Episode Transcript
[00:00:05] Speaker A: Welcome to the Clear Impact podcast, brought to you by PGTI University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sherry Connor, and I am your host.
Good afternoon.
[00:00:19] Speaker B: We are here on the Clear Impact podcast, and we are recording at Anlin windows and doors in Clovis, California. And we've had some really great conversations today, but this one's going to be really good because this is Jimmy Petros right here. So welcome to the podcast.
[00:00:34] Speaker C: Thank you.
[00:00:35] Speaker B: So, Jimmy, what is your title here?
[00:00:37] Speaker C: So, vice president of sales and business development.
[00:00:41] Speaker B: Okay, so tell us a little bit about you. How did you land in this spot? What was your career path?
[00:00:47] Speaker C: So I grew up on a walnut ranch and thought we'd be a farmers for all of our lives. My grandparents, when they immigrated to the country, bought the farm in 1913. So it's been in the family quite a while.
[00:00:58] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:00:59] Speaker C: Worked on that, and then decided I didn't want to be a farmer. Went into the workforce and landed at an airmark uniform services. Started out as a route guide, and then worked my way up and left there after 16 years, decided that's not what I wanted to do anymore. Got recruited to come into the window business by a competitor and spent 17 years there and just kind of moved into different positions. And the last position I had was national account manager, and I really enjoyed that, and it led a big team, and it was great. Got recruited to come over to work for PGTI at Amlin, and here I am.
[00:01:33] Speaker B: Okay, so post acquisition, and so you report to Jeremy.
[00:01:38] Speaker C: I report to Jeremy Flyn, yeah. So when I first got hired, I was reporting to Mark Maloney, who was our general manager at the time, and then some shifting and positions moved around a little bit. So interesting story about the acquisition and coming after the acquisition. So, prior to acquisition, I didn't know anything was going on, but Jeremy and I had a relationship for a while, and he's like, hey, there's a guy I want you to meet. So I met Mark Maloney, fell in love with Mark. He's a great guy. After the acquisition, they asked me to go to lunch, finished lunch. Hey, why don't you come by the plant? Six and a half hour impromptu interview.
[00:02:12] Speaker D: Oh, wow.
[00:02:12] Speaker C: Yeah. So, six and a half hours later.
[00:02:15] Speaker D: Wow.
[00:02:16] Speaker C: I left, went home, and a couple of days later, had an offer letter.
[00:02:19] Speaker B: So you didn't talk yourself out of a job?
[00:02:21] Speaker C: No, I couldn't wait to come to work here. When I saw the culture of the facility and met some of the executives here, it was just a 100% fit into my heart.
[00:02:30] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:02:30] Speaker B: No, it's very impressive. And it fits nicely with the PGT, the PGTI culture and PGT, obviously, the first company. I mean, it's very much that same partnership with the dealers, caring about the team, everybody's family. You do the right thing for the right reason. So it's very much like that.
[00:02:49] Speaker C: Yeah. And I was pleasantly surprised because I didn't know anything about PGT. They were in the east, I lived in the west, and I knew a little bit about Annlin, saw the culture here. It was just an anlin culture. But to understand what PGTI does, to be aligned with that, and they didn't change it. They were already there. Right. So it's just this great blend of two companies.
[00:03:08] Speaker B: Yeah, it's been really amazing. We've been wanting to get out here, so it's nice that we were finally able. You know, you and Dan and Bryce have been so hospitable and set us up in a nice corner office and spent a good chunk of the day yesterday and lunch and then dinner, and it's been really fun. So one of the things that I like to ask leaders is around advice that they've received. And so what's a really great piece of advice you received?
[00:03:32] Speaker C: Well, a lot, fortunately, I've been blessed to work for some great companies and had some great leaders and some great mentors. And I thought about this a lot, and there's 50 different things, but I guess if I could wrap it all into one. I remember back in the day, I was probably 22 or 23 years old, and a gentleman told me, Jimmy, don't ever do or say anything that you would be embarrassed to see on the front page of a newspaper. This is how long goes we still had newspapers then.
[00:03:58] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:03:59] Speaker C: Right. And if you really take that, it's never compromise your integrity and always treat people with respect. And then you could even get layered down past that. And that's how I've lived my life. And I've been very blessed to have some great mentors in my life. And that's probably the best advice I've ever received.
[00:04:16] Speaker D: Yeah.
[00:04:16] Speaker B: So never say or do anything that you wouldn't want on the front page of the paper or on Facebook or.
[00:04:22] Speaker C: Wherever this is newspaper. Back in the.
[00:04:25] Speaker B: Before Facebook, I remember newspaper.
[00:04:28] Speaker C: I'm old enough before cell phones.
[00:04:30] Speaker D: Right.
[00:04:30] Speaker B: Yeah, I remember those days. And so we had some time yesterday to kind of demonstrate some of the features and benefits of the university and the content that we're putting together for Anlin.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: How do you see that as a.
[00:04:42] Speaker B: Benefit to the organization know, I got.
[00:04:45] Speaker C: To say that I was quite impressed with the level and the depthness of the program. I think that our dealers are going to utilize it. I think our onboarding is going to be better. I think our training for our internal folks are going to be better. The training for our dealers is going to get top notch, and that's really what Anlin's all about, is providing the top level service and the top level products. And this just kind of just dovetails right into that. And let me show you what we do.
[00:05:08] Speaker B: Yeah, well, we're excited, and I'm looking forward to the feedback from the team. We're just like, I think this is what they need. We'll find out soon enough. So we're looking forward to that feedback and creating more content around whatever's needed. So it's going to be fun. And who knows? Maybe we'll come back out next year.
[00:05:25] Speaker C: Don't wait a year.
[00:05:26] Speaker B: No, but I don't like cold weather, so. It's already November. I'm a little nervous. And it was chilly this morning. It was like in the, was like.
[00:05:34] Speaker C: Okay, put it on your calendar. Come out in May.
[00:05:37] Speaker D: May, okay.
[00:05:37] Speaker C: That's when Yosemite waterfalls are the best.
[00:05:39] Speaker D: Okay.
[00:05:40] Speaker B: All right, I'll put that on my calendar.
[00:05:41] Speaker D: That's awesome.
[00:05:42] Speaker B: Well, Jimmy, I really appreciate your time and your hospitality and just thank you so much for opening up the space and welcoming us, and it's really great to meet you.
[00:05:51] Speaker C: Yeah, and I think it's great to meet you guys, too. And I really want to thank you for taking the time to come all the way out here to see what we're all about, and I think it's special and I can't wait to show it off to anybody that wants to come out. It's really cool.
[00:06:01] Speaker B: Yeah, no, it's been amazing. We're so glad we were able to come.
[00:06:04] Speaker C: Good.
[00:06:05] Speaker D: Awesome.
[00:06:05] Speaker B: All right, well, thank you, Jimmy. Have a great afternoon.
[00:06:07] Speaker C: All right, thank you.
[00:06:08] Speaker D: All right, take care.
[00:06:09] Speaker A: PGTI University is the customer education team for an entire family of brands. We began with the original easy breeze porch enclosure line, then became PGT, America's leading brand of impact resistant windows and doors. We then added CGI, CGIC, windor, western window systems, new south windows, echo windows and doors, anlin windows and doors, and our latest acquisition, Martin garage doors. We create products built to withstand major storms, keeping people safe, secure and prepared. Our exceptional brands give you the protection you need without compromising design or functionality. PGTI University is here to educate you, our listener, so that you can be a more informed consumer of window and door products.
