Barry Simon

Barry Simon took the helm of Datamax Inc. at 31 and has led the company for the last three decades.

But Simon doesn’t like to take too much credit for his accomplishments, which include expanding the company from 16 people to more than 200 with plans to grow 5 percent per year over the next several years. The business technology company offers information technology and other managed services, as well as equipment sales.

He said that aside from goal-setting and striving for good customer service, one of the keys to the company’s development has been communicating with his people. “The biggest part of the starting of my success was being a good listener and realizing the potential in people and the ability to show them how to realize their goals and dreams,” Simon said.

Simon said he doesn’t like to stop at just talking. He said that his mentor, a former vice president named Dick Callier, taught him that the devil is in the details. Those details sometimes include going out with service technicians to see what they experience and putting yourself in all your employees’ shoes.

“He just taught me a lot about people and how to treat them,” Simon said.

Simon said he’s a believer in the “raving fans” philosophy, which promotes the concept of making your employees such boosters of your business that their enthusiasm rubs off on customers. He said he doesn’t want his employees and customers to just be happy, but to “really feel good” about their interactions with the company.

Simon said he also feels it’s “paramount” to be involved in the community. The company holds fundraisers throughout the year, including bingo and silent auctions, for various charities.

Simon is also the current chairman of the CARTI Foundation Board and has served on several other boards and organizations, including Riverfest, the Centers for Youth & Families, the Better Business Bureau and the Sales & Marketing Executives Association.

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