Chad Ritterbusch
President
The Ritterbusch Group, Inc.
125 N. Executive Dr., Suite 302, Brookfield, WI 53005
Industry: Marketing services
Family: wife, Melissa and five children
What was the smartest thing your company did in the past year?
“Invested in our people and client relationships. We have always taken a long-term approach with our employees and clients. Whenever possible, we want to partner over the span of time, riding out the highs and lows together. This has helped us grow through the recession.”
What’s new at your company?
“We continue to expand our website and graphic design resources. We also expanded our office earlier in the year.”
Do you plan to hire any additional staff or make any significant capital investments in your company in the next year?
“Yes.”
What will be your company’s main challenges in the next year?
“Balancing growth and profit. Expanding our service offerings to better support our clients but doing so in a strategic way. We’re looking for sustained, profitable growth and don’t want to add staff or services that have to be dropped a year later.”
What’s the hottest trend in your industry?
“Social media and mobile communications devices. They have totally transformed how we live and work but the effect on particular businesses varies. For some of our clients, these technologies are transformative. For others, these changes have made little difference, at least so far.”
Do you have a business mantra?
“It sounds trite, but partnerships and relationships matter more than ever.”
From a business standpoint, who do you look up to?
“I had a terrific mentor during the first part of my career in Chicago. Not once in nine years did I ever see him compromise his integrity. He showed me that business leaders could do good even as they try to do well.”
What was the best advice you ever received?
“I’ve received a lot of good advice but one piece that has stuck is that business (and marketing for that matter) is about trade-offs. Realizing that business decisions are rarely as neat and tidy as much of what we read is somewhat liberating.”
