Entrepreneurs' Forum of Greater Philadelphia

By: Brian J. Odelli

As 2012 gets into full gear, we all look forward to contemplating the promise that a new beginning brings. The same is true for the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia. As an organization, we reflect upon the past year with a sense of accomplishment. We pride ourselves as being the “go to” place where entrepreneurs, executives and business leaders can come together, gain valuable educational content on business issues that affect us all and make new friends through great networking. Our panel discussions with some of the region’s top business leaders have provided us with an inside look at the characteristics that make someone successful. The Board of Directors and I hope that you came away from our meetings with new and helpful information which can be implemented into your business and that it may, in some way, lead to continued success in 2012.

The Entrepreneurs Forum views 2012 with great optimism. Building upon the momentum laid by past President Bob Leib, the Forum’s current President, Phil Jaurigue, has big plans for our organization. While Bob and Phil come from different industries, they share many similarities. Both men are tremendous human beings. Both men have a profound respect for family, their customers and their employees. Jaurigue, Leib and their companies have achieved consistent success for many years. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Phil to discuss his plans for the Forum. “Over the next 12 months I would like to share with the Board, our sponsors and attendees, the experiences of bootstrapping a business and how many transformative episodes you will experience while growing a business.” If anyone knows the trial and tribulations of growing a successful business, it is Phil Jaurigue. “In life, the determination to succeed may be as much about survival as pure business acumen”, said Jaurigue.

Phil’s journey into business actually begins upon his graduation from the University of Notre Dame with a degree in Finance. My curiosity gets the better of me and so I asked Phil, “How does someone with a Finance degree end up embarking on a career in defense technologies?” “After Notre Dame I went to work for Computer Sciences Corporation (CSC) as a project financial analyst on the AEGIS Cruise & DDG Destroyer systems. When the project I was working on started winding down, I started writing project pricing software. Apparently I came out of Notre Dame with some programming skills I didn’t even know I had. In essence, I started writing software programs so that I wouldn’t lose my job," said Jaurigue. Phil’s ability to adapt was not lost on the powers that be at CSC. “Eventually I was recruited by the “tech” folks at the company to write tactical command and control software. He moved from supporting surface systems to aviation at the Naval Air Development Center in Bucks County. It was during this period when Jaurigue returned to the “business side” of things.   “I started working on project and financial management software systems. This is where I cut my teeth as a business executive. After about six years a customer said, “You’re really good at what you do. Why are you working for someone else?” It was at this point that I came to the realization - The time had come for me to take a chance and do it on my own.”

In 1989 Jaurigue started Sabre Systems with 4 employees. A few years later, the young company and its leader faced their first major challenge. “The Navy base we were supporting closed and the operations moved 200 miles south to Maryland.” It was a true inflection point for the company. Quitting when things get tough is always easy. The difficult decision is always how to keep going when adversity strikes. Anyone who has embarked on the noble business of entrepreneurship knows that setbacks are a given. The question is not if adversity will strike, but only when. Being an entrepreneur is not for the faint of heart. In my humble opinion, when someone decides to leave the safety of a steady paycheck behind for the “uncertainty and unlimited opportunity” that being a business owner brings, they should receive a plaque that reads, “Entrepreneur – Thick skin required.” Phil Jaurigue, Founder and CEO of Warrington based Sabre Systems, Inc knows a thing or two about adversity and having a thick skin. “Growing up a Filipino in Philadelphia, I was always the “different kid”, so I had two choices, either stick up for myself or get picked on a lot. I chose the former.” Those years taught Jaurigue how to be tough. He has carried that toughness into business. The success which Phil and Sabre Systems have experienced has not come without a steep learning curve however. “Looking back in hindsight, that experience, while extremely stressful at the time, proved to be one of our greatest learning lessons. It required us to go back to the drawing board and take a hard look at who we were as a company. We refocused ourselves, refocused our game plan and re-branded the company to address the changing landscape.”

Sabre was experiencing a paradigm shift that required new thinking in order to survive and thrive. After the Cold War, there were a number of military base re-alignments which, similar to today, moved business out of the Philadelphia region. “Rather than fight the decision, we made the strategic choice to embrace it. As a management team, we concluded that we would need to make “new friends” in the Patuxent River area. We would travel to Maryland and meet with Navy officials on a very regular basis. I even got an apartment there and keep one in Annapolis currently. Out of that potentially negative experience came one of our largest operations.” Sabre Systems employs roughly 350 employees throughout the Maryland region today. “Since then, our growth has been organic, but future growth will also be through acquisitions. Over the last 22 years, we have had to make significant changes to our business model. If success is your goal, transforming yourself and your company as the business climate changes is a necessity," said Jaurigue. While there have been many times when adversity has presented itself, the mental strength and fortitude rooted in his childhood, have helped Jaurigue persevere.

The New Year will likely bring additional challenges for the business community throughout the Philadelphia region. The EFGP is fortunate to have a nine time Philadelphia 100 winner and battle tested leader like Phil Jaurigue at the helm as we navigate through rough waters. No matter what the year brings, the Entrepreneurs Forum of Greater Philadelphia stands ready to help you and your companies meet those challenges head on.   Make 2012 a great year!