Testimonials

Testimonials

Sportworks Northwest

Sportworks Northwest has used C.O.O. Services for three diverse engagements. In each case they have quickly perceived the core issues, the advice has been well targeted, and lasting improvements have resulted. Even between engagements it’s nice to know that deep experience and wisdom are only a call away when needed.

Eric Rayl, President
Sportworks Northwest

Catalyst

"Working with Bob King has been fantastic. He’s helped me and my company in a variety of ways. I first hired Bob to help create a strategic plan for our business. This was a great exercise and gave our management team the foundation of how best to execute on various initiatives ever since. Bob was also key as my “one person Board of Directors” when I was going through an acquisition. Bob helped on every phase of this deal including the contract, compensation, sell price evaluation and being my key negotiator. I could not have done this acquisition without Bob’s help. Bob is also just an all-around good guy and a pleasure to work with.”

Tom Havens, Founder and President
Catalyst

Clark Nuber

"I’ve known and worked with Bob King for many years. He understands how businesses operate and that people make businesses work. Bob possesses the gift of common sense, insight to business and people issues, and expresses his thoughts in clear, understandable language. He is also gifted in strategic planning. I’ve participated in several strategic planning sessions facilitated by Bob and all produced excellent, practical, effective results. And Bob is a man of unquestioned integrity If I were to form a board for my business Bob King would be one of the first persons I’d recruit.”

Bob Nuber, Chairman Emeritus
Clark Nuber PS

AA Asphalting LLC

Thank you for making [the] session so successful. I really couldn’t have hoped for a better outcome!

Marty Diklich, President
AA Asphalting LLC

Courts OnLine

When I decided to sell my company, I assumed a broker would be all that would be needed to help me locate a buyer and take care of the other details associated with selling. My assumptions were supported by many of the brokers I interviewed. 

Fortunately, I was introduced to Bob King early on in my business selling project. Before engaging Bob, he took the time to explain the process of getting to a successful sale. He told me that selling a business, if done correctly, involves almost every area of the company such as accounting, production, sales and others. I quickly discovered that the overhead associated with involving key staff in the selling process could nearly shut down my business at a very critical time.

What I really needed but, being a small business, didn’t have, was someone like a COO to manage the many processes associated with selling, so that the rest of management could continue to focus on running the business. As I learned, Bob had designed a professional services practice to assist companies like mine fill the need for the many tasks performed by a COO, but on a short-term basis. In my case, from locating a buyer to distributing the sale proceeds, Bob used his comprehensive business experience and hard work to make everything happen in a timely and mutually satisfying way for both the buyer and me.

My heart-felt thanks go out to Bob for helping me reach a successful conclusion to one of the most important projects of my business career.

Gary Vowels, Founder/Former CEO
Courts OnLine

John Pearson Associates

"I wish I could hang around Bob King more often—because he has such fresh insights that gently disrupt the comfortable same old/same old routines. He’s innovative, creative, and fearless. I’ve watched him in action (over several years) and when he speaks, people listen. He has an amazing ability to cut through the rhetoric and focus on the key issues. And he facilitates those critical next steps with superb brevity. I have learned so much from Bob and I am so grateful!"

John Pearson, Board Governance & Management Consultant
John Pearson Associates, Inc and author of Mastering the Management Buckets
"Thank you for all that you have done to shepherd the [sale] process. It was the best managed transaction I have encountered. I hope to work with you on another transaction before long."

A business buyer in 2017

Urban Hardwoods

"I engaged Bob King to sell my business. He did. That's the end of the story. What he did throughout the process amazed me. He's the cool hand Luke of M&A. Sharp. Honest. Quick to understand all aspects of the sale. His calm guidance to both parties, negotiating skills and determination to close a deal equitable to both sides are rare. Bob King is the man you want to sell or save your business. Period. "

Jim Newsom, Founder and former owner
Urban Hardwoods

Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center

Executive Life Coaching: Bob King brought his executive coaching experience to my life at a time of critical refocusing on several key fronts. His guidance, counsel, and insistence on healthy traction forward provided a rich combination of encouragement and accountability to guide my life as an Executive into a healthier place. I am forever grateful.   
 
Organizational Effectiveness: Within just a few hours and a few internal interviews, Bob King was able to focus in on key issues impacting effectiveness. He provided continued guidance with practical recommendations to move things in the right direction. The outcomes speak for themselves.  
 
Board Development: C.O.O. Services has provided key guidance to boards on governance that strengthens the bandwidth of the organization through policy and accountability that moves the organization in a healthy direction.  
 
Succession Planning: C.O.O. Services takes the mystery and anxiety out of succession planning. By describing what succession planning is not, C.O.O. Services guides organizations into a pattern of succession thinking and planning that becomes part the operating culture of the organization.  


Ed McDowell, Executive Director
Warm Beach Camp & Conference Center

3M

"Bob and I worked together for several years when he was president of a company that we purchased manufacturing services from. Bob dealt directly with us and he was always responsive, knowledgeable, and professional. He conducts himself with high integrity. During the times when we both faced tough business challenges, Bob worked with us in a collaborative manner to reach a win-win outcome. Bob is a sincere pleasure to do business with."

Jim Lippit, Manufacturing Manager
3M

Green Garden Foods, Inc.

Dear Bob,

I want to send you this letter of appreciation and expression of my satisfaction for your service to me that went beyond my expectation. 

When I asked you to come aboard and help me organize my operation, I envisioned a standard consulting relationship where you would observe, gather information and advise. However, your service to me was far from a typical advisory service. You quickly became a member of my management team and adhered to the strategic and market challenges at hand. Understanding now the shortness of time we had to operate in, this was critical to ensuring our success. 

I also appreciate that you were not swayed by my personal bias, but assessed the situation objectively before advising. Once we learned that our best course of action was the disposition of my business you effortlessly shifted gears and adjusted our strategy to accommodate our new goals. 

Selling our family business of 78 years was not an easy endeavor, but clearly needed to be done. Throughout the process you showed me sensitivity and understanding as I went through the process of letting go, as well as your leadership in areas that were challenging for me to be objective and clear minded. 

Our successful course of action had much to do with the fact I had you leading my team, and I look forward to recommending you to anyone I know who is facing a company reorganization and/or disposition.

Mark Hockman, CEO/Owner
Green Garden Foods, Inc

Green Garden Foods, Inc.

I had the pleasure of working in tandem with Bob during the process of a business sale. Without his expertise, strategic leadership and faithful guidance, the success of the company sale would not have been possible. Bob’s professionalism, integrity and graciousness made me want do my best every day and left a void in my day when the deal was done. Bob’s the BEST!!

Ingrid Lee, Controller
Green Garden Foods, Inc

Fischer Plumbing

"Bob is an outstanding human being with deep experience in both SALES & MARKETING as well as OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT. He is a quick study - can become effective with only a short investigation time. Immediately well-received by organization staff and creates no barriers to the fluid flow of information. He is very sensitive of his role as outside consultant, and very, very effective in his communications.

Very likeable by all parties but not shy about candor where it's needed. Guaranteed to bring high value to any situation.

I highly recommend him without reservation." 

Daryl Miller, Owner, CEO
Fischer Plumbing

Stoel Rives

"I have worked with Bob King in several different capacities over the last seven years and highly recommend him. Bob is a brilliant analyst who brings a practical approach to personal and corporate problem solving. He is thoughtful, listens well and works in a cooperative way with wisdom and utmost integrity. He is very highly regarded by his peers."

David R. Goodnight, Principal 
Stoel, Rives, LLP

Altify

"I have had the absolute pleasure of working with Bob on Long Range Planning projects. Bob is an excellent catalyst for getting groups thinking and then moving them to consensus and action. He has a real gift for getting to the core of the issues and then translating that into plans that all can embrace and move to results."

Matt Close, VP
Altify (formerly The TAS Group)

Ferris-Turney

"I engaged Bob to help me revamp my hiring process. With his assistance and guidance we have developed a hiring process using the "DISC Assessment", which he administers & interprets, as a primary tool. Bob helped me develop position specific “Key Accountabilities” from my job descriptions that then shaped the basis of position specific “DISC Benchmarks”. This hiring process has been extremely successful. As a result, I have been building a much stronger staff, and my business is growing nicely. I would highly recommend Bob – he has high integrity, sincerely cares about the success of his clients, and is very competent in his work. And, he is a genuinely pleasant individual to boot! "

Rod Ferris, Owner
Ferris-Turney

Greenwood, Ohlund & Co., LLP

Hi Bob,

It has been a pleasure working with you on two projects over the past few months. Your business knowledge and ability in assisting clients to receive top dollar for their business is very valuable. For most clients selling a business is a one-time event in their lives. Your ability to guide them through the process brings piece of mind with the knowledge that you are taking care of their best interests.

I look forward to working with you again in the future.

Chris Kindness, Partner 
Greenwood, Ohlund & Co., LLP

Twisted Pair Solutions

"I've engaged Bob's services on multiple occasions to work directly with me as well as with my executive management team in facilitating, coaching and consulting roles. Bob's "been around the block" and has built up a great wealth of knowledge, but also tools to assess, improve and position corporate strategies and operating plans. He operates as a confidant, using his experience and insights to tell you what you need to hear. He's helped me and my team by alerting us to issues in our business that were not getting enough attention, but also didn’t pretend to "know it all" (and was clear when a topic was outside his realm of expertise). I highly recommend his services to provide great "wingman" advice for a CEO/COO, but also a non-threatening, temporary addition to your management team to help them progress critical issues in your business."

Tom Guthrie, Former CEO
Twisted Pair Solutions

Coldstream Wealth Management

"There is not enough space on this document to express all of the ways that Bob brings value to the organizations and dialogue he is part of. I have been fortunate to engage with Bob on multiple levels and projects, from him being the leader of our C-3 Forum to his representation of a business I was interested in. Bob walks out incredible core values and builds upon such with many years of business and community experience. I have referred business owner clients to Bob that were facing potential transitions and I strongly endorse Bob and his ability to add value!"

Roger Reynolds, Founder
Coldstream Wealth Management

DSNW

"I can't speak highly enough about Bob King. He was a former colleague and most recently a consultant for our business. Bob helped us focus our efforts, initiated disciplines to help us monitor important aspects of our business, and was overall a delight to work with. I would say it is the best money we ever spent; a true investment in our business."

Rick Garlock, Owner, President
DSNW
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