James MagazineJames_July-August_2026_web - Flipbook - Page 45
relationships, good management
teams and good employee cultures,” he said.
That emphasis reflects Adams’
broader challenge as CEO: integrating organizations without losing
the entrepreneurial drive that made
them successful in the first place. “I
have tremendous respect for entrepreneurs,” Adams said. “These are
people who put everything on the
line every day.”
The balancing act— maintaining culture while creating scale—
may be one of the toughest aspects
of his role, he explains. “You want
to preserve the DNA that made
them great.”
DEFINING FUTURE SUCCESS
For Adams, success ultimately
extends beyond financial performance. He measures Grizzly’s future
against three standards: becoming
an employer of choice, becoming a
partner of choice for customers and
becoming an acquirer of choice for
businesses seeking growth. “If we
do those three things, the rest will
take care of itself,” he said.
Adams has spent more than
two decades in Atlanta and is now
establishing Grizzly’s headquarters
in the city he calls home. With deep
roots in the region and a growing
executive team, there is also a
sense of personal pride driving the
company’s expansion.
“I want to be wildly successful
in this market,” he emphasized.
Ask Adams what he hopes
people will say about Grizzly five
years from now, and his answer
circles back to a recurring theme.
Not growth. Not acquisitions. Not
valuations. Instead, he hopes people say something simpler.
“They did it right,” is the reply.
“We didn’t just accumulate companies. We built a truly high-performing organization.”
For a CEO who has built multiple businesses over his career,
that may be the most meaningful
measure of success of all.
James
James Magazine Online.
J U LY/AU GUST 2026
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