Episode Transcript
[00:00:09] Speaker A: Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast, brought to you by Mitre Brands University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sherry Connor and I am your host.
[00:00:24] Speaker B: So good afternoon. We are here on the Clear Impact Podcast, and we are in a series exploring the MITRE acronym.
And so today we are talking about I, which stands for innovation.
And so with me, we have Kevin Inez and Eric Ashcraft. So, Kevin, you're in studio, and Eric, you're over the phone. So good afternoon, good morning, and I'll let you guys introduce yourselves. So, Kevin, we'll start with you.
[00:00:51] Speaker C: Awesome. Well, good morning, good afternoon. My name is Kevin Inez. I'm vice president of product development for Mitre Brands, and I've been with the organization for almost nine years now.
[00:01:03] Speaker B: Okay, welcome. And you're based out of Tacoma?
[00:01:06] Speaker C: I am. I'm based out of Tacoma, and that's where we have kind of our main hub of engineers working in the West.
[00:01:14] Speaker B: Okay. And Eric, you're on the phone, so tell us a little bit about you.
[00:01:17] Speaker D: Okay, thanks for having me. My name is Eric Ashcraft. I'm the product manager for the Western business unit of Mitre Brands and been with the company for just about 18 years.
And I'm based out of Tacoma as well, in the same office as Kevin.
[00:01:32] Speaker B: Wow. And he didn't bring you?
[00:01:34] Speaker D: He did not.
I didn't have to travel cross country this time.
[00:01:38] Speaker B: No.
So, anyway, well, I would love to know just a little bit about what your current roles and responsibilities are. So, Eric, why don't we start with you? You've been here for 18 years. That's amazing.
[00:01:49] Speaker D: Yes. Time has actually flown by. So just a little bit of background with Middle Guard and now Mitre for myself. I started out as a marketing rep in one of our manufacturing locations in Southern California and then got the opportunity to move closer to home in the Pacific Northwest and joined the corporate marketing team at the time, and then not long after that, moved into the product management role that I'm in now, where I've been for, I think about 10 years now, maybe 11 years. So in this role, the biggest part of my job is focusing on voice of the customer. So making sure that our customers, whether it's our direct customers, our dealers, homeowners, contractors, architects, builders, that we are providing them the products that they need and want for their customers. That's kind of the key focus of my job, while also focusing on making sure that everything that we're developing is meeting our overall strategic goals.
[00:02:37] Speaker B: Yeah, that's a big job because you cover a lot of different climate zones in that space and a lot of different geographic needs. So I'm sure there's a big variety.
[00:02:46] Speaker D: For sure. It has definitely expanded in the last couple of years with the integration with PGTI and with Western as the Mitre family of brands has grown.
[00:02:54] Speaker B: Yeah, for sure. So, Kevin, tell us a little bit about your scope and your role and responsibilities.
[00:02:59] Speaker C: You bet. So the scope of my work really works pretty closely with Eric and his team. Eric and his team are really responsible for developing a market spec. So when we are developing new products or line extensions, we're working closely with that team to make sure that we're understanding the scope of work that's needed. And we talk about that in the form of a market specification. So everything from, hey, what is the size the window needs to be, what's the smallest, what's the largest, what does it need to perform to in terms of design pressure, thermal performance, all of those things. We need to have a really solid understanding before we can start designing the product.
And once we have that understanding, there's a lot of handshaking back and forth between my team and Eric's team, as well as our operations partners. So one of the things that we need to do is make sure anything that we design, we can make it.
So there's a lot of collaboration between really all of those groups to make sure that we're making what the customer wants and we have the ability to effectively make it in a repeatable fashion so that we can have a good control on quality.
[00:04:06] Speaker B: Right, that makes sense. And also to do it in the right cost bracket. Right.
[00:04:10] Speaker C: It's one of our targets. So we have to make sure that that's part of the market spec. So they're going to come to us and say, hey, this is what the price needs to be. We need to understand what does that mean in terms cost. And we need to identify what those targets are early on because those are design constraints that we need to design too.
[00:04:28] Speaker B: Yeah, it's so interesting. I love the engineering space and trying to figure out, like, how do they come up with these things and then how do they make sure it can be sold and it can be profitable? Right. Like, there's so many different factors that come into play.
And so Eric, you touched on this briefly. So we've been integrating over a year now, you know, by the time this posts. And so how's it going?
Just that's a kind of a broad question. But Kevin, we'll let you answer this.
[00:04:52] Speaker C: Yeah, I think it's going great. You know, one of the benefits that we get as a collective large Miter brands business is really looking at each individual business that came together and understanding really what their strengths were. And so as I look at it, MI had a really uniquely strong suit in manufacturing in their operations approach, which I think a lot of our other businesses could really learn from. And I think PGTI came to the table with a really strong position in innovation. And Milgard, I think, had some strengths in commercialization, the sales and marketing piece. And I think when you combine all that together, you have a really strong position to, you know, figure out how to make products in an innovative way, to manufacture them in a repeatable way so that we can really do a great job in controlling quality and, and then also just going to market and really understanding what are the strategies that we need to have in order to win in the markets that we serve.
[00:05:52] Speaker B: Yeah, that's excellent. Eric, would you add anything to that?
[00:05:55] Speaker D: I wholeheartedly agree. It's been a really fun and interesting experience just to work with the varying groups and kind of focus on best practices and see how overall as an enterprise we can all learn from each other and grow as a team. So it has definitely been a great experience so far in the, like you said, the year or so that we've been working on integrating and I'm sure.
[00:06:14] Speaker B: There'S going to be some more.
I don't know, are you guys involved in like the product rationalization and the brand rationalizations and all of that?
[00:06:22] Speaker C: Yeah, because at the end of the day you look at it and you say, okay, which products are nearing the end of their life cycle and what are some of the things that our customers are continuously more interested in and so evolving some of those products that might be maybe more mid cycle, but then also keeping an eye on opportunities that customers want something new.
So both Eric and I are involved at looking at that product portfolio and saying, where do those products fit within there? Which ones would we want? A sunset. Is there space to bring new products into and where's there an opportunity to continue to evolve the products that work well for our customers?
[00:06:57] Speaker B: So I guess I've never heard that term before. I'm going to stray off the script a little bit. What is a life cycle of a product? Like, I understand a new product, but when you're saying it's mid cycle or end of cycle, what does that mean?
[00:07:08] Speaker C: So when we talk about life cycle, we're talking about sometimes folks will use the terminology cradle to grave.
So the cradle portion of that is bringing A new product into the market where we think there could be new opportunities and something that our customers see as new and interesting and something that will meet their customers expectations.
So we launch a new product that's really in the very beginning stages. And as time goes on, as you look at our products, they have typically a very long life cycle, anywhere from 20 to even 40, 40 years.
[00:07:41] Speaker B: Oh, wow.
[00:07:41] Speaker C: So when we get up to, you know, 15 years, 20 years, we're starting to see, you know, could be depending on the product and the needs that it fills in the marketplace. But at that point we can say, oh, is there something we need to do to that product to continue to make it viable, or is it time to let that product go and create space for a different product to come into?
[00:08:03] Speaker B: Okay.
[00:08:03] Speaker C: And then of course at the end, a lot of times we use the terminology sunset or, you know, that's basically pulling the product out of the market and then finding another replacement for it or whatever the case might be.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: We are sharing our expertise around all topics relating to the window and door 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.
[00:08:36] Speaker B: No, that makes sense.
So what do you think our customers can expect to see in the future as we kind of dial in these combined efforts and pulling the best of best practices and strengths from each of these companies?
What does this look like in terms of like product?
[00:08:54] Speaker D: As far as product goes, our customers should expect to see continued innovation, particularly around energy performance. As energy requirements, energy performance requirements become more and more stringent as time goes by, we of course have to be able to deliver product that will meet those requirements. So through the combined efforts of Milgard and MI and all of the Mitre brands, our customers will see continued innovation in that area so that we can deliver the products that they need. I think that's probably the biggest one. And then continued work like we've talked about as we've worked to integrate bringing particular products from one manufacturer over to another in areas that that actually makes sense for the market. Like Kevin was saying.
[00:09:31] Speaker B: Yeah, there's a lot of logistics involved. Right. Because we have 20 manufacturing sites now, 20, 21. Which is wild.
[00:09:39] Speaker C: Yeah, it's a lot. Which just means we have a lot of smart people that we can work with to continually make our products better.
[00:09:45] Speaker B: And so because we are the education team, I thought we bring in a little bit about learning because successful people are usually lifelong learners and they're constantly looking for new things, improving. And so I love to ask kind of a closing question on this. And so we'll start with you, Eric. What is something interesting that you have been learning about lately? And this can be personal, this can be business, this can be, hey, I learned how to beat my kid at card game or something. I don't know, it can be whatever you want.
So what's something interesting that you're learning about lately?
[00:10:20] Speaker D: Well, on the kids side of things, I'm learning that I'm getting closer and closer to not being able to keep up with my kids.
[00:10:25] Speaker B: Oh.
[00:10:25] Speaker D: Anything that they do, they're 14 and 12 now, so that's becoming more and more difficult. On the professional side of things, I don't know if there's one thing that I've been learning lately, I would say that it's more on a day to day basis with the amount of experience that our co workers have in the industry, not just this industry, but multiple industries, I feel like on a daily basis there's an opportunity to gain wisdom and educate myself just based on my coworkers experience. And that opportunity has grown exponentially in the last couple of years as our list of coworkers has grown tenfold, twenty fold. There's a lot of opportunity to gain additional experience in areas that I don't have that experience in yet.
[00:11:06] Speaker B: Yeah, agreed. There's so much we can learn from each other, which is one of the reasons I love the podcast, because we learn from each other when we're having these conversations, and so people that are listening are learning as well. So, Kevin, how about you? What's something interesting lately that you've been learning?
[00:11:19] Speaker C: Well, on the fun side, I've been learning how to do powerboating on Puget Sound. So that's been a lot of fun. Oh, I'm traditionally a hiker, biker, skier kind of person, and so I've spent time on the trails in the mountains and really grow into like that environment.
But recently we said, you know what, the water is an untapped area where we haven't really explored. And getting out there and seeing just a whole different variety of wildlife has been really, really fun. And learning the skills of navigating on the water and everything that there is to know about powerboating has been something that's been fun to learn on the professional side. In the last 12 months, I took a certification test and became a certified Fenestration Masters, which is kind of a mouthful.
[00:12:03] Speaker B: I've seen the curriculum on that. That is no joke, man.
[00:12:06] Speaker C: Yeah, it's an in depth curriculum. There's probably over 10,000 pages of content. There's a lot to learn in the fenestration business, which, you know, I've been in the business for about 37 years now and I feel like I'm still learning every day. So it's a lot of fun to study that curriculum and really learn about windows and doors around the world, you know, what some of the performance requirements are and really immerse yourself in some of the standards that are out there. And again, it just helps us. And not only did I do that, many of my team members have done that as so most of us on my team are Fenestration Masters or Fenestration Associates. And so two different curriculums just kind of depending, you know, where you're at in your career in terms of learning. But it's really a fun opportunity. It was a time commitment, but again, rewarding in the way that just opens your eyes. And again, for anybody that's been in the window and door industry for a couple of years or several decades still, there's lots to learn.
[00:13:00] Speaker B: Yeah, there's folks on our team that are going to be going through that in the near future as well. So I don't know that I'm raising my hand for that one. I think I'll just manage all the other things I do. I don't know if I want to know all that, but yeah, no, that's great. Good for you. I know Brian Lesarowicz has been through that. At least the installation side. I don't know about the whole thing.
[00:13:19] Speaker C: But yeah, there's installation masters. I did that one probably, I don't know, 15 years ago. And so that one's interesting too because you have to recertify every four years, I think is what it is.
[00:13:30] Speaker B: Yeah. Fun side note on the installation masters, almost everything that they teach in that doesn't apply in Florida.
[00:13:37] Speaker C: Interesting.
Again, you can learn every day and.
[00:13:40] Speaker B: They tell you that like Jeff Aviles and Patrick Jamison and I, we were all at Western. No, we were all at Amlon a couple years ago and Jeff was leading a class. And so Patrick sat in on his class just to see what it was like to learn more of an industry standard around installation.
And of course, Patrick Jamison does all of our installation training here for PGT customers. So Jeff was going through the course and he's like, yeah, but this doesn't apply to Florida and that doesn't apply to Florida and that doesn't apply to Florida. So Florida people don't even subscribe to those kinds of curriculums because it doesn't hold anything here.
[00:14:16] Speaker C: Yeah, it's one of the challenges in our industry as you have federal codes, you have state codes, and you have local municipality codes.
And so you have to stay in tune to what all of those things are. And that gets pretty tricky. You know, you've got 50 states in all of these different municipalities with different codes, and so you have to keep an attuned ear to that.
[00:14:39] Speaker B: Yeah, well, you definitely broaden your thinking. You know, it's not as simple as it used to be, that's for sure. All right, Any other closing thoughts you'd like to share?
[00:14:47] Speaker C: No. Thanks for having us on. Yeah.
[00:14:49] Speaker D: Yeah. Thank you very much.
[00:14:50] Speaker B: Yeah, thank you. I appreciate your time. Thanks for coming in and doing just a little introduction and learning more about you guys. And I'm told I'm coming to Tacoma sometime, so we'll definitely have to look you up when I get out there. But anyway, thank you.
[00:15:03] Speaker D: I will tell you anytime between about July 5th and October.
[00:15:07] Speaker B: Just beautiful July and October. Okay, I will make a note of that.
[00:15:12] Speaker C: Yeah, probably October one, wouldn't you say, Eric?
[00:15:14] Speaker D: Yeah, yeah, that's. That's probably pushing it. And anytime before that. You're good.
[00:15:18] Speaker B: Yeah, yeah. I don't want to get snowed in or anything crazy.
[00:15:21] Speaker D: No, but that's the time frame that. That kind of dupes people in the moving of the to the Northwest because it is truly beautiful. And then the rain starts.
[00:15:29] Speaker B: All right, well, thank you, gentlemen. I appreciate your day. Have a great weekend, and we'll talk soon.
[00:15:33] Speaker C: Okay, thanks for having us.
[00:15:34] Speaker B: All right, thank you.
[00:15:35] Speaker C: Bye. Bye.
[00:15:37] Speaker A: The Clear Impact podcast is brought to you by Miter Brands University.
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[00:16:15] Speaker C: Sam.
