.
Following lunch, Mark Vignoles, the founder and CEO of Service West, offered a brief history of Service West's involvement in the Southern California markets and then introduced and turned the event over to Paul Langlois, the general manager for Southern California operations. Paul, a seasoned professional who came into the GM position from outside the company several months ago, gave a guided tour of the warehouse, stopping often along the way to point out efficiency and productivity issues that had been addressed recently through physical, procedural or staffing improvements. There were additional tour stops to describe issues that are still under review and to gain the benefits of discussion with the large group of keenly interested visitors who are all experienced warehouse operators.
