Career Planning That Keeps You Moving Forward
1st Internet Business
After selling Flx-i-Clean, a building maintenance company in 1999, Sam Harrell launched FlxNet, Inc. FlxNet, Inc. was an e-commerce solutions provider dedicated to the building maintenance supply industry, enabling individual suppliers to post their products in an electronic catalog for purchase by customers. The following represents a few highlights from articles published in industry trade journals that included statements from Sam regarding the new DOTCOM industry and its effects on the building maintenance supply industry.
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A heavy dose of e-commerce reality has thinned the ranks of a once robust field — and forced others to rethink business models
www.cleanlink.com, 5 Sept 2002
"Most of our competitors appear to have invested in the idea of making a lot of money over a short period of time by offering their customers specialized services based on an Internet technological solution," Harrell says."With this concept in mind, they would not only own the technology, but they would operate and administer the system, thereby, control their customers' interest, while charging for the service."
Viewed another way, these providers become a costly extension of their customer's operation, says Harrell.
Similarly, Harrell believes flxnet.com survived because it never was intended as a portal or online mall, but simply as a purchasing tool.
"I got into this business because I believed then that Internet-related business was the future," agrees Harrell.
One-Stop Shops
www.cleanlink.com, 26 April 2000
As Sam Harrell, founder of FlxNet, says, many distribution executives are confused about their options.New sites come onto the scene regularly, so it be hard to keep up.
www.cleanlink.com, 26 April 2000
As Sam Harrell, founder of FlxNet, says, many distribution executives are confused about their options.New sites come onto the scene regularly, so it be hard to keep up.
Plus, it can be easy to fall prey to the hype surrounding e-commerce (e.g., lower procurement costs, faster order turn-around, easily accessible product information, and the ability to sell to customers worldwide).Distributors who differentiate between fact and hyperbole surrounding the Web will be better off in the long run.
it be too early to say who the heavyweights are among jan/san portals.
Harrell claims the site has received lots of interest from the industry.Three wholesalers, 50 distributors and 500 buyers are signed up for the service, he says.The site allows suppliers to post their catalogs and buyers to order directly from their regular suppliers.This frees the distributor to focus on fulfillment and strategic prospecting, he notes.
Other features Harrell plans to roll out include supplier store fronts, an information clearinghouse, a network for requests for proposals (RFPs), and an auction feature to resell equipment.
Global Supply Net, a New York City-based e-commerce company, launched janCentral.com in July.The new site connects buyers, distributors and manufacturers to a variety of services, such as online auctions and closeouts, RFP functionality, master catalogs from distributors, a Web-based order-entry system, a virtual trade show, and material safety data sheet searches.
it be too early to say who the heavyweights are among jan/san portals.
...
we be not a distributor, we be not a member of the supply chain, but we connect the buyer, distributor and manufacturer to help level the playing field, says Sam Harrell, the site's founder and himself a former owner of a janitorial contractor.We mechanize the order processing and our members go off and do what they do best..
Harrell claims the site has received lots of interest from the industry.Three wholesalers, 50 distributors and 500 buyers are signed up for the service, he says.The site allows suppliers to post their catalogs and buyers to order directly from their regular suppliers.This frees the distributor to focus on fulfillment and strategic prospecting, he notes.
Other features Harrell plans to roll out include supplier store fronts, an information clearinghouse, a network for requests for proposals (RFPs), and an auction feature to resell equipment.
Global Supply Net, a New York City-based e-commerce company, launched janCentral.com in July.The new site connects buyers, distributors and manufacturers to a variety of services, such as online auctions and closeouts, RFP functionality, master catalogs from distributors, a Web-based order-entry system, a virtual trade show, and material safety data sheet searches.
Delta Maintenance News
www.deltagrouppr.com, 21 Jan 2000
Sam Harrell has seen both sides of the industry.As president/CEO of FlxNet , a web-based facilitator aiding both suppliers and end users , Harrell deals with upper management and business owners.
Harrell is a pioneer in the distribution field.An African-American working with predominantly white distributors , Harrell says
There is a growing recognition that ( the jan-san ) industry is really a business now , says Harrell.Ownership has become more sophisticated , and more women and minorities are seeing themselves as entrepreneurs ,
Because the industry has traditionally been filled with low-wage positions , business owners have to stress alternatives , Harrell says.
When the local economy is doing well , the janitorial business has to become aggressive in its recruitment , says Harrell.It has to become flexible in its hiring..
This can lead to problems , Harrell acknowledges.When the labor pool is limited , owners sometimes have to readjust their standards and consider applicants they wouldn't have in the past with criminal or spotty previous employment records.
It's always a fight to find and keep employees ,
Women managers
The characteristics of the custodian will change , though.
Harrell echoes the belief that benefits must increase in order to remain competitive.I noticed a turnover decrease from 70 percent to only 10 percent by introducing a health plan and an employee handbook ,
www.deltagrouppr.com, 21 Jan 2000
Sam Harrell has seen both sides of the industry.As president/CEO of FlxNet , a web-based facilitator aiding both suppliers and end users , Harrell deals with upper management and business owners.
Harrell is a pioneer in the distribution field.An African-American working with predominantly white distributors , Harrell says
There is a growing recognition that ( the jan-san ) industry is really a business now , says Harrell.Ownership has become more sophisticated , and more women and minorities are seeing themselves as entrepreneurs ,
Because the industry has traditionally been filled with low-wage positions , business owners have to stress alternatives , Harrell says.
When the local economy is doing well , the janitorial business has to become aggressive in its recruitment , says Harrell.It has to become flexible in its hiring..
This can lead to problems , Harrell acknowledges.When the labor pool is limited , owners sometimes have to readjust their standards and consider applicants they wouldn't have in the past with criminal or spotty previous employment records.
It's always a fight to find and keep employees ,
Women managers
...
The cleaning industry is similar to the technology industry in one respect, says Harrell.Once the Web site is developed , who maintains the site.The people who do are not developers or technologists.It's the same thing in the maintenance field.You can develop tools , but someone still has to apply them..
The characteristics of the custodian will change , though.
...
The jan-san industry will become very visible in the next few years , says Harrell.There is more building, more people, and the level of expectation is continuing to grow..The profile of the cleaning industry as germ fighters will increase ,
Harrell echoes the belief that benefits must increase in order to remain competitive.I noticed a turnover decrease from 70 percent to only 10 percent by introducing a health plan and an employee handbook ,
FlxNet, Inc. - Team - Board of Directors www.flxnet.com, 24 Feb 2003 -
Mr.Harrell, Chairman, President, CEO Founder's StatementFounder Samuel Harrell serves as President/CEO.
His extensive background in the jan/san and building maintenance industries, and network of established business and industry contacts enables him to identify and develop strategic alliances within the business marketplace as a whole, as well as within FlxNet's critical entry market of janitorial and sanitary supplies.
Mr. Harrell's 25 year background as a project manager and systems test engineer in the aerospace and defense industry, combined withhis experience as an owner of a janitorial company, has equipped him with the knowledge used to develop the flxnet.com e-commerce and e-business concept. During
his 25 years in the aerospace and defense industry, Mr. Harrell supported the first Joint American and Russian space mission (Apollo/Soyus).While working for RCA on a NASA contract at the Goddard Space Center,
he supported the first test flight of the Space shuttle.As a hardware test engineer for TRW, Mr. Harrell received letters of commendation from the US Army and Air Force, and other Government agencies for
his participation in the design, integration, and deployment of one of the most sophisticated military tactical systems ever developed by the United States. In 1989, using all that
he learned while working in the space and aerospace and defense industries, Mr. Harrell started a consulting company that specialized in small business development.In 1994,
he formed a small janitorial company that earned over $2.4 million in its first 3-1/2 years of operation.It was during the operation of that business that the properties that now represent flxnet.com were conceived.
Mr.Harrell, Chairman, President, CEO Founder's Statement
Mr. Harrell's 25 year background as a project manager and systems test engineer in the aerospace and defense industry, combined with
