Episode Transcript
[00:00:00] Speaker A: Foreign.
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.
So good afternoon. We are here on the Clear Impact Podcast and. And I'm sitting today with Tony Prummel. Welcome.
[00:00:31] Speaker B: Thanks, Sherry. It's a pleasure to be here.
[00:00:33] Speaker A: Yeah, it's a pleasure to have you. I know you're mostly on the east coast and so don't get to see you too much around the plant and threw out the idea of recording with me. And you said, hey, I'll be there next week. So, yeah, it worked out nicely. And you were here today doing customer tours and other fun things.
[00:00:51] Speaker B: I was. So this seems to have worked out just fine.
[00:00:53] Speaker A: Yeah, it's awesome to have you. So tell us a little bit about you, Tony. How long have you been in the industry?
What's your background and maybe previous roles?
[00:01:03] Speaker B: Yeah, sure. So my career in the impact window business really began back in 2003 while working with a dealer in the Fort Lauderdale area on the east coast, obviously. And in that role I did everything from warehouse control to scheduling installations to even installing myself because it was a very small company. And then I moved into a role as the general manager of the business. And soon thereafter, CGI came looking for a new sales rep and they decided to go ahead and hire me. And this is back in 2008. So I was hired as an outside senior sales rep for CGI Windows and Doors, who at the time they were owned by a Wall street private equity fund. And we grew that company to where it had some real success and ultimately were purchased by PGT back in 2014.
So that's almost 12 years ago now that the purchase was. And since working with pgt, I've been a regional sales manager for the company and I also have been a territory sales rep. And I am back in that territory sales rep role. I left a couple of years ago. Back in 2022, I went to work for one of my dealers up in Jupiter, Florida, and when I heard that Mitre was buying PGT and I was in a conversation with my manager, manager at that time, Tom Adams, we talked and it was a good time to come back to the company. Yeah.
[00:02:27] Speaker A: And so all of that expertise hasn't just been sitting on a shelf collecting dust. You've been actively in the industry and now really super helpful for the CGI line coming under the PGT umbrella as of late. I know our team reached out and said, who can verify all of this product information to make sure.
[00:02:49] Speaker B: That.
[00:02:49] Speaker A: That it's accurate because we needed to make sure we were rebranding, that everything was correct and your name was at the top of the list. And so appreciate your product knowledge and being so detailed and giving us that feedback on those new courses.
[00:03:03] Speaker B: Sure.
[00:03:03] Speaker A: Yeah. So what are you doing now? What's your territory?
[00:03:06] Speaker B: So my territory currently is Broward county geographically on the east coast of Florida. I cover Boca Raton, just south of Boca Raton, throughout Broward county, and through Davie, Pembroke Pines and Weston, So kind of the southern tip of Broward County. And then I also cover one account in Miami Dade.
[00:03:24] Speaker A: All right, so you're busy.
[00:03:25] Speaker B: So I'm busy, but I'm very centralized.
[00:03:27] Speaker A: Yeah, but traffic over there is.
[00:03:29] Speaker B: It's fun.
[00:03:29] Speaker A: It's a whole other beast.
[00:03:32] Speaker B: Indeed.
[00:03:32] Speaker A: And so we thought it would be good to hear from you about some of the product changes and rearranging that we've been doing, because it really has impacted your territory and your customers probably more than most.
And so my understanding is that it was a pretty challenging message at first and that things are warming up. Maybe. Hopefully. Can you talk about that?
[00:03:56] Speaker B: Yeah. I mean, I think you're spot on with what you said. Of course, anytime we undergo a major change, such as the recent discontinuation of certain products and transition into others, there's going to be some growing pains. Sure. And initially there was some pushback because folks have been selling those products for quite a while, and kind of their initial response was, what are you guys doing?
But really, after the dust has settled a little bit, they are embracing what we offer and the benefits of those products. And there were some products that were kind of six of one, half a dozen the other. They were very equal. And, you know, CGI developed a line back in 2010 that was supposed to compete with Windguard.
[00:04:38] Speaker A: Sure.
[00:04:38] Speaker B: So it made sense to no longer carry that line and continue forward with Windguard, which, since the Sentinel line was introduced, has been improved and is really kind of the top of the echelon in impact windows. So, you know, after those initial pushbacks, the customer base has really embraced what we have to offer them, and it's gone really well.
[00:05:00] Speaker A: How's the relationship with the customers now?
[00:05:03] Speaker B: Yeah, great question. So the relationship has always been a strong one with our customer base because we've all had this relationship for so long. And BGT has been a long, trusted brand, and as was cgi. So the relationship itself initially kind of, again, took that little bump, but the customers have embraced the relationship, and it's actually Gotten stronger.
[00:05:23] Speaker A: Nice.
[00:05:23] Speaker B: You know, we worked through some difficult times together and the customer base realizes this is the right move going forward. And so the relationship has gotten stronger as a result of that.
[00:05:35] Speaker A: Yeah, well, and it's more streamlined. Right. Because even if they were primarily handling cgi, they were probably also dabbling with PGT and maybe a little Windor. And now some point in the coming months, it's all going to be under one quoting system and one ordering system, and we'll just be easier to deal with and easier to manage and all of that.
[00:05:55] Speaker B: Yeah, absolutely. I think that the fact that we are going into a single software for all brands, pgt, it definitely helps and has helped already with the customer's mindset that, you know, they're going to be able to quote everything under one single software. And again, we pick the right brands to put in that software and it allows PGT to be a better partner to our dealers and ultimately the end user, because we're going to put the best product that we have in our arsenal out to the market and with the strongest support. So these are all pluses.
[00:06:33] 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.
Yeah, no, for sure. So has anything been surprising to you with all the changes?
[00:06:55] Speaker B: Actually, what surprised me the most is after the initial pushback was how the customer base has embraced the change. I think they've had a chance to think about this and really dissect what initially was an emotional reaction into a logical reaction, or not a reaction, but logical thinking. And so the surprise is that they really are embracing it. And initially I probably had some trepidation about, oh, my gosh. But yeah, it's worked out really well so far. And, you know, I think our dealer base has really seen the efficiencies that we have here at the PGT plant, especially when they visit and they see, you know, how all this experience from the various brands that live under the Mitre umbrella have come together here and made this a far better factory.
[00:07:41] Speaker A: Yeah, it's amazing how quickly we've been able to make adjustments here as far as our throughput and fewer hours and fewer shifts, but more higher quality and still keeping all the safety in mind. So I know Chris Davis has really been leading the charge in that, and everybody's excited about just having a better process and more efficiencies.
[00:08:04] Speaker B: So, yeah, and it's really already shown the fruits of their labors. When I see orders coming into the dealers, it's just a higher quality of product and a higher customer satisfaction level. It's been good and it's been a very short time since the changes were made and we're really hitting it in stride. So hats off to the operations team.
[00:08:23] Speaker A: Yeah. Well, one of the things that I really appreciated learning about the Mitre leadership, and I heard this in multiple spaces and it's kind of the common language is sales gets the first order, but Operations gets all the rest.
So you can be the sharpest, most responsive salesperson out there, but if Operations doesn't pull their weight, then it doesn't matter, right?
[00:08:47] Speaker B: Absolutely.
[00:08:48] Speaker A: And especially when you're dealing with long term relationships like we are, the proof shows.
[00:08:52] Speaker B: Proof's in the pudding.
[00:08:53] Speaker A: It is. That's what I was looking for. Yeah, I knew it was somewhere.
So, anything else you want to share about the product changes or the portfolio changes?
[00:09:03] Speaker B: Well, product changes. We integrated our FD160 and 450 doors. So those are the two French doors that were in the CGI and Windor brand and discontinued a couple of PGT doors because the Sentinel and Windor products were a better product.
And so, you know, I appreciate that, the foresight of leadership to recognize that, you know, there really are some very good products within those product lines from cgi. And so why not retire some of the PGT products that we've had for many, many years and insert those CGI products that definitely have a place in the market. So I think that was a great move and I think our, again, our dealer base and ultimately the consumer will appreciate that. So best of both worlds.
[00:09:53] Speaker A: Yeah, no, I agree. I know I'm getting new windows and doors in my house and the 450 is high on the list, so.
[00:09:58] Speaker B: Beautiful.
[00:09:59] Speaker A: Beautiful. Yeah. I'm like, oh, it comes in a ten foot door. Ooh, that's fun.
So, all right, well, I appreciate your insight on that. And you're out there and you're dealing with customers every day and you're taking the phone calls and, you know, getting the emails and so, you know, you're definitely in tune with what the climate is as far as our dealers out there. So appreciate you. I know it was probably a little challenging when this first, you know, your phone was probably blowing up.
[00:10:25] Speaker B: It was as was. Everybody is down in the southern Florida region, whether it is on the east coast or the west coast. Sure, yeah.
[00:10:32] Speaker A: But cool heads prevail.
[00:10:34] Speaker B: Indeed.
[00:10:35] Speaker A: Everybody seems to be settling in.
[00:10:36] Speaker B: Yeah, I agreed. Again, our customer base has really embraced the change and they love what we've done so far.
[00:10:43] Speaker A: Excellent. So we've had this little campaign going on. We've got some commercials and radio spots and branding everywhere. And it's the We Are Florida campaign.
And so I know we were chatting earlier, you are a transplant as well, from the 80s. I'm a transplant from the early 90s. What does the We Are Florida mean to you?
[00:11:03] Speaker B: Well, in our business, We Are Florida to me simply means Floridians. From engineering to product testing to, you know, every product that we create is designed with the Florida communities in mind. It's made here, it's made by us Floridians. And so partnering with PGT means that you're working with a company who understands the region, invests in the region and stands behind its product.
So that is what We Are Florida means to me.
[00:11:29] Speaker A: I love that. And so here's a topic that we've been talking about a little bit more, and that is the Mitre DNA.
[00:11:36] Speaker B: Yeah.
[00:11:37] Speaker A: So these are just a bunch of statements that really spell out how we operate as employ and individuals. And I'm curious to hear what your answer is. What is the one that resonates with you the most?
[00:11:48] Speaker B: Well, Sherry, a whole lot of those resonate with me. But in tune with what we're talking about today, the one that speaks to me is we believe that the worst decision is making no decision at all. Because Mitre has made some bold moves and some strong decisions. And ever since Mitre acquired pgt, some groundbreaking decisions have been made from significantly trimming down our dealer base and the Echo brand. Divestiture.
[00:12:15] Speaker A: Right.
[00:12:15] Speaker B: That was a big move.
And retiring the Sentinel and the estate lines are both big moves. But time will tell whether those decisions are ultimately the right ones. But point is that the decisions were made rather than just kicking the can down the road and keeping the status quo and seeing what will happen next. Decisions were made and they were made with some authority.
[00:12:36] Speaker A: And confidence.
[00:12:37] Speaker B: And confidence, exactly.
[00:12:38] Speaker A: Yeah.
[00:12:39] Speaker B: Took the words out of my mouth. That's exactly what I meant.
[00:12:41] Speaker A: Well, and I love that sometimes it does take a fresh set of eyes on a scenario to be able to see it a little bit more clearly. And, I mean, I think we all kind of knew that we had too many products in the market and that our portfolio was a little heavy.
But it does take someone to make that kind of bold decision to say, we need to trim this back. It's going to be better for everybody. I don't remember who said it, but. But there's a quote somewhere that talks about it might have been Steve Jobs, that it's much easier to make things complicated. It's much more difficult to simplify.
[00:13:16] Speaker B: Love that.
[00:13:16] Speaker A: Yeah. But anyway, I think that wraps up our conversation.
Thanks so much for chatting with me today and making time to stick around and record and anyway, we'll look forward to another one.
[00:13:28] Speaker B: Yeah, sure. Thanks for having me. I've enjoyed it.
[00:13:30] Speaker A: All right. Thanks, Tony.
[00:13:31] Speaker B: Thanks, Sheri.
[00:13:31] Speaker A: Have a good day.
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