1. SAN DIEGO COUNTY'S AWARD-WINNING BUSINESS WEEKLY WWW.SDBJ.COMJULY 13, 2015
SANDIEGOBUSINESS JOURNAL
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T H E C O M M U N I T Y O F B U S I N E S STM
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As Seen In
Xerox Bought Co. and Bought Into Its
Management Style
SERVICE: Office Services
And Technology Firm
Boosts Revenue, People
n By EMMET PIERCE
MRC - Smart Technology Solutions has
doubleditsrevenuetomorethan$80million
since 2009, but President Bob Leone is most
proud of the caring culture he has built
sincefoundingtheSan
Diego-basedcompany
in 1994.
“It is all about the
people, showing the
people that you don’t
just want production
out of them, that you
care about their fam-
ily, their health,” he
said. “You build a connection with people
and guess what happens? They will walk
through walls for you.”
That same sense of caring applies to
customers, he said. “I am proud to have a
company that puts customer satisfaction in
the forefront.”
Although it was purchased by the
Xerox Corp. in 2009, MRC retained Leone
as president, along with his management
style. Leone stressed that he has had plenty
of help making the company a success.
“Ihaveanunbelievableteamhere,theloy-
alty,thecommitmentlevel,”hesaid.“When
you have been blessed in your own life, you
want to make a difference in people’s lives.”
Leonehasspentmorethan40yearsinthe
office equipment industry. MRC has offices
inSanDiego,OrangeCounty,LosAngeles,
Silicon Valley, Pleasanton, Hayward, and
San Francisco. About half of its 300-plus
employees are in the San Diego area.
The company grew by moving from
sellingcopymachinestoprovidingbusiness
services. The MRC website describes MRC
as the area’s largest technology and services
company that specializes in workflow solu-
tionsandofficesystems.Servicesrangefrom
document management to collaborative
communication tools and multifunction
systems.
Improving Office Efficiencies
The company’s focus is on docu-
ment-driven companies, such as health
care organizations, manufacturers, legal
firms, school districts and financial service
institutions.
Thegoalistoofferanongoingdocument
service package.
“We offer imaging printing digital im-
aging, document recovery, and archiving”
Leone said. “We have proprietary mapping
software we use to analyze a company’s
office system and assets. It determines how
the assets are used and how they can be
more efficient.
“We help companies engineer the way
theydothings,”hecontinued.“Theyachieve
better financial results. They improve office
efficiencies.”
Although the company has been pur-
chasedbyXerox,thecorporategiantallows
MRC to operate with independence, Leone
stressed.
“They say ‘Bob, just run the company
like you ran it when it was yours.’ It is a
greatapproach.Ifeelmoreresponsibilityto
deliver for them within when it was mine.”
Creating Priorities
“When you grow a company you create
opportunities for the employees,” he said.
“I layer that with a very aggressive people
development program.”
If your employees live full and balanced
lives, they will bring greater energy and
commitment to their jobs, he said. To help
workers achieve this balance, he created the
“MRC Padlock to Life’s Priorities.”
“We try to get employees to focus on
family first in relationships, No. 2, health
and personal development, No. 3, work,
and No. 4, community, philanthropy, and
Bob Leone
what are you are doing to make the world
a better place.
“Employee training is really the linchpin
at MRC,” he said. “Fifty percent of each
manager’s time is (spent) developing the
people. That is the No. 1 core objective in
the company. At the end of the day my job
is to create an atmosphere of success and
bringenergyandpassionintotheofficeeach
day.It’sallabouthowtoleadaricher,fuller,
more expansive life.”
A Personal Mission
Whenheisn’tworking,Leonesaidoneof
his personal goals is to help the homeless.
That’s why he serves on the board of Father
Joe’s Villages. “There
is a need out there,”
he said.
Leone also has
worked with Alpha
Project, a San Di-
ego-based nonprofit
that focuses on such
issues as affordable
housing, drug and
alcohol treatment, and employment.
AmyGonyeau,thechief operatingofficer
of AlphaProject,saidLeone,adonor,“has
abigheartforthehomeless.Hereallywants
to help with homeless issues.”
MRC - SMART
TECHNOLOGY
SOLUTIONS, A
XEROX COMPANY
President: Bob Leone
Financial data: Grew from $40 million in
revenue in 2009 to $80 million in 2014
Number of local employees: About 300
throughout Southern California, with about 150
in the San Diego region
Investors: The company was purchased by
Xerox in 2009
Amy Gonyeau