JC

"What we needed more than anything was to convince banks of our creditworthiness by delivering consistent financials. So JC and I began creating key targets based on the performance of our leanest and most profitable systems. After comparing results and noting basic measures such as cash flow, down to how many installers needed per mile, or marketing people per city, we set benchmarks for each new franchise we bought. JC was notoriously demanding. “If you’re off by even one percentage point, don’t even wonder—know you’ll be in my office to explain,” he told teams. He enforced the financial benchmarks with military precision, always setting a realistic but aggressive budget, then beating it. Poor performers were not tolerated."

"We started rolling up small and regional cable companies, cashing out first-generation owners, and at least initially, avoiding big cities where other big companies were fighting for franchises. JC and his team would go in, slash overhead, integrate management, and most times, increase revenue by 15 percent each year."

"“We’ve got to get a lot bigger,” I told Bob and others the next morning in his office. We needed to get bigger because the bigger we were, the more cheaply we could buy everything: parts, debt, and programming. Economies of scale bring costs down. And if we didn’t get big fast, someone else would—scale economics was going to determine who was going to survive. “If you can buy ’em and finance ’em, I can drive synergies,” said JC, instantly reminding me why I was grateful he was with us. From that day forward, we made a goal of rapidly growing through acquisition and organic growth."