Business students at PCC were part of a frank and honest discussion with the President and CEO of a large area business; about what it’s like to run a business.
Bill Keller of Stanion Wholesale Electric Co. Inc, headquartered in Pratt Kansas, joined the Principles of Microeconomics class on campus, alongside Business instructor Carol Ricke and instructor Jenny Egging of Modern Distribution Sales and Management (MDSM).
Keller focused on many topics, but the primary focus of the discussion outlined the win-win relationship between an employer and employees.
The win-win combination, according to Keller, is the ability for a company to both make a profit and treat people well. It’s not always an easy balance.
Keller discussed the difficult decisions employers have to make in different seasons of business, for example, in down times like the suffering economy of 2009 when Wall Street fell, the far-reaching fallouts from 9/11, and more recently, COVID.
Keller also addressed the vital importance of an intentional company culture.
Students participated in good discussion points and opinions regarding the different levels of government regulation in business, and recent talks in Washington about raising the minimum wage to $15 an hour. Not every business can roll with every punch.
Student Adrein Mcfarland gleaned a lot from the discussion and gave viewpoints as the daughter of a business owner, who also spent time working in the family business.
“It’s more rewarding to work up to those $15 an hour instead of just getting it because the government is making you pay that $15. My mom owns two restaurants and so a lot of what he said I liked because I know what it’s like to be an employer because my mom is an employer.”
Mcfarland is a senior at Pratt High School, taking the Principles of Microeconomics business class at PCC.
“I would like to see my generation and future generations more involved and to take classes like Economics and to know about politics and just to go talk to people in the business industry like Bill Keller and just to hear his perspective on how things work. I’m very concerned about the future of our country, so it was good to hear his input.”
Learn more about the Business and Accounting and the MDSM programs on our website.
Guest speaker Bill Keller, CEO of Stanion Electric 
PCC Student Adrein Mcfarland
