Our special guest on this week’s episode of our Lessons From the Boardroom Podcast is Scott Snider. Scott operates as Vice President of the Exit Planning Institute, based out of Cleveland, Ohio, where he is responsible for the strategic direction of the organization, along with overseeing the company's operations and chapter development. Scott is also an entrepreneur and the Operating Partner of Snider Premier Growth, a private investment firm. 

“CEPA is our main credential— certified advisors can help a business owner to rapidly grow value in their business and position them for a fulfilling and successful exit while aligning not only their business goals, but their personal goals, and personal financial goals. It kind of brings these three things all together for an owner,” says Scott. 

We chat about initiating an entrepreneurial spirit early in his life, as well as:

• CEPAs - Certified Exit Planning Advisors, and what they offer

• The international growth of the Exit Planning Institute

• The transition from credentialing programs to extensive virtual education programs

• A pivotal moment that required a shift to creating a virtual masterclass

• And more

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Mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/scott-snider-86808223/

• https://exit-planning-institute.org/

• earncepa.com 

On this week’s episode of the Lessons From the Boardroom podcast, we speak with Scott Groshans. He is the Vice President of Operations for PBI Performance Products, Inc. in Rock Hill, South Carolina, and has been with the company for 38 years. PBI was purchased from Celanese by the InterTech Group back in 2005 and focuses on manufacturing high-performance polymers and fibers primarily for the firefighter protective apparel market.

We chat about the development of PBI and its involvement with NASA, as well as:

• The various markets PBI serves in addition to the fire service industry

• The challenge of replacing industrial utilities 

• Building and maintaining critical relationships

• Creating and executing a vision and continuously pursuing it 

• And more

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Mentioned in this episode:

• http://www.pbiproducts.com/
  

On this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Mike Davis. Mike is the President and Senior Partner of Hill Electric Company. The company performs machinery installations, including panel placement, power control, and data management, for many manufacturers in their home state of South Carolina. 

Mike says, “There are no shortcuts. You have to be willing to make a lot of sacrifices, and put in a lot of long hours, a lot of long weeks, and maybe even some all-nighters to get to where you want to be. If you aren't willing to make those sacrifices, then you really can't expect success to just fall in your lap.”

Mike discusses the evolution of his career, as well as:

• Overhauling the company culture after a period of rapid growth

• Growth outside of the textile industry

• Aligning with the right customer to create long-lasting business relationships

• Looking forward and leaving a strong legacy

• And more

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Mentioned in this episode:

• mike@hillelectric.net
• https://hillelectric.net/
• https://www.linkedin.com/in/mikedavis-hillelectric

On this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Robert Duermit. He is the President of Kinsale Contracting Group, a selective demolition and environmental company based in Chicago, Illinois. Alongside three other partners, Robert  started Kinsale in 2001, offering lead, asbestos and mold removal, and remediation. Robert has since become President and continues to grow and evolve a very successful company. 

Robert says, “Sometimes when you're trying to build your company, you lose sight of the future. And that's where I think a lot of businesses fail. So, you have to look in the future and map it out and follow that map the best way you can.”

We chat with Robert about how offering excellent customer service is a collective team effort, as well as:

• The unpredictability of the economy

• How his team develops the strengths of each employee

• Investing in your workforce

• The separation of work and home life

• Continuously planning for the future

• And more

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Mentioned in this episode:

• The Kinsale Contracting Group Website

• Kinsale Contracting Facebook Page

• Kinsale Contracting Instagram

Our special guest on this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast is Ben Tarrier, Vice President of The Tarrier Steel Company in Columbus, Ohio. He is a fourth-generation leader of the structural steel fabrication company after his great-grandfather founded the business 100 years ago. He's a husband, a father of three, and a veteran army officer. Ben came up the old fashioned way, starting on the shop floor as a general laborer and eventually working his way through the ranks toward leading the company.

Ben says, “When you fail at something, when you get to step back, you sit there and you analyze it. I think you learn from failure, even if it's not a huge failure, if it's just something that didn't go the way you want it to, you learn from it. I think that helps you be stronger and it helps you make better decisions.”

We chat about how the company has stayed strong for a century, as well as:

• The family legacy of Tarrier Steel

• Transitioning leadership in the future

• Shifting company culture to encourage innovation

• The freedom to make mistakes and the surprising results that often follow

• And more

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Mentioned in this episode:

• The Tarrier Steel website: https://www.tarrier.com

• Ben’s email address: btarrier@tarrier.com

This week, on the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Andrew Loff, the Co-Founder of Composite Advantage, an infrastructure company specializing in large structural fiberglass components. They’ve engineered longer-lasting materials for vehicle bridges, rails platforms, and various other heavy infrastructure type products. Based out of Dayton, Ohio, they’ve grown from a start-up to a successful multimillion-dollar infrastructure company manufacturing new product lines. 

We chat with Andy about beginning a company with the support of a non-profit, as well as:

• The humbling early days of ownership of Composite Advantage

• Avoiding costly mistakes by listening to mentors

• Bootstrap financing

• Encouraging people to grow into their roles by providing opportunities

• And more

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Mentioned in this episode:

• www.compositeadvantage.com
  

On this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast, we speak with Edward Niles, CEO and Owner of Network Controls, a leading full service provider of structured cabling, outside plant, wireless access and controls, surveillance systems, communications, and technology infrastructure. 

Ed says, “Building a culture that is very family orientated takes time and it takes effort; you have to focus on it, you have to try to make it. A culture just doesn't happen, you have to work on it. Whatever culture you may want within your business, it's an everyday thing you have to work on.”

Ed shares how he applied his tenacious spirit, as well as:

• Communications in the military

• Treating every employee like family and listening to their needs

• Offering an open door policy

• Implementing open communication within the company culture

• Being unwaveringly decisive to keep moving forward

• And more

Listen now...

Mentioned in this episode:

• eniles@networkcontrols.com

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/edward-niles-8606878a 

Our special guest on this week’s episode of the Lessons from the Boardroom Podcast is Vince DeLeonardis, President of Auch Construction since 2006, a privately held construction management firm based in Pontiac, Michigan, founded in 1908. They enjoy over 95% repeat business, a rare statistic for a construction management firm.

Vince says, “Our greatest success has been seeing the transformation of our next generation as they're taking care of problems, and in keeping with our core values, taking care of the client results in that repeat business.”

We chat about the road to his leadership role at Auch Construction, as well as:

• Dynamic skills learned from a mine in Colorado, and a nuclear power plant in Michigan
• Moving from running big highrise and historical preservation projects to a smaller firm
• Aiming for a seamless transition of leadership
• Developing a proactive culture of safety and values
• And more...

Listen now...

Mentioned in this episode:

• https://www.linkedin.com/in/vincent-deleonardis-12414615/
• https://www.auchconstruction.com/

On this week’s episode of Lessons From the Boardroom, we speak with Zoltan Kovacs, President of Perram Electric and Lampion Companies since 2009. They are heavy highway electrical contractors specializing in traffic signals, highway lighting, outdoor lighting, and airport lighting all over Ohio and western Pennsylvania and have been in operation since 1986.

Zoltan says, “We do what we say we're going to do, and then we go out and we do it well. Follow through on your commitments and produce not just a great product but a great balance sheet too. It all leads to not compromising on your quality and your commitments, and then not compromising on your prices.”

We chat about being decisive, as well as:

• Buying a business in the midst of the 2009 recession
• How running lean operations during the recession was good preparation for the challenges of COVID
• Paradigm shifts by analyzing sales and raising prices
• Finding new hires that align with company core values
• And more

Listen now...

Mentioned in this episode:

• Zoltan on LinkedIn

On this week’s episode of Lessons from the Boardroom, we speak with Steve Bitzer. He started his career straight out of high school as a welder, a steel fabricator, and an erector and progressed to become the President of Deerfield Construction company in 1988, where he presides over the company today. 

Steve says, “If you're not striving to be better, all the time, then it's going to get stagnant at some point, and you're going to lose employees, you're going to lose customers, it's going to be a step backwards. So I believe anybody who can identify the good, and make it better, and anybody that can identify the not so good and make it better is going to be successful.”

We chat about business strategy, as well as:

• The impact of COVID on this essential business

• The use of remote tools to update project processes

• Takeaways from pandemic operations that will carry on into the future

• Seeking to offer outstanding customer service in the industry

• And more

Mentioned in this episode:

• Deerfield Construction's Site
  

• Email Steve
  

• Call Steve at 513-984-4096