As originally seen in New Jersey Business Magazine
This year marks the 30th anniversary of Coyne PR, a Parsippany-based public relations company that prides itself on its dedication to communications, its employees, and cultivating a fantastic work environment.
Tom Coyne, the company’s chief executive officer, has placed an emphasis on family and cohesiveness since day one, saying that one should not only enjoy what they do, but enjoy who they do it with.
In many ways, this philosophy has contributed to the long-term success of the firm, as Coyne has grown the operation from a solo pursuit, creating brochures in college to pay for spring break, into a more than $30-million company that has won multiple “Best Place to Work” awards.
“What is my business?” Coyne asks. “Nobody cares about my computers, my walls, or the car I drive. At the end of the day, my business has zero value with the exception of the people in it.”
Coyne’s goal is simple: find the best people that he can, and treat them fantastically.
“You have to be human,” he says. “One of the problems with a lot of people in business is that they forget that this is not about ‘me.’ It is about, collectively, the ‘we.’ If I don’t create a company big enough to fit [my employees] dreams, they will not stay in my company.”
Coyne goes out of his way to make his employees feel comfortable being themselves, and says that it is important to create an environment that allows everyone to flourish in their own way. He also encourages feedback and strives to give employees what they need.
“A lot of times, I don’t even know if the folks who work for me know what they need, so I try to anticipate it,” Coyne says. “I’ve even kicked people out of meetings and told them to go to their kid’s [sporting event], [for example].”
Coyne PR currently has more than 160 full-time employees, and provides a full offering of PR services. Some of its clients have included ESPN, Burger King, BMW, UPS, IMAX, Timberland, General Mills, and more.
In addition to the value Coyne places on his employees, the power and responsibility that comes with the industry he is in, communications, is not lost on him or his team.
“Communication is the multiplier that drives success – whether it is between two people, two hundred or two million people – and allows for collaboration and contribution toward a better existence,” Coyne says. “Everyone needs communication, and I really believe that communication can change the world.
“Our mission is not to be the best agency in America, but the best one to work for,” Coyne continues. “If we are the best place to work, we will attract the best people. If we have the best people, we will attract the best clients. If we have the best people and clients, how can we not be the best agency in America?”
