A Lesson in Giving

The students' gratitude gave Rosser a warm and fuzzy feeling, but he says he believes that working with educators to transform learning environments is good for business too. Several small companies make furnishings for a specific segment of the market, but Virco is the only manufacturer that competes with Sagus in every area. "It helps us differentiate ourselves from our competitors. If we're fulfilling the needs of education, we should be able to design products that are more effective in that market," says Rosser.

J.V. Martin remains Rosser's top priority. He is working with the South Carolina Department of Education to plan and raise money for a new facility, with a school opening scheduled for the fall of 2011. The custom furniture will be transferred to the new school. "When I finish my career, this will be one of the highlights," says Rosser. "The spirit fueling the reinvention of J.V. Martin should characterize education reform across the nation." By the same token, a little reinvention never hurts a company either.