Soho Magazine
January, 2009

Steve Iverson, the founder, president and CEO of Iverson Language Associates, comes from simple beginnings.

After earning his master’s degree in French literature, finding a teaching job in Milwaukee was difficult. So Steve and his friends began offering their language teaching services to local residents. Many of his clients required document translation services also, and thus, Iverson Language Associates was born.

Steve is a very down-to-earth man who works closely with his team to bring the highest quality translations to his clients. He lends his personal touch to every aspect of his work, whether it is speaking with his clients to find out their needs or bringing in the paper every day for 22 years. No job is too big or too small for Steve and his team, and he works very hard to provide business solutions that benefit everyone.

Steve has set up an excellent system to ensure that his clients’ needs are met consistently. With a team of project managers, translators, editors and quality control specialists around the world, each project is handled with the utmost care and attention to detail. Steve has discovered what works, and he plans on continuing down this same path – to continue to grow his business long into the future.

One of the key points that helps Steve add his personal touch to Iverson Language Associates is respect. He holds his translators in high esteem, knowing how difficult their job can be. He values each person he meets as human beings who face similar opportunities and challenges. As a small business owner, Steve has maintained a level playing field within his organization, without the strict hierarchies that can paralyze businesses into inaction. Steve builds a sense of empowerment into each member of his team, so they can be free to make the decisions – and mistakes – necessary to deliver on schedule.

Steve also ensures a high level of quality will be delivered to his clients. He accomplishes this by taking time to understand his client’s needs, by talking it over with the client at the beginning of the process. At various checkpoints, Steve will review the work done so far with the client, who provides necessary feedback. Recently ISO certified, Steve’s company has consistent quality controls that are executed every time, eliminating the need for lengthy revisions. Also, the majority of the translation work is done manually, without the use of translation computer programs, which are not completely accurate. Steve does not leave anything to chance, and he delivers accurately translated documents time and time again.

Recently, Iverson Language Associates agreed to a merger with Transperfect. Steve carefully considered this decision, and he realized that the merger would help his business flourish. As the sole owner of Iverson Language Associates, he was concerned about what would happen if the unforeseeable happened to him. In an effort to bring stability to his company, he agreed to the merger, which also opens new business solutions to his clients and their increasing technological needs. With clients all over the world, they now have local offices available to answer their questions.

When Steve was asked if he had advice for those who are looking to improve their relationship with their clients, his answer was good, transparent communication. Be upfront with the challenges you face, let your clients know what you can do for them, and deliver the goods on time, every time. This is effortless to Steve, who is naturally personable and cares for each person he speaks with. His warm, engaging personality has brought him years of success, and will continue to do so in the future.