Veteran executives launch center to share expertise

Like many executives nearing the end of their careers, the founders of The Center for Business Excellence are driven by a desire to share what they know with the next generation.

But even more critical than what they know, they hope to share who they know.

Tom Taormina of Virginia City, a veteran consultant on business-quality and the author of 12 books, says the new Center for Business Excellence seeks to open the Rolodexes of its three founders to businesses large and small.

Together, they have more than 2,000 high-level contacts on specialized subjects ranging from manufacturing processes to workforce training.

The Center for Business Excellence was launched by Comstock Pride, a coalition of three senior business executives based in Storey County:

Taormina, who learned quality control and analysis skills during a 14-year career at NASA before he launched The Taormina Group, a consulting and litigation-support company.

Charles Southall, chief executive officer of Omnifact LLC, an Oregon commercial intelligence firm.

Walter “Grady” Ferguson, a Houston-based aviation executive.

But in exchange for their willingness to open their Rolodexes, the three founders of The Center for Business Excellence require that their business clients make a commitment to what the center calls the “Apollo Business Model.”

That model, based on a vision of creating products and services of exceptional value, details the approach that clients must take toward their mission, processes, metrics and other standards.

The center contracts with client companies on a project-by-project basis.

“Every project has agreed-upon metrics from Day One,” says Taormina.

Founders of the center are talking with the Economic Development Authority of Western Nevada about potential partnerships. “We are fortunate to have experts like Tom in our community available and willing to offer their services to companies that may need their help,” says EDAWN CEO Mike Kazmierski.