How to Run a Company

When running a corporation most Presidents know that best way to do so is to be hands on, know your company and industry, and have a good rapport with your subordinates. At Phoenix Building Solutions, Tom Hennings came into the role as President and COO from the plastics and automotive industry. Phoenix was a modular construction company. How does one who spends their entire career in the plastics industry working around injection molds, jump into architecture and construction? The answer is very simple Tom's wife is an interior designer as is his daughter, and he has another daughter that went to college for architecture. Since his family was in the design business Tom considered himself an expert at design and construction. 

When it came to being hands on within the company Tom Hennnings certainly was that, as he constantly tried to micro-manage every facet of the corporation; that is when he was at the facility. Tom tried to instructed purchasing, manufacturing, sales, engineering, marketing, and even the receptionist how to do their jobs. He just could not let a single person with the experience and knowledge, do their job the way it was suppose to be done. Thankfully, Tom choose to only work one day a week, and that was usually on Monday or Tuesday.

When came to fostering good rapport with his employees Tom Hennings lacked severely in this area, as he was despised by almost all within the company except for select few who choose to gravel at his feet sucking for a raise in wages. The common reason for most employees to dislike this man was his rude, and dishonest behavior. Tom would not speak to most employees unless they spoke to him, and if he disliked you, he would not even look at you. Tom had an overbearing and demanding personality which encapsulated a man that was always correct and never made mistake in his life. He would lie to your face, and twist your words in conversations with others to get results or answers he wished to hear. His rudeness went beyond his verbal gestures to the way he treated his environment. Tom would eat lunch, leave his trash, or dirty dishes for his employees to dispose of. What is even worse was Tom's bathroom habits, as the man would constantly stop up the toilet, and even defecate on the seat. Tom never made any attempts to unplug or clean the toilet, instead the employees that entered the restroom would discover the bonus left by the President of Phoenix. Shouldn't we all feel so special if ever receive such a bonus from a corporate President.

Restructuring Sales

Tom Hennings came into Phoenix Building Solutions in early 2007 determined to change the way not only the company formally known as Benchmark Homes did business, but also how the modular construction industry did business. Tom believed he was setting out to restructure, add personnel, and create a forward thinking approach to sales at Phoenix. Unfortunately for Phoenix and its personnel, all Tom Hennings did was pull the pin on the grenade and forget to throw it.

Tom Hennings began his assault in March of 2007 by adding two sale associates, but by July 2007 the two sales associates had been terminated by Tom. The sales team at this time currently consisted of one full-time sales person, who was bringing 99% of all of Phoenix Building Solution’s orders. The other 1% of the sales was brought in by a part-time sales/Executive Director, Tom Hennings, Ed Fanning, or Nick Jevic, but in reality these sales were mostly either sales by friends or themselves.

By late 2007, Phoenix had failed to honor any of their financial commitments with the lone Sales Person, who was keeping the capital coming into the company. When confronted by the sales person, Tom Hennings, rejected their claim, and had convenient Corporate President memory by stating that he had no recollection of any and all conversation about financial commitments. Tom Hennings continued his lie about not knowing anything about, or having ever said Phoenix would honor the commitments for months.

 By November 2007, the altercation between the two came to what Tom Hennings thought was a close, when he abruptly terminated the companies one and only Sales Person over the disagreement. To make matters worse Tom Hennings could not even face the Sales Person to their face to fire them, instead choosing to cower behind an email. To make matters worse this sales person had just recently had child, and was only after what was rightfully theirs. Monetary Compensation for their employment. Unfortunately for Tom Hennings, this story had another chapter waiting to written.

A Multi-Family Code of Ethics

Tom Hennings, the preverbal God of all Knowledge, instructed his employees to start production on a Multi-Family residence that violates Indiana State Building and Fire Protection Codes. In December 2008, Phoenix Building Solutions and Tom Hennings were informed by the State of Indiana Building Code Enforcement Agency that the plans submitted and approved by the state were not compliant with fire protection codes as intended to be constructed by Phoenix Building Solutions. The Multi-Family residence for Lawrenceburg, Indiana would have to be altered to meet residential code or be submitted under Indiana Commercial Code for approval.

Tom Hennings and Pheonix’s plan was to construct the six unit complex as total of four modular units. Each modular would contain ¼ of three living units. The model plan was however approved by Indiana to be constructed as six living units for a total of twelve modular units. Tom Hennings choose to ignore the State of Indiana, citing that he believed the state was incorrect and Phoenix’s plans were acceptable per code. No, contact was made with any state agency to attempt to adhere to Indiana State Building Codes, nor did Tom Hennings have any written confirmation that Phoenix was compliant with state codes. Tom Hennings never told the client that the product being produce was a potential liability due to lack fire protection and violation of state codes.

The production began on the product and Phoenix accepted two installment payments from the client before production. On December, 21 2008, production of the client’s multi-family projected halted to produce a home for the Chairman of Phoenix Building Solutions, Ed Fanning.  On January 5, 2009, Phoenix Building Solutions ceased and suspended all operations. The partially completed and partially paid for Multi-family product sets dormant on the production line inside the locked and abandoned factory. This was another shining example of deceit, betrayal and theft committed by Tom Hennings and Phoenix Building Solutions against their clients and employees.