A Culture of Commitment – Behind the Scenes by Lorraine Grubbs & Melissa Smith

In our continuing series to highlight the “Culture of Commitment” at General Insulation, this article features two employees that many people may not have met. These individuals’ activities are performed primarily ‘behind the scenes’. Their roles are important to the ongoing success of GIC.

 

 Ellen Sirois, IT Director, Tax Officer, & Corporate Secretary, Rockland MA

 My brother Frank Granara and I have been working together for many years. Though I’ve been with General Insulation since Frank bought it in 1982, my insulation roots go back beyond that. In 1975 my father and mother started an insulation company called Alltemp Insulation. They wanted it to be a family business where everyone could chip in and help. They bought a $250 station wagon and put two-by-fours as roof racks to deliver the products. My father was the estimator; my mother the bookkeeper, my sister and I her assistants, my grandmother and aunt answered the phones and took orders and my brother Frank was the driver.

 Sadly, my dad developed Mesothelioma (Asbestosis) and had to quit working. We ran the company for many years before it eventually closed. In 1982 Frank bought General Insulation and I was right there to help with the accounting.

 As we continued to grow, my role evolved into multiple areas; a tax officer, overseeing telecommunications, business license procurement, producing the annual reports, and software identification and implementation. I’ve always liked working behind the scenes so it’s a perfect job for me. My brother Frank is a sales person; I am not. I’m known as the “mom” since I’ve been here from day one.

 

I feel like everyone I work with is like my family. Jen Reinwand is my right hand and I don’t know what I’d do without her. I love recognizing the special events in people’s lives like birthdays, anniversaries or new additions to the family. I celebrate by hanging signs on their door and buying them presents or taking them to lunch. I also like taking care of them when they get sick. Whether they need a hug, soup or a Band-Aid, it definitely appeals to the mom instinct in me.

 

Seeing people grow in their roles inspires me. I’d like to retire some day and when I walk out the door, I want my team to know as much as I do. This company really is all about the people. I love our culture because people treat each other with respect. Kindness matters. I like coming to work knowing we’re all on the same team. I get more accomplished because I can yell down the hall, “Hey Phil…” and Phil responds.

 

The ‘whatever it takes’ attitude is alive and well at General Insulation. One day Frank called me and said, “We’re opening a new branch in Hyattsville next week, so get ready.” Typically my team needs 90 days to prepare for a branch opening, but when I responded to Frank, he simply said, “Just do whatever it takes”. And we did.

 

As a family member, I get treated like any employee, and I respect that. It’s not always been easy, especially when I lost my husband 7 years ago. As a widow I was left with a 14-year-old son to raise. My family stepped in to help him through this difficult time. I would like to say a special thank you to my sister Donna, brother Frank and my mother for always being there. As the saying goes, “It takes a village to raise a child”. Well, my village was my family. Bobby is now 21 years old and I am very proud of him. He just received his Associates Degree in Criminal Justice. The smile on his face as he got his diploma was priceless. He’s now off to Bridgewater University to continue his studies. His dad would be proud.

 

After 35 years, I still enjoy the challenges that General Insulation gives me. Frank’s vision is to eventually automate much of what we do to make it easier for our customers.  We are in the middle of implementing an ERP (enterprise resource planning) system called NetSuite. This business process management software will allow GIC to manage our business and automate many back office functions related to technology, services and human resources.

It has been no small task and has all the ups and downs that a whole new system can cause and my work would not get done without help from my team and coworkers like Dave Lyons, Phil Binkley, Jen Reinwand and others. They are my right hand team in the initiatives we are rolling out. Their help is priceless; I simply couldn’t do it without them.My immediate goal is to get NetSuite up and running and streamline GIC’s gateway to the future. As important as that is, we also want to continue to be a resource to the branches in the areas of technology, telecommunications or business and sales tax licenses.

 

To an outsider, we are a wholesale distributor of insulation products with 50 plus branches, 3 in Canada and 2 manufacturing facilities. But to those of us that work here, what makes GIC so special is Frank’s drive and support of his people.  A lot of the original people are still here because there’s lots of love and dedication. We are all one big happy (most of the time) family. Frank truly is a visionary!

 

Jiayan Zhang (Jenny), Data Analyst, Medford

I was born and raised in China. In 2012, I came to the United States to pursue my education. In 2014, I graduated with a master’s degree in Industrial Engineering from Northeastern University. Seeking a job I went to the campus job board. I saw a posting from General Insulation seeking a ‘data analyst majoring in industrial engineering’. That fit my skills perfectly.

At the time I thought GIC was a computer company managing warehouses. I applied and was interviewed by Frank Granara and Michelle Collins. They made me feel comfortable during the interview and even after I found out they weren’t a computer company, the job was in my field of study and I liked the culture. When they offered me the job, I was excited to take it. As I hoped, from the first day I started working there, I met people who made me feel included and welcomed. Today my office is decorated with photos and sticky notes people gave me. I love it when people stop by and share their own travel experiences with me.

I use the computer to solve problems. I look at data, organize it, interpret it and come up with solutions as a result. We have over 50 branches and each has different challenges. Many of our branch managers are good at sales and product knowledge, but not as comfortable with computers. If you don’t know excel and how to manipulate the data fields, it will take a lot of time to get a clear vision about what the data is telling you. It’s my job to help by making various reports easier to read and interpret so the managers can have a good understanding of what is happening in their branch.

 

My supervisor Steve Shore asked me to figure out a way to arrange the data for them in the easiest way possible, by creating a “one click” method for reports. I took on the challenge and developed a program that the GIC managers use today called the Inventory Tracker/Overview report.  

 

As part of my job I also served as an assistant translator for GIC as they expand with joint venture partners into China. I clarified conversations in meetings, translated emails, reviewed documents and helped in whatever way I was asked. Sometimes it’s not about the words, but about understanding the cultural differences between the U.S. and China. Richard Kirby, our international Business Consultant guides the meetings and I enjoy working with him.

 

I respect my boss Steve Shore. Even though we come from different cultures, he understands what I need and gives me clear direction. While we are not located in the same city, our frequent communication via email, video chats and twice-monthly face-to-face meetings keeps us connected.   He has helped me become a better analyst.   My goal is to be a more independent project manager handling all details of a project from start to finish, instead of working on pieces of a project.

 

GIC has been extremely supportive of my desire to obtain a work visa. Frank introduced me to an immigration attorney who did an excellent job of helping me. It wasn’t easy, and it wasn’t fast, but I finally got my work visa this year. I am so proud.   Even though GIC had never gotten this type of visa for any employee before, they gave me the resources I needed and supported me along the way. I am very grateful. They helped me solve a big problem.   Without their help, I would be working in China today, not here where I want to be.

 

I was pleasantly surprised to receive a birthday card from Frank, and a Christmas gift from the office. In China we don’t celebrate Christmas, we celebrate the Chinese New Year, so this was a new experience for me. I was happy to be included. I consider myself to be adaptable, but the people at GIC made the adjustment to an American culture much easier.

 

GIC is a good place to work. They supported me during a personal hard time when I had to go back to China and I will never forget that. I would tell my friends who want to work here, “General Insulation is a great place to work because they give you the freedom to do your job.”

 

I hope to be part of this great company for many years to come.

 

非常感谢（Thank you so much)

Lorraine Grubbs is an author, speaker and business consultant working as a consultant  with General Insulation.

Melissa Smith is a Regional Territory Manager for General Insulation