A rule worth keeping.

Viogel Bros. Building Co., a contracting firm that is profiled in this edition of C&DR magazine, has a core philosophy that seems to be a recurrent one with many successful companies.

When CEO Pete Vogel was asked to consider what philosophy runs throughout his organization which has some 150 employees located in two states he cited the Golden Rule, which is commonly quoted as, "Treat others as you want to be treated."

Whether dealing with customers, co-workers or vendors and suppliers,

Vogel urges employees to maintain the rule as an operating principle.

Doing so can be much more than an attempt to stay on the good side of whatever spiritual power one believes in, and more than a way to ease one's conscience.

Over the course of years and then decades of doing business, it is almost certainly the wisest course of action. It seems hard to believe it's a coincidence that so many multigenerational companies profiled by this publication--and trade magazines in a host of other industries--include comments from second- or third-generation owners pointing to the same philosophy.

Profitability is an imperative and always must be. But profitability as considered on a per transaction basis can be much different from what happens over the course of time.

What "Golden Rule" companies may have going for them include the following:

* The ability to communicate honestly and openly with customers, sparing employees the confusion and possible danger of trying to "keep their stories straight" with different customers.

* The benefit of the doubt and goodwill that comes from having treated a customer well. Perhaps, as the investor prospectuses say, "Past results are no guarantee of future performance." But anyone who makes a purchase from a known and trusted source can ideally spend a little less time keeping an eye on that supplier and a little more time being productive on other job duties.

* A track record that a price or contract offered is solid and can be relied upon or used in a budget. In contracting in particular, too many customers have learned the hard way that accepting what seems like the best offer from an unknown quantity carries with it risks of surcharges, missed deadlines, etc.

Space permits only a snapshot of how Golden Rule companies distinguish themselves. But there's a good chance that readers of this publication have themselves experienced how sticking to such a philosophy, while not always easy, has in the end allowed them to earn both respect and repeat business.