At an early age, Chris Torrioni would find himself daydreaming out the window of many classrooms. If something wasnt highly interesting to him, it was difficult for him to focus, and on the flip side, if he found something that he loved to do, he was obsessed with it. If you had met me as a kid or even a college student, I would say I didnt fit the mold as someone who would start a company one day, he said. The older I get and the more I have learned about typical entrepreneurship character traits, the more it all makes sense.
After spending three years working for a small parts distributor after college, Torrioni found his entrepreneurial spirit and founded Sensible Micro Corporation at 28. Driven by an entrepreneurial spirit, I dedicated all my spare time to prospecting and devising creative ways to engage with customers meaningfully, he said.
Sensible Micro Corporation is a distributor and supply chain solutions provider of semiconductors and related electronic components. When Torrioni first launched the company, he ran the sales department, handled purchasing and inspection protocols, and assumed shipping and receiving duties. I learned a lot and was extremely beneficial in understanding all the key roles and what success looked like within those roles, he said.
Under his leadership, the firm built out one of the most advanced anti-counterfeit and inspection labs in the industry back in 2012. Sensible Micro was named to the Inc. 500 list, was a finalist for the Tampa Bay small business of the year award, and made the Tampa Bay Business Journals fast 50 list.
Quality has always been one of the most precious character traits that guided Sensible Micro in getting started, especially during the first ten years, said Torrioni. We were one of the first companies in the industry to adopt a counterfeit component testing plan, obtaining the CCAP-101 certification, the first ever released in the industry.
As a leader, Torrioni said that he thinks most people, regardless of their title or status within an organization, want to be part of something special.
In my experience as a leader, creating and casting vision to the team not only provides clarity on company direction but also builds excitement within the culture and bonds the team together toward a shared purpose, he said. In this day and age of constant distraction, team members must understand what winning looks like in their role and how to achieve it.
