V. Dale Cozad Lecture in Entrepreneurship
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Michael Krasny founded CDW Computer Centers, Inc. in 1982 and served as its chairman until his retirement in 2001. A 1975 graduate of the College of Commerce and Business Administration with a degree in finance, Krasny started the company with a $3 investment in a Chicago Tribune ad selling his own PC to raise some cash. CDW has since grown to annual sales volume of almost $4 billion in 2001. Krasny now serves CDW as Chairman Emeritus on the Board of Directors. A FORTUNE 500 company, CDW offers complete, customized technology solutions for businesses, government, and educational institutions nationwide and is a leading source of technology products from companies such as Cisco, Computer Associates, Hewlett-Packard, IBM, and Microsoft. CDW is well known for the quality of its customer service and for its commitment to its 2,700 plus employees. Services include one on one relationships with highly trained account managers; telephone and online purchasing; flexible financing solutions; and lifetime 24/7 phone and online support from certified technicians. The company website, CDW.com, receives more than 91,000 unique users daily and generated $615.3 million in direct, unassisted web sales in 2001. The company also interacts with more than 54,000 business customers through customized CDW@work extranets. CDW was one of 29 companies recognized on both the FORTUNE 500 and FORTUNE’s “100 Best Companies to Work for in America” lists. In addition, CDW ranked first in its industry on FORTUNE magazine’s list of “America’s Most Admired Companies.” The company in 2000 also received the Torch Award for Business Place Ethics, a national award made by the Better Business Bureau. Read more:
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