A Culture of Commitment By Melissa Smith and Lorraine Grubbs

General Insulation has successfully been growing, product-by-product, branch-by-branch, customer-by-customer and employee-by-employee since Frank Granara acquired it in 1982. From its original branch in Somerville, starting out of an abandoned church, to the current 50 branches operating throughout North America, this company has conquered many challenges to become the powerhouse it is today.  Their motto and mission, “Pushing Limits to Be Your Distributor of Choice for 85 years” is demonstrated through their focus, determination and commitment.

Leading this dynamic workforce of Warrior Spirits is CEO Frank Granara. Through his leadership, he has instilled a tremendous sense of pride, loyalty and dedication to their cause. From truck drivers to warehouse workers, from inside to outside sales, from Vice Presidents to General Managers…one only has to walk into any of their branches to feel the energy and see the teamwork in action. This successful organization is a great example of a Culture of Commitment.

Over the next few months we will be highlighting the Warrior Spirits who are responsible for the success of GIC. Through their stories, the heart and soul of General Insulation will emerge. You will come to understand why this company has overcome incredible odds to become a major player in the insulation industry. To kick off this series, meet three warrior-spirited GIC Managers.

Chad McBride, General Manager Ft. Worth, TX

Chad’s unique path to General Insulation led him from a life of public service where as a firefighter and police officer he protected and defended, to his life today as General Manager of the Ft. Worth, Texas branch.

I’m here today because as a former police officer I worked a second job as an insulation contractor. When I met General Insulation’s Dallas branch salesman, the way he talked about his company and loved his job made me want to work for them. With his help, several months later I got that opportunity.

I love a lot of things about working here, but one of the most valuable aspects is the freedom to do my job without being micromanaged. I know I have resources and I don’t hesitate to use them when I need to.

My pride in the company started early. As a new hire, when I went to Boston for training, I was immediately treated like family and people acted like they’d known me for 20 years. I was not a stranger in their house.

I could not do what I do without a great team. My team in Ft. Worth is made up almost entirely of former police officers that followed me here. We have each other’s backs. I also rely on my GIC team outside of the branch for help with information on new products, better sales and overall support.

I feel the opportunities at GIC are endless if you work hard and get good results. As a former firefighter I love safety and some day hope to be helping GIC in that area. There’s not another company out there like this. From the culture to the people, it’s a full package. People need to work for this company. My motto is I will only leave here if I get fired, die or retire. Hopefully none of those will happen soon!

Patti Taylor, General Manager, Portsmouth, VA

Patti’s path to General Insulation differed from Chad’s. After 20 years of working for a national insulation distributor owned by a private equity firm, she was drawn to the private ownership aspect of GIC. She saw the passion that the people of GIC had for their industry and when they came knocking on her door, she listened.

I knew I’d found a good fit when, during the interview, I was encouraged to call people within General Insulation to talk about what it was like to work for the company. No one does that unless they are confident in their people. I heard stories of empowerment, freedom to control their own business and sense of family. It was an easy decision for me to come aboard.

I really enjoy the camaraderie and team approach that’s prevalent throughout GIC. In my previous company we were adversaries within our work groups and often with our customers. GIC works together as a team.

That’s evident also by the length of time so many employees have been here. As a person with health challenges, I get treated with respect and I know all I have to do is ask for help and I will get the resources I need.

One of my favorite stories about GIC involves my husband George. We worked for the same company prior to GIC. The day I started working at GIC, George, after 19 years with our previous company, was fired. Frank didn’t hesitate and hired him as the Operations
Manager for Portsmouth.

I love the opportunity to come together and learn in national meetings. GIC encourages us to learn. They tell us to use common sense when making decisions and bend the rules when it’s the right thing to do. I saw this lesson applied early on. When I was hired to open the Portsmouth, VA branch, I was allowed to work out of my house for a few months until our branch opened.

Even as the company continues to grow, you don’t feel like a number. One of the small ways Frank Granara shows commitment to his people is by sending each employee a birthday card and gift on their birthday. That can’t be easy to do, but it’s consistent and makes employees feel special.

Today my team is made up of former coworkers who followed me from my other company. Many more have called and are patiently waiting to join us as we grow because they see how happy I am. My only regret is that I did not join them 20 years ago. GIC saved my life and they don’t even know it.

Dan Shawber, General Manager Cleveland, OH 

I grew up in the insulation industry. My mom had a crib for me at the office and the women, mostly family, would take turns watching me as a baby. I came to GIC as part of a package deal back in 2008. Frank bought my family’s insulation distribution business. At that time I was 23 years old working for my mom in the family business doing a little of everything – driving a truck, working in the warehouse, handling customer calls, collecting money, and purchasing material. I was also going to college studying supply chain, logistics and operations management at the University of Akron.

When GIC bought our “mom and pop” business, I was determined to become a General Manager. My age went against me but my leader Al Zaepfel eventually gave me a shot. I committed to not letting him down. Cleveland has been profitable since I became GM.

Everyone at GIC is willing to help each other. If you are struggling, you just need to ask for help and your resources will be there. I included this picture because it includes VP Sales Mike Benoit who flew in from Boston to help train our newest outside sales rep Mike Wesenberg. Our support from the corporate office is great.

One of my favorite things about working at General Insulation is Frank’s open mindset. He encourages us to learn. At a recent GM meeting I was selected to go to NASA with a small group of my fellow managers. We went to learn about “Big Picture and Strategic Thinking”.  We learned so much more and came back to present our findings at our GM meeting in Gettysburg. That’s me in the picture below as Abe Lincoln.

I can’t think of another company who is that creative in their learning. Frank creates an environment where

people want to work hard. He works harder than any of us and we follow in his footsteps. GIC strives for 100% accuracy, but doesn’t nitpick the little things. GIC allows you to make mistakes, but holds you accountable to learn from them. You’ll hear the phrase “Let’s strive to get better” over and over again.

Frank’s door is always open. I recently submitted a business plan to open a new branch and he approved it. It shows me he trusts me. I’ll be proudest when the branch is profitable, something I will work hard to achieve. Failure is not an option.

Working at GIC is like working for a giant family. People are like cousins or brothers and they will do almost anything for you.  Frank recognizes people in the weekly 5-15 reports. At the last GM meeting he called me out in front of my peers to wish me a Happy Birthday. The birthday card and cash he sends are nice too.

I plan on making GIC my career. My grandfather told me “You’ll never get stinkin’ rich in this business, but you will make a decent living”. What he didn’t say was that I would love what I do. And I hope to love it a long time.

Themes:

Loyalty
Empowerment
The Company Cares About Me
Teamwork
Recruitment/Attracting Talent
Learning and Development