Business Success
1993
When AAON went public in 1988 it carried with it two of Zink's previous clients, Walmart and McDonald's. Norm would leverage one of those relationships into massive success and let the other dissolve.
During the late 1980s, Walmart was undergoing a period of tremendous growth. When Norm got through to the top man at Walmart he had a simple sales pitch—send over the toughest, smartest serviceperson he had for one day a month while Norm was redesigning AAON's product line. The pitch worked. By 1989, Norm had reengineered AAON's HVAC units to the specifications Walmart required. Eventually, Walmart dropped its three other HVAC manufacturers giving AAON 100 percent of its business.
The success with Walmart was tempered by the loss of McDonald's. In 1991, the restaurant chain gave AAON an ultimatum to drop its prices or lose its business. Norm didn't budge and McDonald's dropped AAON.
AAON ramped up its operation in the following years signing on Kmart, Target and Home Depot. Norm diversified his business by winning school contracts. By 1993, in its fifth year of operation, AAON turned a profit of $2.7 million.
Over the next 20 years, Norm's vision for AAON blossomed. AAON currently employs more than 2,500 people, operates three factories and is worth more than $2 billion.