Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
[00:00:09] Speaker B: Welcome to the Clear Impact Podcast, brought to you by Mitre Brands University. Thanks for joining us today. My name is Sheri Conner and I am your host.
[00:00:24] Speaker A: So, good morning.
[00:00:25] Speaker B: We are here on the Clear Impact.
[00:00:27] Speaker A: Podcast, and today we have in studio Stephen Starkey. Welcome.
[00:00:31] Speaker C: Thank you, Sheri.
[00:00:32] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:00:32] Speaker C: Glad to get here and finally spend some time.
[00:00:34] Speaker A: Yeah, I know we've been talking about this for a while.
[00:00:37] Speaker C: Yeah.
[00:00:37] Speaker A: And it just so happened that you were around this week, and so. Yeah. So you have a new role. And we'll talk about that in a minute. But first, let's do a little background.
[00:00:47] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. So I live in Jacksonville, Florida, born and raised there, and my roots in this industry go pretty deep because my grandfather first started Ed Starkey and associates in 1954 in Jacksonville, Florida, representing at the time the Stanley Window Company.
[00:01:04] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:05] Speaker C: So those are the old steel casements. He actually had a dealership there. And then Stanley asked him if he would represent them in the entire Southeast United States. And so our family got into the window business at that point in time.
[00:01:17] Speaker A: Oh, wow. Okay.
[00:01:18] Speaker C: So I'm third generation in it.
[00:01:20] Speaker A: Okay.
[00:01:20] Speaker C: And my grandfather, my father, and My uncle spent 30, 45, 40 years in the industry as well and have retired. And so we started representing better built in 1982 in my windows and doors, bought better built in 1998, and that sort of created our alliance with the MI window and door, and then later Mitre Brands Group. So that's how we came to know those folks and have had a great working relationship independently representing them in the state of Florida for quite some time. Then recently, with the acquisition of PGT on the horizon for Mitre Brands, it made sense that we needed to make some changes and bring the Starkey and Associates team into the fold of Mitre Brands rather than being independent.
[00:02:02] Speaker A: Right.
[00:02:02] Speaker C: And then transitioning into different roles as the acquisition happened and Florida's landscape changed quite a bit for all of us with PGT being part of Mitre Brands.
[00:02:10] Speaker A: Okay. Wow. That's a lot.
[00:02:11] Speaker C: Yeah. Sorry, I just kind of. Yeah, there's a lot to spill there.
[00:02:15] Speaker A: So with Starkey, were they a dealer or were they a manufacturer?
[00:02:18] Speaker C: Just independent rep group independent. And so we were a sales team representing MI Windows and Doors in Florida.
[00:02:25] Speaker A: All right, so we were competing with you a little bit.
[00:02:27] Speaker C: Oh, we sure were.
[00:02:30] Speaker A: So that happens. Right? Like as acquisitions happen, we're teammates instead of opponents.
[00:02:36] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:02:37] Speaker A: And so what are you doing now?
[00:02:39] Speaker C: So now I transitioned into the vice president of sales for the state of Florida, which would include the Mitre Brands but mostly focused. Obviously, PGT is the brand in Florida that's most recognized, but it would be all things inside of the state of Florida in terms of the sales team.
[00:02:56] Speaker A: Nice. And so you'll be in Venice quite a bit or you'll be out and about visiting customers.
I'm sure you're going to be busy.
[00:03:03] Speaker C: Sure, I will be. But I've already had a lot of great experiences because about a year and a half ago, I took on the role of VP of National Accounts. And so in that group, we were really focused on the distribution side of the business and trying to have more clear direction there about what that is. And then really focusing on the builder team, the preferred builder side of the business, and kind of reshaping that a little bit into more of the Miter image. But taking things that I knew from a competitive standpoint were really hard to compete against in the industry for all those years that I was like going up against those folks.
[00:03:36] Speaker A: Right. Well, you know, that's what makes a good salesperson, is to know who your competition is.
So you had a leg up.
[00:03:42] Speaker C: Yeah, I hope so. And obviously a lot of the same dealers, not as much in the Southeast Florida market where MI didn't have and Mitre didn't have the product, reached down into those spaces at the time in the past. But I've heard that from both sides of the fence over the years. So it's nice that it's all together and now we have one message.
[00:03:59] Speaker A: Yeah. And it's nice that we're seeing it that way. Right. Instead of trying to necessarily preserve this brand and this product group and this brand and this product group, we're in the process of kind of streamlining all of that and making it easier for our customers.
[00:04:18] Speaker C: Yes.
[00:04:18] Speaker A: And then eventually that trickles down to it's easier for the homeowners, too.
And so we're going to talk a little bit about that. Benji has spoken about that and I've had a couple of others in as well. And so I want to hear, like your 32nd pitch on what we're doing with all the products in Florida.
[00:04:34] Speaker C: Yeah. I think the key here is to remember that Mitre Brands historically is an integrator, not an aggregator.
[00:04:41] Speaker A: Right.
[00:04:41] Speaker C: And so we want to take best practices that have worked for us across many years and disciplines in the business and make sure that we put those to use to be as efficient as possible. And part of that means slimming down some redundancies that we may have. Some of those maybe have been within our own team and Some of those have been with products. So all of those things come together on my side of the fence as it relates to the team. We just want to make sure that the team is more aligned and that they're working together in those processes as opposed to maybe some siloing of builder, preferred builder team, distribution team, national accounts team, kind of multifamily team. All these things work. But they need to work together with the traditional sales team, not independent of them.
[00:05:28] Speaker A: Right. Because for the customer, then they're like, okay, well, who do I call and who do I talk to? And if I talk to this person, if I have two different points of contact or even more than that, in some instances, am I gonna get the same answer correct. And the university, you know, we've been aligned with the sales team in the past, and I've had dealers reach out to me and ask me questions that they shouldn't be asking me. They just don't like the answer they're getting from.
[00:05:56] Speaker C: So they got somebody else to call. Right.
[00:05:58] Speaker A: Right. So let me, you know, if mom says no, I'm gonna ask dad. You know, that whole game and you know that doesn't happen often and thank goodness. And most people are not gonna play like that. But it is hard when there is such a huge portfolio of products and so many different people that you need to talk to. It can get very confusing. And, you know, we don't want to be difficult to do business with.
[00:06:21] Speaker C: Yeah, there are going to be times where the preferred builder team is meeting with the builder directly and others aren't there. And there are going to be times, obviously, where the territory, sales managers and directors are meeting with our dealer customers or distribution customers and the other part of the team isn't there. But we got to make sure there are enough times where the opportunities are aligned, where we have those parties together working hand in hand.
[00:06:44] Speaker B: 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.
[00:07:01] Speaker A: Yeah, and then what's that phrase? If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.
[00:07:07] Speaker C: Yeah, always.
[00:07:08] Speaker A: That's what it is.
[00:07:08] Speaker C: So I didn't know that one, but I like it. I'm gonna add that to my.
[00:07:11] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a song from the new Lion King. Yeah, it's a really catchy song. So don't get it in your head.
[00:07:17] Speaker C: Or it'll Be stuck there. Okay. All right. I'm probably gonna do it anyway.
[00:07:22] Speaker A: It's a fun, catchy little song. And so how do you see all of this? Other than it's gonna be simpler, how do you see this impacting the Florida business?
[00:07:31] Speaker C: Yeah, I think the impact on the Florida business is more clarity and again, more alignment and more understanding about what our goals are so that we understand how to accomplish those goals and exceed those goals. And I think we have to be really clear about what the expectation is for this team, that team, the teams together, and then be able to present that to our customers. Because if we don't tell our customers what we expect of them as a group, we can't be surprised if we don't get that. Right. So that's another part of it. And that's not trying to be the principal in this situation. It's really just trying to say, hey, we think you're capable of growing the business to hear if we support you if we do this, we bring these groups together and we identify the opportunities to grow. You know, let's be clear about what the expectation is and then let's go get it.
[00:08:18] Speaker A: Yeah, there's plenty of business out there.
[00:08:20] Speaker C: Always. Yeah.
Tons of market share we don't have.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: Exactly. And there are a lot of competing window brands out there, too. And so when we have that unified message, it's going to be really clear for people to know where to go.
[00:08:35] Speaker C: Yes, correct.
[00:08:36] Speaker A: Yeah, I know. I've been doing some open house shopping here and there. And whenever I go into an open house that has PGT windows, they're always like, and the house already has PGT windows. I'm like, okay. I'm looking at the sticker like, yeah, that's 20 years old.
[00:08:52] Speaker C: But at least there's a source of pride there. Right, right, right.
[00:08:55] Speaker A: It's a PGT window, but they need to be updated.
[00:08:57] Speaker C: Yeah, but it's time now. We need to get the next group in here on the R and R side to take a look. Exactly.
[00:09:02] Speaker A: I'm like.
[00:09:04] Speaker A: So just a couple of questions to wrap up. We're doing this We Are Florida campaign, and there's some commercials and a whole bunch of things that we're doing around that. What does that mean to you? We are Florida.
[00:09:15] Speaker C: Yeah. I mean, this is the core group of our whole team here in Florida. Deep rooted, Whether they've come from the legacy Mitre side or the PGT side. Long standing tradition of trying to make sure that we serve this market. We are in this market. We understand this Market. We are side by side from the beginning of the code changes, adopting what we're gonna do in terms of hurricanes from going back to the early 90s. I mean, this team has been here through it, so it's really about being by your side for this entire experience here in Florida. And then it's what we wake up and do. Eat, sleep, and breathe every single day.
[00:09:50] Speaker A: Exactly. All right, one last question.
[00:09:53] Speaker C: Sure.
[00:09:53] Speaker A: So we have the Mitre DNA, and we've been asking people in this series and kind of bringing this more into awareness. It was kind of not really talked about a whole lot. So we have the Mitre DNA, and there's, you know, a bunch of statements in there. Which one resonates with you the most?
[00:10:09] Speaker C: Yeah. So I'm going to break the rule and say there's one that resonates the most on a bigger picture is always we dream big, set goals, and get to work. Because I think if we start with that, it's pretty broad, but it really drives the focus of that. We're always trying to take on the next challenge, think a little bit bigger, keep moving forward.
[00:10:25] Speaker A: Right.
[00:10:25] Speaker C: So I think that's sort of the big picture, but one that's probably more recently would identify with what we've been doing with the business. And I recognize, like, there's been a lot of change in the last few weeks or even a few months.
Change is not always comfortable.
[00:10:38] Speaker A: Correct.
[00:10:39] Speaker C: And so, you know, we're comfortable being uncomfortable. That's one I didn't expect to hit on. But it's in there, right?
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:10:44] Speaker C: We question the status quo, and we have a bias for action. And so if people want to know, why did I make decisions that I did? Or why did our team make decisions that we did that feel like there's a lot of change. It's because if you know something, you gotta do something.
[00:10:59] Speaker A: Right.
[00:10:59] Speaker C: And we felt like we had enough information to know something. We had enough information to know enough. So let's do something. We could delay the process of making changes, or we can try to make changes that we think are the right thing to do. None of us are perfect. Maybe some mistakes. I don't know. But we're gonna try to do the right thing. And if we think we know what we need to do, we're gonna go do it.
[00:11:18] Speaker A: Well. And, you know, you can't overanalyze every single decision, because then you'll never do it.
[00:11:24] Speaker C: Yep. And.
[00:11:24] Speaker A: And then your competition is gonna pass you by.
[00:11:27] Speaker C: Someone's gonna be moving.
[00:11:28] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:11:28] Speaker C: Rather it be us.
[00:11:29] Speaker A: Yeah. Exactly. Well. And you get some good momentum and you get some good positivity and you keep everything going in the right direction.
[00:11:35] Speaker C: And learn from the things that don't work and learn from things that do and double down on that.
[00:11:39] Speaker A: Yeah, yeah. Well, it keeps it exciting.
[00:11:41] Speaker C: Yeah, always.
[00:11:42] Speaker A: Which, you know, that's a precious commodity, especially when you're dealing with hard things like construction and markets and competition.
[00:11:50] Speaker C: Yeah. Yeah. We wanna wake up excited every day to go take on the next challenge.
[00:11:54] Speaker A: Yeah, exactly.
[00:11:55] Speaker C: I think that's part of that. Keeping an exciting, you know, piece.
[00:11:57] Speaker A: Yeah, for sure. All right. Is there anything we left out?
[00:12:01] Speaker C: I don't think so, but, you know, I think we got to do this again before long because there's probably going to be more to talk about.
[00:12:06] Speaker A: Yeah. So I do have a question, though, because you're in Jacksonville, so are you a Jaguars fan or are you a Bucs fan?
[00:12:12] Speaker C: So I am a Jags fan.
[00:12:14] Speaker A: Okay. Because you have to be, right?
[00:12:15] Speaker C: I have to be.
[00:12:16] Speaker A: It's your home team.
[00:12:17] Speaker C: But I have always had a liking for the Bucs as well. But both the NFL, those franchises have a backseat. I'm a Florida Gator, so I went to school at Florida. So, you know, the thing that. I will be passionately involved and cheering for the Jags and the Bucks when those opportunities are there, but I don't lose sleep over it. Sometimes I lose sleep over what happens with the Florida Gators, and that's been another tough year for us on that front, but it's okay.
[00:12:39] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:40] Speaker C: Better days ahead.
[00:12:41] Speaker A: Yeah. Awesome. Well, it's good to know that you are a Floridian. True and true. And that you're looking. Leading the sales efforts and look forward to seeing you around.
[00:12:50] Speaker C: Yeah, absolutely. Thank you, Sherry.
[00:12:52] Speaker A: All right, take care, Steven.
[00:12:53] Speaker C: Thanks. You, too.
[00:12:54] Speaker A: Bye.
[00:12:56] Speaker B: The Clear Impact podcast is brought to you by Mitre Brands 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%. At Mitre Brands, our common purpose is to deliver value by manufacturing the finest products, services and customer experience every day, everywhere.
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