Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] Speaker A: Welcome to the Clear Impact podcast brought to you by PGTI University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sherri Connor, and I am your host.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: Good afternoon. We are here on the Clear Impact podcast, and we are starting a little intro with the folks from Mitre today. And sitting with me in the studio is Brock Snyder.
[00:00:35] Speaker A: Welcome, Brock.
[00:00:36] Speaker C: Yes. Thank you. Thank you for having me.
[00:00:38] Speaker B: Yeah, well, thanks for being available. This is half the battle, right? Is scheduling. So. Threw it out last week, and you're like, yeah, I'm gonna be in town. Let's do it. I'm like, okay, don't tell me twice.
[00:00:49] Speaker A: Here we go.
[00:00:49] Speaker B: So thanks for carving out some time. So you are the senior vice president of sales, but also chief commercial officer, right? Yeah.
[00:00:59] Speaker C: So actually, we do not have an SVP of sales.
[00:01:02] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:01:02] Speaker C: So I'm the chief commercial officer for Mitrebrand. So what that means is I get to support our sales team, support our marketing team, product management, and our customer care team. So, yeah, we have different sales leaders for our Milgard brand, our Mi brand, our PGT brand now and then, also for national accounts. So I have an opportunity to work with those leaders and then the other disciplines that I mentioned.
[00:01:27] Speaker B: Wow, that's a pretty big scope. So. But you live in Pennsylvania.
[00:01:30] Speaker C: I do, yeah. So I live in central Pennsylvania.
[00:01:33] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:01:33] Speaker C: Very small town. So I live in Millersburg, Pennsylvania, which probably doesn't mean much to our new PGTI team, but it's about an hour north of the Harrisburg Hershey area, and.
[00:01:43] Speaker B: That'S heavy amish Mennonite area there is.
[00:01:47] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So in and around our Graz, Pennsylvania, plant, a lot of our neighbors in that area are amish.
[00:01:53] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:01:54] Speaker C: So it's very common, if you're visiting the grat or our Millersburg plant to see horse and buggies traveling throughout the communities.
[00:02:01] Speaker B: Wow. Well, there's a pretty good sized mennonite community here in Sarasota, and so that's where you go to get your pie.
[00:02:07] Speaker C: Yes, yes. Amazing baked goods. And they're skilled craftsmen, too, so they're great neighbors to have. So we're very used to seeing them in and around our communities in Pa. Oh, that's fun.
[00:02:19] Speaker B: Okay, so tell us a little bit about you, because I was joking around with somebody, I said, I feel like we all just got married, but we don't know any of the in laws. We haven't met the other family yet. So who are these people, and how is it going to all gel together? So we're not going to talk about strategy or any of that today? We just want to know a little bit about you and who you are. So tell us about your career path, your education, like family, like, whatever you want to talk about.
[00:02:43] Speaker C: Yeah, sure. So, first, I would say, I hope we're not the crazy in laws, but.
[00:02:48] Speaker B: No, we're the crazy in laws.
[00:02:49] Speaker C: Well, that's great. Then we're going to all get along really well. So nice. First, with my family, that's what's most important to me. And my wife, Kristin and I have two small boys, two young boys, Sebastian and Sawyer. So they're ten and seven, and they're very busy. We're a very active family. So we love sports, and specifically, we love Penn State football and the Philadelphia Eagles. But a lot of our time outside of work is really spent focused on the boys and what activity they're into at that particular moment. So outside of my family, I began my career at Mitre Brains three years ago now, and I had the opportunity. I knew Matt DeSoto, our CEO, prior to joining the Mitre team. So Matt and I had been friends for several years and had always talked about a concept where we'd potentially work together. And if you've not met Matt yet, you'll quickly learn that he really should be in sales because he's a great salesperson. But I quickly saw what, you know, Matt was with the team at Mitre, what they were building, and I got to really see what Matt's vision was for where Mitre brains could go. And then I had the fortunate opportunity to meet a lot of the leaders at Mitre. And really, I quickly realized that that's something that I really wanted to be a part of and thought that Mitre brands could be my forever home and really where I could build my career. So I was very fortunate to have an opportunity to join the team, was very lucky to come into a situation where we had leaders that took me under their wing. And Stan Sullivan was my boss when I joined the team and just learned a tremendous amount from Stan about the business and about the team. And really, that had propelled me to different roles within the organization. So when I first joined Mitre, I was our VP of customer care and warranty services. And then that evolved, and I started to work with the MI sales team and then soon took on a role where I was working with the Milgard and the Mi sales team. And then that transitioned as Stan Sullivan moved into a role where he was slowing down and stepping out of day to day responsibilities, where then I moved into the chief commercial roles. So, really excited, obviously, about the acquisition and the opportunity to now work with the PGT team and just so excited about the brands that the team has built and the reputation within the marketplace and bringing that into the mitre portfolio, we just couldn't be more excited.
[00:05:09] Speaker B: Well, we have always been on the other side of the acquisition, so I've been here about three years and we've acquired three companies in that time. And so it's always been us acquiring another group of people and how can we help you and what can we do? So this is the first time I've ever been on the other side of that. And I was just like, wait, what? Who? Okay, okay. All right. Well, we'll just keep plodding along until somebody tells us, you know, change direction or do something different. We're just going to keep going. So I love change. Not all people do. So it's going to be fun to just see how it all filters together. And, you know, there's that introductory period which we're all in right now, like, okay, what are we doing, who are you and how are we going to make this all jealous? So what are you most excited about? Like, you and I had a brief conversation last week, so I'm hoping that you'll repeat some of that. But what are you most excited about besides what you've already mentioned?
[00:05:55] Speaker C: Well, first and foremost, we've also acquired several companies, but when we look at a company, it starts with the people. And, you know, when we looked at PGTI, we certainly knew of, you know, the reputation that the brands have within the marketplace. And obviously the team here at PGTI has built just an incredible business. So the opportunity to bring those businesses together, it really has us all very excited about what our future looks like together. But it all starts with the team. So that's really what I'm most excited about. And over the last three weeks, it's really been so neat to learn more about the businesses, but also meet the team that's leading it. So, you know, when I think about what the future looks like and what I'm most excited about, it's really, you know, continuing to get to learn about the business, learn about the team that's leading the business, obviously meet a lot of different customers, but it's really an exciting time for all of us. At Mitrebrands.
[00:06:49] Speaker A: We are sharing our expertise around all topics relating to the window indoor industry. Whether you are a customer selling our products or a homeowner doing research, the Clear Impact podcast provides helpful content that makes an impact. Subscribe today. Wherever you listen to podcasts.
[00:07:07] Speaker B: When you came in last week, you were like, okay, so I've been a fan for a while and we were like, wait, what? You're a fan? So tell us about that.
[00:07:14] Speaker C: So I'm pretty active on LinkedIn and I started to see some posts from PGTI University and I thought, wow, this is impressive what you all are doing here. And I just really thought it was a great concept and I was starting to take screenshots and I was sending it to our marketing leader, Tony Modern. I was like, man, look what they're doing. This is so cool. How do we figure this out? This really seems like it's creating a lot of value and a lot of excitement. So yeah, PGTI University is something that I just think is so special that you all have created and you're providing value to your dealers. And I really think it's a really neat program that we can expand across all brands at Mitre. So that's really exciting how it's just one example of a best practice that PGTI was doing that we're going to be able to implement and introduce that at Mitre brands.
[00:08:01] Speaker B: Yeah, well, we're pretty proud of what we've been able to accomplish and we've had great support from our leadership and lots of leeway to say, here's our vision, here's what we think the ROI is going to be. Let's do it. And so we've been able to launch an entire YouTube channel and we get thousands and thousands of views every month on that, just from people trying to figure out how to install product properly. And we know that that can be a pretty big deal out in the field. The product is only as good as the installation. So we've been very passionate about that and we've had a lot of support from within and now we have our own studio, so we can even do more of that. And the podcast, I mean, I think it's fun anyway, so we're excited too. I know there's been some conversation today amongst our leadership and your team in that regard. And so I think we're going to try to figure out how we're going to work together and what we're going to do. So I'm excited about that too. And so one last question, because we're keeping an eye on the time today and this is something I ask all leaders because I love to know what advice they've had in their life. And so what's a great piece of advice you've received? And this can be personal or professional or a mix. You know, it kind of all weaves together. So can you think of something that you've heard that you've implemented?
[00:09:06] Speaker C: Yeah, that's such a great question. I've been very fortunate to have a lot of mentors throughout my career, so I'll reflect specifically on my time at Mitre. And there's two, two different things that I can recall that made an impact on me, and it's something that I think about often as we're approaching the business. And the first was when I first joined the team. Stan Sullivan said to me, you won't get fired for making a decision, but you will potentially get fired for making no decision. And I thought that really out of the gate was something that made an impact on me, where he was saying, look, we're here to empower the team to make decisions that they think are the best for the business at that time. And if you make a wrong decision, that's okay. You're not going to lose your job. Don't have fear that if you misstep that, you're now out of the Mitre family. We're going to learn from it and we're going to coach each other up and we're going to figure out how we navigate that. But doing nothing would not work within the mitre culture, so there's a bias for action, and I really appreciate that. And it's something that I think about often, and I try and share that with people that I'm working with as well. And then Matt DeSoto also says something that really has been impactful for me. And he says, dream big, set goals and get to work. And I think that's really what we do at Mitre brand. We dream big. You know, we thought Matt and the leadership team had a dream of bringing PGT and Mitre together years ago. So they had a plan and said, okay, now we gotta set the goals. How are we gonna get there? And then let's go get after it, get to work. So I really think if we're all thinking that way, if we have big dreams and we're willing to set the goals and a roadmap to get there, and then we're not afraid of hard work, you know, we're all going to accomplish some great things together. At Mitre Brands.
[00:10:45] Speaker B: I love that there is nothing worse than just sitting. I mean, yes, you want to exercise wisdom, you want to do your research, but that analysis paralysis drives me crazy. So I jump first and then look sometimes, which is not always great, but I have good leaders that are patient with me and reel me back in when I need it. But I love that Jeff Jackson shared something, and I have a little sticky on my computer, and it's getmo to move on.
[00:11:11] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:11:11] Speaker B: And I love that philosophy, too, because then you're not just sitting and trying to perfect something like, okay, this is good, do it, move on. There's other things. So kind of that same mindset of, we don't need to sit here and wait forever. Like, let's move.
[00:11:27] Speaker C: No, that's exactly right. We need to invest into the right people, you know, really bright and talented team members. And if we do that, if we find the right talent and we trust them to do their job and are willing to roll up their sleeves and get to work, you know, we're all going to have success.
[00:11:41] Speaker B: Yeah. I love it. All right, well, this has been a great conversation. Anything we left out, anything else you want to share?
[00:11:45] Speaker C: No. Thank you so much for having me. Am I the official first one from Mitre to join the podcast?
[00:11:50] Speaker B: You are. You're the first one, the first brave soul to jump into the studio with me.
[00:11:55] Speaker C: Well, there's a lot of other mitre leaders that need to come in here and sit down with you. I really enjoyed this. I hope this has been helpful so that the PGTI team can get to learn more about us. And I just really look forward to meeting more of the team.
[00:12:08] Speaker B: Awesome. Well, I really appreciate your time. You can talk it up amongst all your buddies and say, hey, got to do a podcast now.
[00:12:13] Speaker C: I will do that.
[00:12:13] Speaker B: Awesome. All right, well, have a lovely evening and afternoon, and I know you're here tomorrow, too, so enjoy your time in Florida.
[00:12:19] Speaker C: Thank you so much.
[00:12:20] Speaker B: All right, take care.
[00:12:23] Speaker A: The Clear Impact podcast is brought to you by PGTI University. We are a part of Mitre Brands, a family of leading window and door brands united by our passion for quality and relentless pursuit of 100%. One of the missions of Miter brands is to unite and deliver the finest customer experience possible across the nation. Our window indoor brands deliver regionalized expertise and products backed by a national company. PGTI University is here to educate you, our listener, so that you can be a more informed consumer of window and door products.
