Safely Ahead of the Game

So, within two weeks of showing interest in purchasing the company, to engage Safeco employees in the deal, Longo visited each of Safeco's seven regional offices, learning all employees' names in the process. Starting a month before the deal and continuing for a month afterward, he flew Safeco employees up to Northern Safety's headquarters to see how the company was run. He also held strategic planning sessions in Fort Lauderdale, Fla., for management on both sides. In short, "We really rolled out the red carpet for them," Longo says.