ERG international,inc Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1500 words

ERG international,inc - Essay Example The case study of Environmental Research Groups International, Inc. (ERG) proffered issues pertinent to evaluating the overall business plan and future prospects of the organization given previous experiences. ERG is currently owned by spouses Claude and Sherrie Robbins, who both have been instrumental in steering the company from its meager beginnings as a two-person operating entity, to an organization spanning the areas of energy, natural resources, and the environment. With a just recently lost bid for a 5-year, $12 million contract for the Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Lab (NREL) technical services hotline, Claude Robbins remains optimistic of the future thrusts and prospects for the organization. 2. Executive Summary The study aims to present an understanding of facts and situations that need to be addressed given diverse areas that impact ERG’s operations. The paper would be outlined by initially presenting a summary of the business plan of ERG with i dentified objectives. Likewise, the discourse would delve into relevant details of the business including a brief historical background of the company, its products and its development and growth process. The company’s strengths and weaknesses would likewise be identified; including the main issues that currently face the organization. Finally, the factors that contributed to ERG’s success and the key factors affecting the industry, in general, would be determined, prior to discussing the proposed strategies that would be recommended to achieve identified goals. A. Brief Summary of Plan To achieve growth goals of increasing revenue and size, ERG plans to focus on using government and utilities as their target markets with large and mid-size contracts. The organization likewise plans to target the private sector through focusing on the top 1000 Fortune companies. ERG would offer services ranging from developing, managing, and evaluating demand-side management (DSM) prog rams, conservation programs, and alternative supply side options; as well as the development of innovative options for fuel consumption and improved technological efficiencies. The strategies that are planned to be used, as envisioned by ERG’s personnel are: â€Å"(1) creating a board of directors, composed partly of influential industry insiders who were likely to be aware of requests for proposals, (2) spreading out the marketing function by providing incentives to existing staff for obtaining future contracts, and (3) hiring a person whose sole task would be to solicit projects, with compensation tied to acceptance rate or profitability† (Winn 12). B. Major Objectives According to Claude L. Robbins, President of ERG, there are growth plans for the organization, to wit: â€Å"using government and utilities as a base, ERG would like to (a) expand our federal government contracts, particularly multi-year small business (and Woman-Owned Business) set-asides (which we h ave not actively pursued in the past), (b) develop long term consulting relationships with public and private utilities that are developing, managing, and evaluating demand-side management programs, conservation programs, and alternative supply side options (including cogeneration, and alternative fuels), (c) increase current work level for present client base. In the private sector ERG would like to focus on: (a) working with Fortune 1000 companies to develop energy efficiency and conservation policy as well as developing energy efficient buildings, (b) developing private sector industrial DSM and conservation programs, and (c) work with companies to develop/test new energy efficient technology† (Winn 11). As clearly indicated, the goal for the company is â€Å"to increase ERG's revenues and its size substantially over the next five years† (Winn 11). 3. History of the Business A. Background of the Company The company was originally formed by spouses Claude and Sherrie Robbins on Valentine’