Ms. Billie Jo Wanink

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  Advancing Women in Leadership Journal - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/9/2001    Last Visited: 5/25/2005  

  Number 500 was Billie Jo Wanink of Interior System Contract Group headquartered in Royal Oak, Michigan who had sales of $13.2 million.

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  Concurrents News - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/17/2001    Last Visited: 5/27/2002  

  Founded in 1976 in Detroit by Billie Jo Wanink, now Chairman and CEO, iscg has become one of Michigan's most recognizable businesses.
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  Ms. Wanink and Louise Tucker, Partner and President, recently accepted the Best Places to Work in Southeast Michigan Honorable Mention Award on behalf of iscg.

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  Crain's Detroit Business - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/12/2002    Last Visited: 8/12/2002  

  Billie Wanink, Chairman & CEO, iscg"In the first five months of our ad campaign, we've gained four new customers who all said they saw our ads and called.The results from our ad campaign in Crain's definitely exceeded our expectations."

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  Crain's Detroit Business - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 8/3/2001    Last Visited: 8/3/2001  

  Billie Wanink , Chairman & CEO , iscgIn the first five months of our ad campaign , we've gained four new customers who all said they saw our ads and called.The results from our ad campaign in Crain's definitely exceeded our expectations..

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  Grant Thornton, Comerica Bank and Butzel Long Announce... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/7/2002    Last Visited: 11/7/2002  

  The finalists for the award included Susan Unger, senior vice president and chief information officer, DaimlerChrysler AG; Nancy Earnest, plant manager, Trenton engine plant of DaimlerChrysler Corp.; Tamara Heim, president, Borders Books and Music stores and Borders Online; Billie Jo Wanink, chairman and chief executive officer, Interior Systems Contract Group Incorporated; and Kouhaila Hammer, president and chief executive officer, Ghafari Associates, L.L.C.

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  ISCG Profile - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 2/1/2004    Last Visited: 2/1/2004  

  On August 26, 1976, Billie Jo Wanink founded Interior Systems Contract Group Incorporated, iscg, in Detroit Michigan, with a staff of two, offices of 500 square feet, and an investment of $5,000.00.
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  The company moved its headquarters, doubling its size, to Royal Oak Michigan in 1991 and in 1993 Billie was selected "Woman Business Owner of the Year" by the National Association of Woman Business Owners.In 1996 she received the Spirit of Detroit Award and in 1997 was named one of "Detroit's 100 Most Influential Women" by Crain's Detroit Business.
  
  In February 1998 iscg was listed in Working Woman magazine's first survey of the "Top 500 Women Owned Companies in America".Another highlight was receiving Detroit's "Today's Workplace of Tomorrow" Award.Recognition continued in 2000 and 2001 with the "Top 10 Best Places to Work" in Southeast Michigan and the "The 101 Best and Brightest Companies to Work for in Michigan" awards.
  
  In 2001 iscg hit record sales and by the 2003 year end will complete a major expansion and renovation of its Royal Oak Headquarters totaling over 11,000 square feet.
  
  Founder and CEO, Billie Jo Wanink, announced an ownership change in September of 2003.
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  Billie herself stepped down and Mary Ann Lievois became CEO.
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  Top row left is Mary Ann Lievois, CEO and right is Bob Martin, President - seated left is Billie Jo Wanink, Chairman of the Board and right is Louise Tucker

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  MBPA - MFBA - Women's Leadership Conference - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 9/13/2002    Last Visited: 12/2/2003  

  Billie Jo Wanink, ISCG

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  Office Solutions & Office Dealer - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 12/10/2007    Last Visited: 12/10/2007  

  "Customer service is almost more important than the product itself," adds Billie Wanink, chairman and CEO of ISCG, a full service interior design and contract furnishings organization serving the greater Detroit market.Wanink notes that customer service is something that begins at first contact with the customer.
  
  At ISCG customer service comes down to resolving issues."Even if we don't have an answer, we need to call the customer back," says Wanink.Many times that involves having the salespeople or the sales coordinator visit the customer."Our sales coordinators know the customer and installation as well as the sales rep," says Wanink.
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  "Our customers know they have 3-4 people they can call," says Wanink.
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  It's also not unusual for ISCG's president or Wanink to meet with the customer to find out how they could have done things differently."We make an effort to listen," says Wanink.

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  People on the Move - 6/13/02 - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 6/14/2002    Last Visited: 6/14/2002  

  In addition, outstanding achievement awards were presented to the following prominent business leaders in the community: William J. Lovejoy, group vice-president, North America Vehicle Sales, Service and Marketing for General Motors Corp. - Marketing Statesman of the Year; Timothy D. Leuliette, senior managing director and co-founder of Heartland Industrial Partners L.P. - Marketing Innovator of the Year, and Billie Jo Wanink, chairman and chief executive officer of Interior Systems Contact Group Inc. - Communicator of the Year.

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  Portsmouth Herald National Business News: Termination... - [Cached Version]
  Published on: 11/16/2005    Last Visited: 11/16/2005  

  Billie Jo Wanink, chairwoman of the Board at Interior Systems Contract Group, in her company's front lobby in Royal Oak, Mich., has had to deal with letting people go from her company and says she has a hard time doing it.
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  DETROIT - In her 30 years as owner of the Royal Oak, Mich.-based Interior Systems Contract Group, Billie Jo Wanink says few things have robbed her of sleep.Having to let someone go was one of them.
  
  "I don't think it ever gets any easier for anyone to let someone go," said Wanink, 60, of Bloomfield Hills, Mich., who has shown people the door at least a dozen times throughout her career.
  
  "It doesn't matter who it is.You know how it impacts them and their livelihood and their family situation.It's very, very difficult," she said.
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  Wanink, who is retiring and selling her business, doesn't remember the first time she had to let someone go but she recalls the most difficult example.
  
  The commercial design and furnishings firm that she founded in 1976 was growing quickly and she had to fire a favorite employee because the job had outgrown his skills.
  
  "Because of his dedication to the company and his loyalty to me, it was a very difficult thing to do," she said."It was very sad for me. He'd always been on time and went the extra mile, but as a small business you can't afford to hire someone new without letting another go."
  
  She tried to help him find another job, referring him to other companies they knew.
  
  "He took it hard," she said.
  
  As the years went by, she began to accept layoffs and firings as an inevitable part of business.As she gained experience, she said she honed her skills.
  
  "I learned early on that you can't go on explaining and explaining and explaining," she said."You have to give the reason but that you can't be overly wordy about it."
  
  She found that asking the person to leave right away worked best.His or her last paycheck should be in hand, along with any severance and any program to help transition into another job.
  
  Sticking around puts "a damper on the morale," she said.

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