Paul Kolada
About this Executive:
Name:
Paul Kolada
Company:
Priority Designs
Interview Topics:
Work:Life Balance
Region:
Region 1 - Central Ohio
Priority Designs is a company with a unique and refreshing outlook on life. Paul Kolada is the principal and owner of the firm. Paul believes in challenging his employees to work for a higher purpose than just routine business. He believes that, in doing so, people's work product will be better and their lives more fulfilling. In his own way, Paul captures the essence of the Ohio Promise - professional success is defined in the broader context of a fulfilling life. I decided to talk with Paul about the impact Ohio's business culture has on his company's efforts to create a global book of business and how Ohio's labor pool meets his need for creative talent.
Q: Ohio has made some changes to the tax structure to make it easier for companies to compete internationally. Has Ohio's business climate helped you in this regard?
A: We really appreciate any assistance we can get from the public sector to do business worldwide. Priority Designs has a number of clients and suppliers in the Far East. Strategically, we see serving the global market a key to future growth. Ohio's new tax structure promises to be a wonderful enabler for us. The fact that revenues generated outside of Ohio are not taxed is a great benefit. We have to invest money to secure more international business and if we had to pay state taxes on top, the margin would be reduced.
Q: You have created an extraordinarily positive work culture at Priority Designs. I know you concentrate on doing so through unique programs like sponsoring an annual derby car race. In fact, your reputation among industrial engineers as a desirable place to work is second to none. What role do you think location plays in helping you create an organization in which employees enjoy a good work-life balance?
A: I think creating a culture that values work-life balance starts at the top. I am committed to having it in my life, so it is easy to encourage everyone at Priority Designs to do so. The reputation we enjoy is because the people who work here are happy. Word gets out and professionals take notice. We often get inquiries about potential employment because people want to work at a place with top-notch professionals and feel great about the work they do.
I believe location plays a role in enabling people to more easily achieve a good work-life balance. If employees have a long commute, then they have less time to devote to the other parts of their life. Virtually anywhere in Ohio, in less than a 30-minute drive from work, you can live downtown or in the quiet of a rural location. You can choose the lifestyle that is best for you. Contrast this with working in New York City, Chicago, Los Angeles or any mega-city. You either sacrifice disposable income to live close to work, or you sacrifice time by enduring a long commute. Nothing saps creativity quicker than the constant grind of a bumper-to-bumper commute.
If your location is not conducive to work-life balance there is inevitably less time to create lasting relationships because they require an investment of your time. You're probably not as involved in your church or community. You're likely not volunteering and giving back through social organizations. You may not be investing the quantity or quality of time you want in building a strong marriage or relationship with your children. None of these things sound like things you'd want to trade off, so I think it is fair to argue that location must have a positive impact on the ability to achieve a good work-life balance.
Q: For your company to be a successful global player, access to quality creative talent seems critical. Are you able to find the caliber of talent that your clients deserve in Ohio?
A: Absolutely! Some of the world's best design talent is available in Ohio. There are several outstanding educational institutions in this state that produce exceptional graduates. Equally important, these professionals have core Midwest values of honesty and straight-forwardness and they tend to be unpretentious and extremely hard working. Two programs I'd highlight are the Department of Industrial, Interior and Visual Communication at The Ohio State University, and the College of Design, Architecture, Art and Planning (DAAP) at the University of Cincinnati.
We regularly have two students from the DAAP co-op program on rotation. This program is unique and, I would argue, produces some of the best, practical designers in the world. These are exactly the type of people our clients deserve: designers who listen to client needs and come up with workable and elegant solutions.
Ohio has an amazing labor pool of creative talent and a sustainable academic infrastructure to meet a company's long-term expansion needs.
Q: Creative people like to be inspired. Does Ohio offer enough creative stimuli to feed the soul?
A: Very poetic way of asking the question. The creative culture is definitely available in Ohio. You simply need to take advantage of it. In Columbus, there are some wonderful art museums and a vibrant local artist community. The Wexner Center is a fantastic facility that inspires you from the moment you look at the unique structural design of the building and continues to inspire with the art exhibits featured in its galleries.
Other assets include great off-Broadway shows, the Columbus Symphony Orchestra, and the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium with Jack Hanna as its Director Emeritus, to name a few. These all provide a wide range of stimuli for inspiring creativity.
Then when you consider Cincinnati is only a four-hour drive from Cleveland, you can select from such diverse things as the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center in Cincinnati, to Amish Country in Holmes County, to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland. We find our employees have no complaints about a lack of things to do with their free time. The best way to appreciate what Ohio has to offer is to experience it.