Putting the byte on productivity.

• Position: Olin Broadway of Broadway & Seymour - People

Olin Broadway nearly flunked ninth-grade algebra, in part because he didn't see real-world applications for what he then considered "a lot of useless rules."

Today he's chairman of Chalotte-based Broadway & Seymour, a computer-consulting company, and he knows the importance of well-educated workers.

Rather than gripe about the poor state of American productivity, however, Broadway, 54, decided to do something about it. Says Broadway, "I kept scratching my head and thinking, 'Gee, there is a solution to this problem . . . and we ought to be able to find it.'"

In November 1990, he started the Salem Co., which uses computers to train workers in reading, math and other skills that can improve job performance. His partner is Cynthia Carlson, executive director of Queens Compute computer-training center and Queens Excel professional-development center at Queens College in Charl4otte.

They started the company with $275,000. (Broadway's portion came from the proceeds of selling one-fourth of his Broadway & Seymour stock.) By July, Salem had landed four clients, including Sun Chemical Corp. and Rand McNally Champion Map Corp. in Charlotte.

Rather than gripe

about poorly

educated

workers, Olin

Broadway decided

to do something

about it -- and

started a new

company to train

them.

Employers pick up the tab for the courses, which are specially designed for each company and can run from $400 to $1,000 per employee. Broadway says it has taken a few months for the company to find its...