Productivity Training &
Solutions (PST, Inc.) expands services and goes National
– CRBJ Article April 2007
It’s
been over two years since Productivity Solutions & Training (PST, Inc.) was last
featured in the Book of Lists. What a difference two years makes! Since 2005
PST has exploded with new offerings, employees, affiliations and awards. When
Ingrid Tugwell, CEO and sole-owner of PST, was last interviewed her intent was
to expand into new markets through new offerings and she did just that and in a
BIG way!
PST
now boasts hundreds of certified trainers that can fill any training need
throughout the world, yes the world, with seven days notice. They have three
fully-equipped state of the art classrooms in Charleston, SC and travel the
world with a 16 station fully-equipped traveling classroom. PST has training
contracts in Arizona, Alabama, Texas, Louisiana, Florida, South Carolina, North
Carolina and Japan. PST utilizes a sole source for certified trainers through a
long-time business associate of Tugwell’s and it appears to be working.
PST has added IT
Professional Services to their General Services Administration (GSA) Schedule
which has allowed them to service military installations throughout the world
through awards of multi-year contracts.
Tugwell has become one of the top sought after motivational speakers and travels
the US speaking
to corporations and military installations on Customer Service, Time Management,
Emotional Intelligence,
Business Etiquette, Change Management, Conflict Resolution, Strategic Planning
and other topics upon request.
PST also facilitates team building events at various outside venues that promote
group activities
(40-50 participants per event) to reinforce processes, staff interactions,
structure and dependencies within organizations.
PST
became involved in the Workforce Investment Act in 2005 as a training partner
and also received
authorization to work with the Veterans Administration training those that
qualify for VA benefits.
These new offerings have brought PST a great deal of pride as they can work with
those trying to better
themselves and those trying to gain employment. PST has always been very active
in the community and
volunteers their services at various low country churches, schools and
non-profits, thus these programs allow PST
to further give back to the community. Tugwell personally devotes nine months
out of the year to coaching four youth
teams for the City of Charleston Recreation Department and firmly believes that
if you give anyone a chance you give
them hope and can change their life forever….this has carried into everything
she does.
Some of PST’s
accomplishments in the past two-years include their selection to become a
SC Launch!
Information
Technology Partner, affiliation with Charleston Defense Contractors Association,
Nadine Evans elected as President of
Association of
Information Technology Professionals,
Tugwell named to
Business Advisory Council
representing
SC businesses in Washington DC, multi-year award of
State of South
Carolina Training Term Contract,
Tugwell elected to serve on the Trident Workforce Investment Board, recipient of
Employer of the Year Award from
Dorchester County One Stop and recipient of Business of the Month Award by the
Charleston Chamber for North
Charleston. PST’s latest venture is certification by the International
Association for Continuing Education Units to provide
CEU’s to all course participants.
Tugwell believes that
PST’s successes are directly tied to her staff’s initiative and the enablement
of them to develop
and promote their own ideas and programs. This was evident when Evans, VP of
Operations, signed PST up for the
Workforce Investment Act Program and the Veteran’s Administration Program.
Poplin, VP of Training, followed suit
with various Project Management courses and programs to include project
management consulting for organizations.
PST’s latest venture
comes with the release of Microsoft’s newest operating system and office suite.
PST has been instrumental in providing custom-tailored
new features demonstrations and training that specifically targets business
users. PST is currently working with local companies to assist with their
migrations
through multi-hour demonstrations. Tugwell feels that this will be the biggest
boom in the training industry since the Windows 95 operating system and
Windows 2000 Server releases.
Tugwell speaks highly of
her staff and admits that without Evans, VP of Operations and Poplin, VP of
Training, she would not be able to do what she loves. “They and their staff
handle the vigorous process of making things happen with training and it is a
very in-depth process when you are delivering eight or more classes a day
anywhere in the world. They’ve done an exceptional job and I’m very fortunate
and thankful for each of our staff members and each of our successes and will
continue to be so as we continue to grow and face new opportunities.”
No. of Employees:
26 local/100+
World-Wide
Top Executives:
Ingrid Tugwell,
CEO
Nadine Evans, VP of Operations
Cecelia Poplin, VP of Training
Primary Services:
Certified
Application and Technical Training, Professional Development Programs,
Database Design and Consulting, Web Development, Project Management
Certification and Consulting,
IT Professional Services Support and Staffing, Migration Planning,
Implementation and Training and
Classroom Rentals.
Year Founded:
1994