A Chat With Dennis Garvey, chief operating officer, U.S. Cavalry
CS: What is your current biggest business challenge and how do you plan to resolve it?
DG: Maintaining the growth. We’ve been able to attain some pretty incredible things based on the expectations that we’ve set up to this point. Every year it gets harder. We’ve got competitors out there who constantly are challenging us. We’re constantly looking at trying to capture new customers. Getting new customers, capturing new business, and expanding into new markets is always going to be a challenge. Our biggest challenge really is trying to find the best people possible. You’ve got to have the right people on the team. Find the best and brightest and motivate them to help take the company forward.
CS: What about the business appeals to you?
DG: I love the customers. That’s first and foremost. It’s a great customer group to serve. In my mind, there’s no better people out there than military and law enforcement folks that serve their country or community and put themselves on the line for other people. To be able to try and do something for that group, for me, and to have that be part of my everyday life, is a great thing. Being out of the military for several years, it’s reconnected me with a lot of the issues facing military.
CS: What’s your definition of success?
DG: From a business perspective, sustained growth, profitability, and providing a place where employees and members of the organization can come and feel challenged. At the end of the day, it can be a great place to work, but if it doesn’t make money, it doesn’t survive. When we look back at where Cavalry made its mistakes and got into trouble, those are things we don’t want to repeat again.
CS: And you’ve obviously taken steps to get there.
