McElroy Translation Turns 40
As McElroy looks to its next four decades, technology and customer service are at the top of our minds
Forty years. That's a long time to be around for any business. And McElroy Translation has been profitable in every year. As the company management and employees celebrate McElroy's big birthday this month, they also will be looking back at what made McElroy so successful and will be using those lessons to continue to innovate and prosper for the next forty years.
In 1968, worldwide sourcing of linguists who were subject matter experts as well for business translation was almost unheard. McElroy Translation's founder, Ralph McElroy, insisted on the practice and incorporated quality control metrics in the process, instituting what was to become an industry standard.
That was just one of the ways McElroy's founder instilled innovation and customer-mindedness into his company. McElroy has maintained its status as a pioneer in the translation and localization industry for its first forty years. In the nineties, McElroy was one of the first to use technology to manage translators—and when it couldn't find a system to buy, it built its own. McElroy also has been in the forefront of workflow processes and project management systems.
That legacy is not lost on customers who have been loyal to McElroy for decades.
Wanda Whalen of Procter & Gamble has been working with McElroy for 33 years: "We have grown with McElroy. Their turnaround has always been very impressive and their communication is stellar. They provide an end-to-end personal touch—that is one of the reasons we have been with them for so long."
As McElroy looks to the next forty years, it continues to reinvent itself and lead the industry. McElroy is working closely with technology innovators, such as Asia Online and Clay Tablet, to improve processes and explore new technologies, such as collaborative translation and crowdsourcing. Of course, customer service will continue to be a major focus as McElroy looks to the future.
But first—it's time to celebrate the last 40 years...
To kick off the festivities, Shelly Priebe, president of McElroy Translation, will attend an Austin City Council meeting on September 25 in which the council will present McElroy with a proclamation honoring the company's service to the Austin community and its economy.
The proclamation will then be followed by McElroy's own celebration recognizing its most valuable assets: its employees, suppliers, and customers. On International Translation Day, which is September 30, the company will hold a luncheon for employees, suppliers, and customers at The Austin Center for Architecture.
"We would not be where we are today without an ongoing commitment to customer service, employee satisfaction, and vendor relations," says Kim Vitray, vice president of operations. "We will celebrate those relationships at our special luncheon."
McElroy is also using the special occasion to celebrate its long history of philanthropy in the Austin area and beyond. Often the company offers pro bono services or collects funds for local causes. Just in the past year, McElroy has conducted philanthropic efforts for a host of organizations, including the Austin Children's Shelter, the United Way, the Identity Theft Resource Center, and the Ann Richards School for Young Women Leaders.
For the 40th birthday celebration, the company will collect $4,000 in donations and food from employees, suppliers and customers. The funds will be used to buy food for 40 needy families in the Austin area through Caritas of Austin.
"To celebrate the occasion, we thought it would be most meaningful to do the thing we do best—giving back to the community," says Tina Cargile, business development manager, Life Sciences division, and philanthropy coordinator. "And this is such a critical time for families in our area—in fact, the Caritas pantry is understocked due to increased need and decreased giving."
Finally, the company has decided to use the occasion to pass on words of wisdom from a company that has been profitable every year for the past forty years. The company's 40 Lessons Learned compilation is available on the McElroy website.
