By Scott A. Heintzelman

I’ve been trying to profile companies that we work with that “get it” when it comes to leadership, employee engagement, and business success.  Although McKonly & Asbury doesn’t audit publicly traded companies, we do have a number of publicly traded companies that we serve with our tax and consulting segments. Something I have learned is that you don’t have to be a small, privately-held company to understand the value of building a culture of service.  A great example of that is Hersha Hospitality.

Hasu and Hersha Shah founded Hersha Hospitality (NYSE: HT) by purchasing and managing small investment properties and motels.  They’ve since grown to over 75 hotels across the Northeastern United States.  Chances are if you’ve visited a major metro area in the northeast you’ve stayed at a Hersha hotel. 

As they’ve grown from what was literally a family business of Mom, Dad, and two sons, to a multi-state hotel conglomerate, they’ve stayed grounded by remembering their culture and their dedication to service.  Every week, Mr. Shah serves lunch for his team in the corporate office, sharing his Indian heritage with excellent food, and also illustrating servant leadership by feeding his employees by his own hands.  What a perfect metaphor for the importance of service.  For a company that’s made its way in hospitality, I can’t think of anything more fitting.

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“Mr. Shah exemplifies the servant as a leader and his approach to leadership serves as an inspiration to each of us,” said Mike Gillespie, Chief Accounting Officer.  “The servant-leadership approach to running our business is woven into the fabric of Hersha Hospitality’s culture.  It’s one reason we look to work with companies, like McKonly & Asbury, that share a similar approach to service.”

Hersha has shown their ability to grow and prosper and not lose sight of what got them there.  For a company that has achieved the American Dream, this is a great story about not forgetting your roots.

This is an organization that “Gets It.”