Jim Dunning, founder of QPC Services, never set out to own his own business. “It was just sort of the natural evolution,” he said.

QPC Services, a regulatory and quality consulting firm, focuses on risk management and remediation for small- to mid-sized medical device companies, supplement companies and ISO companies. Working both nationally and internationally, this company operates almost entirely virtually. Their international work is primarily in the regulatory application and remediation areas. “Our sweet spot is west of the Mississippi,” said Dunning, “because of our headquarters here in Arizona.”

The firm works with companies through the remediation process or in a preventative capacity, helping companies avoid regulatory distress from the start.

Dunning first launched in 2001. Since then the company has undergone a few evolutions, including a name change and becoming an s-corp. Today, more than 14 years later, it’s going strong.”I always wanted to make a company that I would want to work for,” he said.

Dunning describes himself – and his company – as high touch and high tech. “I’m a tech person,” he said. “At the same time, I’m a little bit old school; I like the person-to-person, eye-to-eye communication. I use these two opposite methodologies internally and externally.”

Each consultant interviews with Dunning before coming on board. And, if a client has any customer service concerns, they will have direct access to him. Something he believes his clients appreciate. “I want to make sure I’m taking the time to touch base personally with each client,” he said.

Looking over the last 14 years, Dunning admits there were moments when he questioned himself and the business.

“There were days I was certain I was going to fail. I can remember financially looking at things with sweat pouring off my forehead, but I was fortunate. I always treat people the way I wanted to be treated and that always came around,” he said.

“Failure,” he continued, “is something you need to be able to face. You need to be able as a leader to deal with uncertainty. We try to look as far as we can into the future, but we need to be comfortable knowing that we don’t always know what’s coming around the corner.”