When you first started at MI Windows, did you think you’d end up being here 40 years?
JM: I was hoping. I really liked the company, liked the people. I saw a vision that Pete (DeSoto) and Sam Sitlinger had for the company, and I was sort of hopeful that it would be a long ride, definitely.
Why do you think you’ve remained here all these years?
JM: I really enjoyed the people. I enjoyed the company. I enjoyed the vision, like I said, that Pete had for the company, knowing that there was a lot of opportunity with the company.
Could you mention some of the positions that you’ve held since you’ve been here?
JM: I was the first true customer service rep for MI, where my sole job was to make sure the customer was satisfied. That evolved into becoming the customer service manager when we got bigger. I then was the administrator for the Home Depot account. I then became the Home Depot national account manager, and that evolved into focusing on the replacement products that we’re trying to emphasize. So I’ve been working mainly with R and R products for the last 19 years in various roles as a sales manager and now as the program manager for replacement windows and new construction.
How do you think you’ve contributed to MI’s success through the years?
JM: I just think that I really valued working for the company. I enjoyed it. I learned something from Robert Williams years ago. He said to just do something good every day for the company, so on my way to work I still think, ‘What am I going to do today to help the company be better?’ Sometimes that doesn’t work out that way and plans go crazy by about 8:15. But that’s still my goal: to do something every day.
Has the culture here at the company changed since you started here?
JM: No, I think the one constant has been the culture and the people. Obviously, over 40 years, the technology has changed dramatically. I don’t want to date myself, but I can remember when we got the first fax machine, we thought we were in heaven. So the technology as far as making the product has changed dramatically, the communications, how the orders are processed obviously has come a long way. But the main constant has been the people, and the focus and the culture has always been the No. 1 factor in why the company’s been so successful.
What was the most memorable day or event that you’ve ever had here at MI Windows?
JM: It might have been when we actually moved into this facility, the (Operations Support Center), because I think that’s when we realized that we were a real player in the industry, that we had a showcase that could bring customers in. Before that, our offices were in the actual manufacturing plant. So to actually have a showcase of an office building really showed customers that we were here to stay and that we were a true player in the industry.
How do you think the fenestration industry has changed in the last 40 years?
JM: Fenestration itself has put a much bigger focus on energy efficiency. Obviously, some of the energy shortages and oil shortages and things like that in the past have forced companies to come up with products that are going to help the consumer save money through heating and cooling. So that’s been probably the biggest focus. It’s a lot stricter as far as structural guidelines when you get into hurricane zones and things like that. They’ve come a long way as far as the structural integrity of the product.
To learn more about career opportunities at MI Windows, go to https://miwindows.com/careers