Stokes named Smart100 recipient
— Pella’s K.C. Company CEO recognized as one of Greater Washington’s thought leaders —

Beltsville, Md., February 16, 2009 – K.C. Company, a member of the Pella® Window & Door direct sales network, announced today that CEO Stan Stokes is named to the Washington SmartCEO magazine 2009 Smart100 program. Stokes joins an exclusive group of 100 CEOs recognized by an independent selection committee for exceptional leadership, strategic vision and character.

“As we move forward in this challenging economy, our company is focused on building the most valuable element of any business – our people,” said Stokes. “I am honored by the recognition from SmartCEO because it’s an opportunity to talk about leadership for our company. The deeply rooted culture of coaching team members to make empowered decisions and “do the right thing” is a fundamental ingredient of our success at K.C. Company in achieving customer satisfaction and employee retention.”

Stokes has been at the helm of K.C. Company since 1996. He manages and motivates a total of about 160 team members in eight K.C. Company/Pella Window & Door Showroom locations. Prior to joining the company, he was vice president of sales for Home Paramount Pest Control Companies in Forest Hill, MD.

As a selected member of the Smart100, their successes, leadership philosophies, and character will be a source of education and inspiration for SmartCEO’s 17,000 readers month after month, year after year.

All Smart100 CEOs will be profiled in the 100-page annual supplement which will debut as the 13th issue of SmartCEO this spring. The Smart100 will also be listed on www.smartceo.com. The Smart100 companies represent a variety of industries including government contracting, information technology consulting, travel services, financial services, and video production. The average Smart100 company employs between 10 to 100 employees and generates $10-$50 million in revenue.  

SmartCEO magazine
Washington SmartCEO magazine is a regional “growing company” publication. SmartCEO believes that a “growing company” is really determined by the spirit, drive and dynamics of a company’s owners and managers, rather than by the size of its building, the number of its employees, or its sales volume. Each month, a variety of businesses in the greater Washington and greater Baltimore areas turn to the pages of SmartCEO for features, case-study advice and trend analysis, all with a uniquely local flavor. SmartCEO is read by more than 34,000 business owners in Baltimore and Washington.

K.C. Company and Pella
Established in 1931, K.C. Company is built on leadership. Its priorities include employing and maintaining a knowledgeable and dedicated staff whose primary focus is to build strong relationships with customers.

In 2008, K.C. Company became the fourth largest branch in the Pella Direct Sales Network. K.C. Company operates eight Pella Window & Door Showrooms designed to help customers make the most informed window and door decisions, and to provide professional support after the sale.

Pella Corporation is a leader in designing, testing, manufacturing and installing quality windows and doors for new construction, remodeling and replacement applications. Pella earned the U.S. Department of Energy’s ENERGY STAR® Partner of the Year award for windows in 2007 and 2008 for its leadership in manufacturing energy-efficient windows and educating consumers about them.