NSM lets ‘people’ lead

NASHVILLE, Tenn. – National Seating & Mobility held its annual symposium virtually in February to kick off a new theme, “It Starts With Us,” and to discuss its plans to empower, evolve and execute.  

The engine driving all of it: the company’s “people,” said CEO Bill Mixon during an opening address.  

“When we look ahead to 2022 and continuing our pursuit of becoming a strong-minded team optimizing the moment, what this means is, we are going to work together to learn from 2021 and find new ways to navigate and that begins with people,” he said. “People, people, people.” 

A nod to their tenacity 

In the midst of a COVID-19 pandemic that has affected the company’s ability to get products and maintain staffing, NSM’s “people” were able to increase orders 70% in 2021 compared to 2020 and to serve 300,000 clients, Mixon says. 

“(Employees) continued to show up to overcome the obstacles that were thrown in our path,” he said during the opening address. “(It Starts With Us) is a celebration of your tenacity and serves as a reminder of the many people who need a mobility solutions partner.” 

A nod to their need for flexibility 

NSM onboarded about 800 new employees in the United States and 150 in Canada in 2021, but Mixon says the company’s relationships with its “people” will “never be the same” – and that’s a good thing. 

“We have 350 people who work in our Chattanooga location, primarily in billing and collections, and they’re permanently virtual now,” Mixon said in a conversation after the symposium. “We are firmly of the mind that, in the next couple of years, there will be companies that get this and reinvent themselves and reinvent their relationships, and those that don’t. We’re doing this as we speak.” 

A nod to their diversity 

Among NSM’s efforts in diversity, inclusion, equity and belonging in 2022 will be a Women’s Resource Group, with plans for other groups in the works for veterans and other minority groups. 

“We’re trying to empower everyone to become a leader in some way, shape or form,” said Stephanie Buckley, vice president of marketing, in a conversation after the symposium. “If you empower employees, they will execute for you and help to evolve the organization.”