April 23, 2025 • 16 mins
FEIN is renowned as a globally active company with roots in Germany that is synonymous with high-quality power tools and accessories, designed for the toughest jobs in industry and manual trades. Having laid the foundations by inventing the electric hand drill, the first power tool in the world, in 1867, Wilhelm Emil Fein founded the FEIN company. FEIN now holds more than 700 active industrial property rights, including around 500 patents and patent applications. FEIN focuses on products and services that are ideal problem solvers for metalwork and are marketed by over 16 subsidiaries and more than 50 offices around the world.
Mark as Played
Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:03):
Welcome in. This is the CEO's You Should Know podcast.
I'm your host, Johnny Heart. Well, let's say look to
Bill Craig, a fine tools. Thank you for joining us,
no problem, glad to be here. So tell us everything
we need to know about your company.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
In ninety seconds, so less sure we can do that.
Go from you know, we're a German company, Find Power Tools,
founded in eighteen sixty seven by Wilhelm our great ancestor.
Really really good quality tools built for the industrial market.
You know, we kind of built the first electric power
tool in eighteen ninety five, the electric drill. Then in
(00:36):
nineteen eighty five we brought out the first oscillating multi tool,
which now everyone uses around their house. And we were
just really had a really great time, you know, throughout
the ages bringing tools and innovation to the forefront. We're
headquartered right here in Pittsburgh and we're happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
All right. So what was your background? What brought you
to Find Tools?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
My background, you know, I grew up my dad in
his shop using tools on the weekends, you know, every time,
fixing everything from our lawnmowers, tractors to the house, you know, plumbing, electrical,
whatever needed to be done, so I kind of fell
in love it from that point, right. I started out
my career in a Bisco tool in Nobisco Cookies and crackers,
but I kind of just my dad had a sales job,
(01:15):
fell in love with that and said, you know what,
I really want to sell tools. So I got in
with the port cable in Delta Machinery, Delta Machinery and
other Pittsburgh based company back then, and then started my
career worked for Ingersol Rand, worked for new rubber Maid
and Erwin and Elynux Tools, and then kind of graduated
over to Fine three years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
All right, so what is your background? What, what what
brought you? What? What made you the CEO of Fine?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I think just the combination of having my sales experience
out in the field selling tools to customers and end users,
and then working inside you know, the companies. I did
channel marketing, which is basically just promotions and pricing, doing
all that work, and then I kind of moved on
to product development. So I kind of had the three pillars, right.
I had the sales, I had the marketing, and I
had the you know, product management as well.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
So if people aren't familiar with Fine, what sets Fine.
What differentiates Fine for maybe other manufacturers, either through innovation
or craftmanship.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I think Fine really is a heavy duty metalworking company. Now,
I think that differentiates us from a lot of other
tools you think about, right, so you think about what
you use around your house, We're really what you use
in an industrial setting, right, So industrial roofing, industrial metalworking,
all the fab shops. I think German quality right differentiates us. Right.
So we're still making tools in Germany even after all
these years, and we focus on tools that last decades,
(02:33):
not years, but decades. So you're going to pass this
tool down and we still have tools in operation for
over forty fifty years.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So who's your target audience? Really?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It is industrial metalworking, So we have a big proponent
of people that do it in general construction. Those are
our osceleting multi tools in our vacuums. But then if
you look at what we've done in the past and
where we're headed in the future, it's really industrial metalworking.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
And now you don't say find tools necessarily in the
big box stores. Is there a reason why?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, you know, the big box stores are really for
the general consumer and DIY customers for the most part,
we're really focused on that industrial heavy duty market. So
you can find our tools on lows dot com and
home depot dot com. But we're really focusing on those
industrial suppliers like Granger, Fast and all MSc. Also local distributors, right,
So local distributors who you know work for the industrial suppliers, right,
(03:22):
So any of the bridge builders in Pittsburgh, they're going
to know where to go and buy a fine tool,
buy a fine anult cutter which is made in Iowa,
you know, So all those tools are available to everybody,
but really through industrial distribution.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
All right, So tell us a little bit about your
local distributors. Is there a reason why they pick up
fine tools?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah? I mean we're one of few companies that really
focus in on that industrial metalworking business, right. So you
think about the big part tool company names, and they're
focused on the general contractor, right, so the drywall or
the framer. There's very few companies anymore that focus on
the true industrial metalworker, and that's where we differentiate ourselves.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
All right. So how long have you been CEO of
Fine Litt Over three years? Now? Okay, So when you
took over, what was what was what was the direction
what was the evolution of your philosophy of CEO and
were what were some of your initial goals and have
you been able to accomplish those goals.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
I think, first of all, when I came in, you know,
the company had gone through a segment of like little
or no growth for a couple of years. So my
goal was to bring that growth back, and we've done that.
I think I also wanted to get away from the
big company culture that i'd been facing, you know, kind
of hey who's going to buy us next? Hey who's
going to get sold next? And I wanted to go
back to that family culture. So I interviewed with mister
(04:33):
Fine himself and asked him. First thing I asked him
was are you going to sell the company? He's like no,
He's like, my great grandfather started this company one hundred
and fifty years ago, and I want to be preparing
it for the next generation. And that really spoke to
me because I think that's a big thing for people nowadays,
right so you never know who you work for. You
never know. I know who I work for. I worked
from mister Fine, and I know where he sits in Germany,
(04:54):
So that's a big deal to me.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Was COVID that you know, you came in right after
COVID was the company, you know, but at the same time,
you know, you know, the construction industry exploded during that
time and you didn't see growth.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
That's surprising, No, it is surprising, and that's that's kind
of what you know, kind of was accelerating the change
at Fine, right, So they knew that they should have
been growing through COVID, so they wanted to make a change.
So I came in and said, hey, you know, every
company that I saw in the industry was growing. What
are we doing That's not working for us? And so
we kind of went back to our roots, went back
to metalworking, and started really getting out in front of
(05:30):
the users. That's really what our focus is now is
getting in front of the users boot to boot with
them and helping them do something faster, better, safer, and
more efficient. So that's really what changed, I think versus
three years ago. I don't think three years ago we
were getting out in front of the user, and that's
where we're headed now. We're trying to get out and
really work with the customers end users so that we
drive business back through distribution.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
All right, So do you do that with salespeople? You
go directly to your distributors. How did you do that?
How were you able to accomplish that? So we go.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Directly to our distributor, work with their sales and they
know the end users, so they take us into the
end users and then we provide the expert sales and
service aspect of it, and also the product knowledge. Right,
so there's a lot that goes into a fine magdrill,
and so you have to know that product in detail.
The distributor salesforces are great, but they have to know
all the tools, whereas our salesforce has to know just fine.
(06:17):
So we kind of bring that in and show the
production people how to save time, save money, and really
get things done.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Have you seen the evolution you see? Are you seeing success?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Yeah, we're seeing success. So the last three years we've
grown not as fast as we want, obviously, but every
year we've seen a little bit of growth over the
prior year and we just keep pushing further and further.
So every year we grow a little bit faster and
a little bit more and we get you know, we
had to retool our salesforce and we're seeing the fruits
of that labor right now, were you.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Able to expand the salesforce?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, we expanded dramatically from what it was before COVID
took a hit, right, so everyone stayed home and with
a boot to boot company where you need to get
in and show industrial people how to use your tools.
That's a hard push for an industrial salesforce. In those times.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
You can educate a salesforce. You can educate the distributors.
What about the end users? Were you able to get
them to really maybe take a look at Fine for
a second second? Look, The biggest thing for us is
getting the tool in front of the users. We know
that ninety five percent of the people who use Fine
tools love find tools. So our key is how do
(07:21):
we get people to use our tools? Right?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So we kicked off a test drive program this year
where you can try a risk free our tools for
thirty days in a production environment. So we go in,
it's a consultation with you and say, hey, what are
you trying to improve? I want to improve my drilling process? Okay, great,
what size holds do you drill, how fast you need
to drill, how fast you're drilling today, and what type
of metal do you drill? In and then we say, okay,
based on all this information, here's a drill. Put it
(07:46):
in your production line for thirty days. We'll be back
in thirty days, and if you love it, you can
buy it from your local distributor. If you don't love it,
we'll pick it up. It's risk free.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
It sounds like you're doing the right things, but we're trying. Well,
what kind of feedback were you getting. We just rolled
it out a few months ago, but we're getting great feedback.
We've had some really big orders from end customers already,
and we're starting to see it take shape and really
build upon our success so far. All right, so how
did you reach the how do you how did you
get them to accept that that trial period.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It's free, it's it's free, it's there's no obligation. All
you have to do is tell us what your challenges
are and we're going to find the right solution and
put it in your hands. And then if you decide, hey,
it didn't work for us, that's okay, we'll try something
else next time.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
So tell us about some of the innovations you're working on.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I think innovations you know, in the last year and
a half we've launched more tools than we launched in
the past ten years. So you know, we're not a
flashy company. We're an engineering based company, right, so we're
constantly evolving the production quality of our tools, the durability
of our tools, and the safety of our tools. So
you're not going to see a lot of the whiz
bang features maybe that some other people you know talk about.
(08:52):
But what you're going to have is a tool that's
going to do the job. It's going to do it faster, better,
and safer than the competition and also lasts a lot longer.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
All right, So do you have anything exciting coming up? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I think the test Tools program is really our big
excitement for this year. I think, you know, we're going
to put more than sixteen hundred tools out there in
production facilities around the country and have people try our tools,
and that's really exciting for us.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
What about when you set out to be a CEO?
What were some of your your long term goals for fine?
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Meeting CEO for fine or might mean me wanting to
be a CEO?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
All right, Oh, let's let's go start with wanting to
be a CEO. What were some of your long term goals.
And now that you are a CEO of Fine, what
is your long term goals for the company.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I think, first of all, you know, you don't. I
don't think at least I didn't grow up wanting to
be a CEO, right, I think you evolve into that.
I think you work for some different companies. You see
what's working, you see what's not working. And my big
thing is I always wanted to try to help the
company do better and make a difference. And the more
I did that, the more where I got involved and said,
(10:01):
you know what, the only way I'm going to be
able to make a true difference is to is to
lead the company build the culture that you want to
work for. And that's kind of what brought me into
being a CEO, is really trying to build that culture
that work hard, play hard. You know, great people at
New rubber Maid, you know the Lennox and Irwin team,
they kind of had that old school mentality, and that's
kind of what I've brought into Fine.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
You know, Pittsburgh kind of has a philosophy of you know,
play hard, work hard, and and and so it's interesting.
You know, obviously, German engineering is is famous worldwide but
why the headquarters here in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Interesting story. It used to be a joint venture between
the German Company and a local person, Chris Cable, So
there was a Pittsburgh person who owned part of it,
and then also the German company owned part of it.
Years ago we bought out Chris Cable, and that's why
it was in Pittsburgh because it was originally co owned
with someone from Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Okay, but this is this is a this is an
international company and so and for you, it's a it's
a national company. It goes from coast to coast. Correct,
So what kind of how what's the advantages of having
headquarters in Pittsburgh and what are some of the challenges.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I think, first of all, it's great people, right, We've
got a ton of great people that really really Pittsburgh
is home for me. Now, you know, I married a
girl from Pittsburgh, went to college locally near Pittsburgh. So
I always kind of love that work hard, play hard
culture that Pittsburgh brings. And that's the type of people
we want in our business. So having that type of
culture in the city already helps us get the best
(11:34):
people to retain, attract talent and get people we know
are going to work hard and really, you know, want
to be part of something all right.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
So you have play hard, work hard individuals here in Pittsburgh,
but you know you're selling nationally. Are you getting that
kind of effort from maybe other states?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Absolutely? I think we've learned over the process of three
years of interviewing and challenging ourselves, is like, we know
what works for people. Now you have to have that
boot to boot mentality, right. Our best sales people are
the people who like to get in front of customers
and like to solve problems. And I think we if
we interview for that, we have a lot of success.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Do you have any personal philosophy when it comes to
being a CEO or your your management style and who
who influenced that style?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
I think it comes down to, is this a company
that I would want to work for?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Right?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I want to lead it in a way that I
would be happy as a worker, meaning that I want
people who are all in, who are passionate about it,
and who believe that by doing a good job, they're
going to elevate the rest of the team around them.
And again, I think you know, two of my influencers
are Bill Burke from New Rubbermaid really helped me in
my career. And then also rich Rich Matthews was my
(12:45):
first marketing VP. I think, you know, his vision kind
of you know, helped craft who I am today and
helped kind of shape you know what I believe in.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
What's your biggest challenge as CEO?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I think it's always come down to people right. Can
you find the right people? Can you get them to
buy and buy in and be all in all the time?
And that's challenging. I mean, think about your daily life
for you are you bought in all day every time?
And as a small company, that's our biggest challenge. When
you have a thousand people in a company, you know
you can deal with some people who maybe who aren't
(13:20):
all in every day. When you have a small company
like we are, you have to be bought in every
single day because every single person, every single day matters.
And if you bring not your best to work, we
know it and we feel it.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
That's kind of a Pittsburgh philosophy. I think a lot
of us grew up with that kind of philosophy. What
are you most proud of?
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Probably my wife and my four kids. But if we're
talking about work. I'm proud of the fact that I
came in three years ago and the business was not
in good shape, and I think now it's in better shape.
We've moved forward, We've implemented a new operating system, We've
got new people in the salesforce, and we're out there
every single day hitting our metrics. And I know that
if we do the right things in the right way,
(14:02):
we'll have success.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Which is tougher being a CEO of a company or
managing four children.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Depends on the day, but I would say I would
say that four children take the cake for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
So tell us about your family.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Well, I have two boys and two girls. You know,
I've got hockey players. I've got you know, kids that
just love to be out there doing things. My oldest
is a teacher now, you know. My youngest daughter is
going to grad school now. So it's just it's just
a crazy time.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
All right. So final thoughts or advice for the audience,
especially for those for those early in their careers, So
tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I think the big thing is find out what you're
passionate about, right, and don't overlook the small company. You
really want to go out there and figure out, Hey,
what am I passionate about, what do I want to
do every day? What do I want to bring my
effort towards. And if you can be passed about it
and show up every single day and bring your best,
I think that's where you're going to be successful.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Can you tell us a little bit about either your
personal or your company's involvement with giving back to the community.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I think we focus heavily on giving back through basically
our matching program. So if anyone in our on our
team wants to do a charity event, the company has
a matching program. So I'd love to see us do
something maybe more as a company as a whole in
the future, but for right now, we're doing a matching
program so that if you're going to run in a
marathon and it's a charity marathon, or if you're going
(15:31):
to do a bikethon, we're going to match your contribution.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So you're giving back to the employee employees and helping
them out with when it comes to their charitable exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
That's giving them time off to do it and then
giving them some support financially to match their donations.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
You're a fascinating Guy Bill, thank you so much for
your time, appreciate.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
It and thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
This has been the CEOs you should know podcast, showcasing
businesses that are driving our regional economy. Part of iHeartMedia's
commitment to the communities we serve. Johnny Hartwell, thank you
so much.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Risk Now
Welcome in. This is the CEO's You Should Know podcast.
I'm your host, Johnny Heart. Well, let's say look to
Bill Craig, a fine tools. Thank you for joining us,
no problem, glad to be here. So tell us everything
we need to know about your company.
Speaker 2 (00:15):
In ninety seconds, so less sure we can do that.
Go from you know, we're a German company, Find Power Tools,
founded in eighteen sixty seven by Wilhelm our great ancestor.
Really really good quality tools built for the industrial market.
You know, we kind of built the first electric power
tool in eighteen ninety five, the electric drill. Then in
(00:36):
nineteen eighty five we brought out the first oscillating multi tool,
which now everyone uses around their house. And we were
just really had a really great time, you know, throughout
the ages bringing tools and innovation to the forefront. We're
headquartered right here in Pittsburgh and we're happy to be here.
Speaker 1 (00:50):
All right. So what was your background? What brought you
to Find Tools?
Speaker 2 (00:54):
My background, you know, I grew up my dad in
his shop using tools on the weekends, you know, every time,
fixing everything from our lawnmowers, tractors to the house, you know, plumbing, electrical,
whatever needed to be done, so I kind of fell
in love it from that point, right. I started out
my career in a Bisco tool in Nobisco Cookies and crackers,
but I kind of just my dad had a sales job,
(01:15):
fell in love with that and said, you know what,
I really want to sell tools. So I got in
with the port cable in Delta Machinery, Delta Machinery and
other Pittsburgh based company back then, and then started my
career worked for Ingersol Rand, worked for new rubber Maid
and Erwin and Elynux Tools, and then kind of graduated
over to Fine three years ago.
Speaker 1 (01:32):
All right, so what is your background? What, what what
brought you? What? What made you the CEO of Fine?
Speaker 2 (01:38):
I think just the combination of having my sales experience
out in the field selling tools to customers and end users,
and then working inside you know, the companies. I did
channel marketing, which is basically just promotions and pricing, doing
all that work, and then I kind of moved on
to product development. So I kind of had the three pillars, right.
I had the sales, I had the marketing, and I
had the you know, product management as well.
Speaker 1 (01:59):
So if people aren't familiar with Fine, what sets Fine.
What differentiates Fine for maybe other manufacturers, either through innovation
or craftmanship.
Speaker 2 (02:10):
I think Fine really is a heavy duty metalworking company. Now,
I think that differentiates us from a lot of other
tools you think about, right, so you think about what
you use around your house, We're really what you use
in an industrial setting, right, So industrial roofing, industrial metalworking,
all the fab shops. I think German quality right differentiates us. Right.
So we're still making tools in Germany even after all
these years, and we focus on tools that last decades,
(02:33):
not years, but decades. So you're going to pass this
tool down and we still have tools in operation for
over forty fifty years.
Speaker 1 (02:40):
So who's your target audience? Really?
Speaker 2 (02:42):
It is industrial metalworking, So we have a big proponent
of people that do it in general construction. Those are
our osceleting multi tools in our vacuums. But then if
you look at what we've done in the past and
where we're headed in the future, it's really industrial metalworking.
Speaker 1 (02:54):
And now you don't say find tools necessarily in the
big box stores. Is there a reason why?
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Yeah, you know, the big box stores are really for
the general consumer and DIY customers for the most part,
we're really focused on that industrial heavy duty market. So
you can find our tools on lows dot com and
home depot dot com. But we're really focusing on those
industrial suppliers like Granger, Fast and all MSc. Also local distributors, right,
So local distributors who you know work for the industrial suppliers, right,
(03:22):
So any of the bridge builders in Pittsburgh, they're going
to know where to go and buy a fine tool,
buy a fine anult cutter which is made in Iowa,
you know, So all those tools are available to everybody,
but really through industrial distribution.
Speaker 1 (03:33):
All right, So tell us a little bit about your
local distributors. Is there a reason why they pick up
fine tools?
Speaker 2 (03:39):
Yeah? I mean we're one of few companies that really
focus in on that industrial metalworking business, right. So you
think about the big part tool company names, and they're
focused on the general contractor, right, so the drywall or
the framer. There's very few companies anymore that focus on
the true industrial metalworker, and that's where we differentiate ourselves.
Speaker 1 (03:55):
All right. So how long have you been CEO of
Fine Litt Over three years? Now? Okay, So when you
took over, what was what was what was the direction
what was the evolution of your philosophy of CEO and
were what were some of your initial goals and have
you been able to accomplish those goals.
Speaker 2 (04:12):
I think, first of all, when I came in, you know,
the company had gone through a segment of like little
or no growth for a couple of years. So my
goal was to bring that growth back, and we've done that.
I think I also wanted to get away from the
big company culture that i'd been facing, you know, kind
of hey who's going to buy us next? Hey who's
going to get sold next? And I wanted to go
back to that family culture. So I interviewed with mister
(04:33):
Fine himself and asked him. First thing I asked him
was are you going to sell the company? He's like no,
He's like, my great grandfather started this company one hundred
and fifty years ago, and I want to be preparing
it for the next generation. And that really spoke to
me because I think that's a big thing for people nowadays,
right so you never know who you work for. You
never know. I know who I work for. I worked
from mister Fine, and I know where he sits in Germany,
(04:54):
So that's a big deal to me.
Speaker 1 (04:56):
Was COVID that you know, you came in right after
COVID was the company, you know, but at the same time,
you know, you know, the construction industry exploded during that
time and you didn't see growth.
Speaker 2 (05:09):
That's surprising, No, it is surprising, and that's that's kind
of what you know, kind of was accelerating the change
at Fine, right, So they knew that they should have
been growing through COVID, so they wanted to make a change.
So I came in and said, hey, you know, every
company that I saw in the industry was growing. What
are we doing That's not working for us? And so
we kind of went back to our roots, went back
to metalworking, and started really getting out in front of
(05:30):
the users. That's really what our focus is now is
getting in front of the users boot to boot with
them and helping them do something faster, better, safer, and
more efficient. So that's really what changed, I think versus
three years ago. I don't think three years ago we
were getting out in front of the user, and that's
where we're headed now. We're trying to get out and
really work with the customers end users so that we
drive business back through distribution.
Speaker 1 (05:50):
All right, So do you do that with salespeople? You
go directly to your distributors. How did you do that?
How were you able to accomplish that? So we go.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
Directly to our distributor, work with their sales and they
know the end users, so they take us into the
end users and then we provide the expert sales and
service aspect of it, and also the product knowledge. Right,
so there's a lot that goes into a fine magdrill,
and so you have to know that product in detail.
The distributor salesforces are great, but they have to know
all the tools, whereas our salesforce has to know just fine.
(06:17):
So we kind of bring that in and show the
production people how to save time, save money, and really
get things done.
Speaker 1 (06:23):
Have you seen the evolution you see? Are you seeing success?
Speaker 2 (06:27):
Yeah, we're seeing success. So the last three years we've
grown not as fast as we want, obviously, but every
year we've seen a little bit of growth over the
prior year and we just keep pushing further and further.
So every year we grow a little bit faster and
a little bit more and we get you know, we
had to retool our salesforce and we're seeing the fruits
of that labor right now, were you.
Speaker 1 (06:45):
Able to expand the salesforce?
Speaker 2 (06:47):
Yeah, we expanded dramatically from what it was before COVID
took a hit, right, so everyone stayed home and with
a boot to boot company where you need to get
in and show industrial people how to use your tools.
That's a hard push for an industrial salesforce. In those times.
Speaker 1 (07:01):
You can educate a salesforce. You can educate the distributors.
What about the end users? Were you able to get
them to really maybe take a look at Fine for
a second second? Look, The biggest thing for us is
getting the tool in front of the users. We know
that ninety five percent of the people who use Fine
tools love find tools. So our key is how do
(07:21):
we get people to use our tools? Right?
Speaker 2 (07:23):
So we kicked off a test drive program this year
where you can try a risk free our tools for
thirty days in a production environment. So we go in,
it's a consultation with you and say, hey, what are
you trying to improve? I want to improve my drilling process? Okay, great,
what size holds do you drill, how fast you need
to drill, how fast you're drilling today, and what type
of metal do you drill? In and then we say, okay,
based on all this information, here's a drill. Put it
(07:46):
in your production line for thirty days. We'll be back
in thirty days, and if you love it, you can
buy it from your local distributor. If you don't love it,
we'll pick it up. It's risk free.
Speaker 1 (07:52):
It sounds like you're doing the right things, but we're trying. Well,
what kind of feedback were you getting. We just rolled
it out a few months ago, but we're getting great feedback.
We've had some really big orders from end customers already,
and we're starting to see it take shape and really
build upon our success so far. All right, so how
did you reach the how do you how did you
get them to accept that that trial period.
Speaker 2 (08:14):
It's free, it's it's free, it's there's no obligation. All
you have to do is tell us what your challenges
are and we're going to find the right solution and
put it in your hands. And then if you decide, hey,
it didn't work for us, that's okay, we'll try something
else next time.
Speaker 1 (08:27):
So tell us about some of the innovations you're working on.
Speaker 2 (08:30):
I think innovations you know, in the last year and
a half we've launched more tools than we launched in
the past ten years. So you know, we're not a
flashy company. We're an engineering based company, right, so we're
constantly evolving the production quality of our tools, the durability
of our tools, and the safety of our tools. So
you're not going to see a lot of the whiz
bang features maybe that some other people you know talk about.
(08:52):
But what you're going to have is a tool that's
going to do the job. It's going to do it faster, better,
and safer than the competition and also lasts a lot longer.
Speaker 1 (08:58):
All right, So do you have anything exciting coming up? Yeah?
Speaker 2 (09:02):
I think the test Tools program is really our big
excitement for this year. I think, you know, we're going
to put more than sixteen hundred tools out there in
production facilities around the country and have people try our tools,
and that's really exciting for us.
Speaker 1 (09:14):
What about when you set out to be a CEO?
What were some of your your long term goals for fine?
Speaker 2 (09:23):
Meeting CEO for fine or might mean me wanting to
be a CEO?
Speaker 1 (09:27):
All right, Oh, let's let's go start with wanting to
be a CEO. What were some of your long term goals.
And now that you are a CEO of Fine, what
is your long term goals for the company.
Speaker 2 (09:39):
I think, first of all, you know, you don't. I
don't think at least I didn't grow up wanting to
be a CEO, right, I think you evolve into that.
I think you work for some different companies. You see
what's working, you see what's not working. And my big
thing is I always wanted to try to help the
company do better and make a difference. And the more
I did that, the more where I got involved and said,
(10:01):
you know what, the only way I'm going to be
able to make a true difference is to is to
lead the company build the culture that you want to
work for. And that's kind of what brought me into
being a CEO, is really trying to build that culture
that work hard, play hard. You know, great people at
New rubber Maid, you know the Lennox and Irwin team,
they kind of had that old school mentality, and that's
kind of what I've brought into Fine.
Speaker 1 (10:22):
You know, Pittsburgh kind of has a philosophy of you know,
play hard, work hard, and and and so it's interesting.
You know, obviously, German engineering is is famous worldwide but
why the headquarters here in Pittsburgh.
Speaker 2 (10:37):
Interesting story. It used to be a joint venture between
the German Company and a local person, Chris Cable, So
there was a Pittsburgh person who owned part of it,
and then also the German company owned part of it.
Years ago we bought out Chris Cable, and that's why
it was in Pittsburgh because it was originally co owned
with someone from Pittsburgh.
Speaker 1 (10:54):
Okay, but this is this is a this is an
international company and so and for you, it's a it's
a national company. It goes from coast to coast. Correct,
So what kind of how what's the advantages of having
headquarters in Pittsburgh and what are some of the challenges.
Speaker 2 (11:11):
I think, first of all, it's great people, right, We've
got a ton of great people that really really Pittsburgh
is home for me. Now, you know, I married a
girl from Pittsburgh, went to college locally near Pittsburgh. So
I always kind of love that work hard, play hard
culture that Pittsburgh brings. And that's the type of people
we want in our business. So having that type of
culture in the city already helps us get the best
(11:34):
people to retain, attract talent and get people we know
are going to work hard and really, you know, want
to be part of something all right.
Speaker 1 (11:40):
So you have play hard, work hard individuals here in Pittsburgh,
but you know you're selling nationally. Are you getting that
kind of effort from maybe other states?
Speaker 2 (11:49):
Absolutely? I think we've learned over the process of three
years of interviewing and challenging ourselves, is like, we know
what works for people. Now you have to have that
boot to boot mentality, right. Our best sales people are
the people who like to get in front of customers
and like to solve problems. And I think we if
we interview for that, we have a lot of success.
Speaker 1 (12:07):
Do you have any personal philosophy when it comes to
being a CEO or your your management style and who
who influenced that style?
Speaker 2 (12:18):
I think it comes down to, is this a company
that I would want to work for?
Speaker 1 (12:23):
Right?
Speaker 2 (12:23):
I want to lead it in a way that I
would be happy as a worker, meaning that I want
people who are all in, who are passionate about it,
and who believe that by doing a good job, they're
going to elevate the rest of the team around them.
And again, I think you know, two of my influencers
are Bill Burke from New Rubbermaid really helped me in
my career. And then also rich Rich Matthews was my
(12:45):
first marketing VP. I think, you know, his vision kind
of you know, helped craft who I am today and
helped kind of shape you know what I believe in.
Speaker 1 (12:54):
What's your biggest challenge as CEO?
Speaker 2 (12:57):
I think it's always come down to people right. Can
you find the right people? Can you get them to
buy and buy in and be all in all the time?
And that's challenging. I mean, think about your daily life
for you are you bought in all day every time?
And as a small company, that's our biggest challenge. When
you have a thousand people in a company, you know
you can deal with some people who maybe who aren't
(13:20):
all in every day. When you have a small company
like we are, you have to be bought in every
single day because every single person, every single day matters.
And if you bring not your best to work, we
know it and we feel it.
Speaker 1 (13:32):
That's kind of a Pittsburgh philosophy. I think a lot
of us grew up with that kind of philosophy. What
are you most proud of?
Speaker 2 (13:40):
Probably my wife and my four kids. But if we're
talking about work. I'm proud of the fact that I
came in three years ago and the business was not
in good shape, and I think now it's in better shape.
We've moved forward, We've implemented a new operating system, We've
got new people in the salesforce, and we're out there
every single day hitting our metrics. And I know that
if we do the right things in the right way,
(14:02):
we'll have success.
Speaker 1 (14:04):
Which is tougher being a CEO of a company or
managing four children.
Speaker 2 (14:11):
Depends on the day, but I would say I would
say that four children take the cake for sure.
Speaker 1 (14:16):
So tell us about your family.
Speaker 2 (14:18):
Well, I have two boys and two girls. You know,
I've got hockey players. I've got you know, kids that
just love to be out there doing things. My oldest
is a teacher now, you know. My youngest daughter is
going to grad school now. So it's just it's just
a crazy time.
Speaker 1 (14:35):
All right. So final thoughts or advice for the audience,
especially for those for those early in their careers, So
tell us about that.
Speaker 2 (14:45):
I think the big thing is find out what you're
passionate about, right, and don't overlook the small company. You
really want to go out there and figure out, Hey,
what am I passionate about, what do I want to
do every day? What do I want to bring my
effort towards. And if you can be passed about it
and show up every single day and bring your best,
I think that's where you're going to be successful.
Speaker 1 (15:05):
Can you tell us a little bit about either your
personal or your company's involvement with giving back to the community.
Speaker 2 (15:11):
I think we focus heavily on giving back through basically
our matching program. So if anyone in our on our
team wants to do a charity event, the company has
a matching program. So I'd love to see us do
something maybe more as a company as a whole in
the future, but for right now, we're doing a matching
program so that if you're going to run in a
marathon and it's a charity marathon, or if you're going
(15:31):
to do a bikethon, we're going to match your contribution.
Speaker 1 (15:34):
So you're giving back to the employee employees and helping
them out with when it comes to their charitable exactly.
Speaker 2 (15:41):
That's giving them time off to do it and then
giving them some support financially to match their donations.
Speaker 1 (15:46):
You're a fascinating Guy Bill, thank you so much for
your time, appreciate.
Speaker 2 (15:49):
It and thanks for having me.
Speaker 1 (15:51):
This has been the CEOs you should know podcast, showcasing
businesses that are driving our regional economy. Part of iHeartMedia's
commitment to the communities we serve. Johnny Hartwell, thank you
so much.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Risk Now
Popular Podcasts
The Breakfast Club
The World's Most Dangerous Morning Show, The Breakfast Club, With DJ Envy And Charlamagne Tha God!
Dateline NBC
Current and classic episodes, featuring compelling true-crime mysteries, powerful documentaries and in-depth investigations. Follow now to get the latest episodes of Dateline NBC completely free, or subscribe to Dateline Premium for ad-free listening and exclusive bonus content: DatelinePremium.com
Decisions, Decisions
Welcome to "Decisions, Decisions," the podcast where boundaries are pushed, and conversations get candid! Join your favorite hosts, Mandii B and WeezyWTF, as they dive deep into the world of non-traditional relationships and explore the often-taboo topics surrounding dating, sex, and love. Every Monday, Mandii and Weezy invite you to unlearn the outdated narratives dictated by traditional patriarchal norms. With a blend of humor, vulnerability, and authenticity, they share their personal journeys navigating their 30s, tackling the complexities of modern relationships, and engaging in thought-provoking discussions that challenge societal expectations. From groundbreaking interviews with diverse guests to relatable stories that resonate with your experiences, "Decisions, Decisions" is your go-to source for open dialogue about what it truly means to love and connect in today's world. Get ready to reshape your understanding of relationships and embrace the freedom of authentic connections—tune in and join the conversation!