Track Record : Duarte Firm Earns a Berth at Olympics

Tom Lubanski, president and co-owner of Peterson Systems in Duarte, has big goals for his small urethane-processing company. He used his track record and some creative thinking to win a major contract to supply cable protectors for the 1996 Olympics in Atlanta. Lubanski was interviewed by Karen Kaplan.

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We buy raw chemicals and convert them into a synthetic rubber called urethane to make products like roller-skate wheels and bumpers. One of our main product lines is cable protectors for the entertainment industry. They are sturdy so that vehicles can drive over them without damaging the cables inside.

When Atlanta was chosen to host the Olympics, we saw a business opportunity. We had worked on some large projects before, so we decided to go after a contract with the International Olympic Committee.

With a major event like the Olympics, you have to contact the organizers far in advance. It’s a long, drawn-out process.

Two years ago, we sent away for a package on how to become a vendor for the Olympics. We had to fill out a bunch of paperwork describing our company and our products. About every three months we’d make a follow-up call to check on the status of our application.

After about a year, they told us they were interested in our product. We sent them more detailed information and flew a company representative out to Atlanta. That visit was important because it helped set us apart from our competitors. We learned in February that we would become the preferred supplier for more than 15,000 feet of cable.

We knew we could complete the project. Even though we’re small, we’ve landed decent contracts in the past with the military and with large utility and manufacturing companies, so we never lacked confidence. I think it was our track record that sold us to the Olympic committee.

We also put together a unique financing program that included some trade-in and leasing options, and that made our proposal more competitive.

Don’t presume that just because your company is small that you can’t land a big contract. Of course, you don’t want to get in over your head. But if you do some brainstorming, creative ideas will come to you to help you accomplish some very good goals.

It also helps to get input from people who have experience with the kinds of big contracts you’re going after. We often get advice from members of our board of directors who worked for much larger companies.

We’ve also hired consultants to help us with our marketing, engineering and manufacturing. These experts can suggest ways for us to improve and move forward. It helps you compete with the big guys who have their own experts in-house.

People who have been there before can give you insights it would take you years to acquire the hard-knocks way.

On steps they took to land the contract at the Olympics . . .

“About every three months we’d make a follow-up call to check on the status of our application . . . and flew a company representative out to Atlanta.”

On how small companies can compete for big projects . . .

“If you do some brainstorming, creative ideas will come to you to help you accomplish some very good goals.”

On the advantages of hiring consultants . . .

“These experts can suggest ways for us to improve and move forward. It helps you compete with the big guys who have their own experts in-house.”

AT A GLANCE

Company name: Peterson Systems

Owners: Tom Lubanski and James Peterson

Nature of business: Processes urethane into cable protectors and other parts

Location: Duarte

Year founded: 1977

Number of employees: 20

Annual sales: Expecting $3 million