Distribution Talk

"I think one of the common denominators to me for the successful people out there… is the word curiosity. The word curiosity means, to me, that you care...that you ask questions and you want to learn and you're still thirsty for growing each and every day." ~Greg Drouillard, Target Building Materials, LTD.

If you're searching for a prime example of "a body in motion stays in motion," look no further than Greg Drouillard. As the owner of Target Building Materials, LTD. in Windsor, Ontario, he likes to be part of the action - in the office, on the trails, and out in his community.

I had the chance to catch up with Greg to discuss some familiar Distribution Talk themes and look ahead at the business landscape, post-pandemic. I also discover what's at the literal heart of Greg's commitment to physical fitness and his motivation to stay curious, enthused, and grateful.

"I never wanted to be a bleacher creature. I wanted to be involved and be on the playing field or on the ice... I didn't want to be a bench sitter and I've always put my hand up to say yes. I like to be involved."

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader

Connect with Greg on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/greg-drouillard-48b82112/

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The desire to contribute has kept Greg in the game since he first climbed into the seat of a forklift as a teenager. As fun as those hours in his family's warehouse were, Greg had aspirations elsewhere. Up in the air, to be exact.

Administrative opportunities and advancement at Air Canada followed but the family business eventually came calling so Greg went back - on his terms. "I said, I will enter into your business, based on the condition...I start from the rock bottom and I want to learn the business. I want no favors. I want no stripes on my shoulder until I earn them."

That was over forty years ago. It's safe to say that Greg has since earned his stripes, leading by example from the field rather than the sidelines. He's participated in multiple organizations including ACDI/VOCA and STAFDA, for which he served as president). He's also served four tours of duty as head of TORBSA, the organization of independent Canadian building supply owners. Greg's a serious advocate for membership, pointing to organizations as encouraging spaces in which to build confidence, make connections, and gain access to elite minds in the business.

Outside of his professional and civic engagements, Greg leans on his love of physical activity and learning to stay sharp. The current pandemic mirrors a health crisis he suffered several years ago in that the experience taught him to fully appreciate all he has and to seek out new avenues for strengthening overall wellbeing for the long haul.

"The three words that I try to live my life by is balance, variety, and moderation." But he's not about to take a seat in the bleachers anytime soon. Greg knows that post-pandemic business will require marathoners, not sprinters.

CONNECT WITH GREG

Target Building Materials, LTD https://targetsupply.com/

"It's all about endurance. We're in this for the long haul and we're going to need the grit, we're going to need to know that what we do is important enough that what we do contributes to so many lives and to society... We owe it to ourselves to dig deep and find that grit that gets us over that finish line." ~Dirk Beveridge

Dirk Beveridge first appeared on DT episode 022, sharing his formidable insight into the steps distributorships could take to successfully navigate rapid changes.

A prescient conversation in light of COVID-19. In this latest conversation, Dirk offers insight into what leaders can do now so their companies thrive in the brave new world of post-pandemic commerce. He also unveils Shift To Tomorrow, his latest program designed specifically for leaders managing through this (or any other) crisis.

"I elect to create the future and I think that's what we have the opportunity to do." Dirk's irrepressible optimism is balanced by levelheaded foresight. He's under no illusions that post-pandemic transformation will take a lot of elbow grease, a commodity that's already in limited supply for even the most successful distributors.

Shelter-in-place orders have obliterated some long-range plans while accelerating others and, suddenly, the future is a lot closer than we ever realized. "We know the world's going to change," says Dirk. "We got to identify those opportunities...we're going to have to seize an opportunity that's out there."

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader

Connect with Dirk on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dirkbeveridge

***

Not one for perpetuating 'do as I say, not as I do' dogma, he's identified a need for community and solidarity in the midst of the pandemic and made a quick pivot of his own. Shift To Tomorrow was born out of his tremendous sense of service to the industry and the people he loves. "We said, 'What are we going to do?' And before we said [that], we said, 'What does our tribe need?' They need to be hugged. They need to be inspired. They need insight. And, they need connection."

The virtual program, which began with his open letter to the industry, guides decision-makers through crisis management and future-proofing by reassessing five core points of their business: vision, culture, value proposition, business model, and transformative leadership.

Dirk believes companies can effectively come out of crisis stronger than they went in by reinforcing that five-point foundation. "I think each of those five things are going to require change and in some cases, transformation," he says, but the C-suite couldn't ask for a better cheerleader.

"The weight of responsibility they have, in good times and bad times, the risk they take, the vision they create for the future, what they create out of thin air…," he says, equally awed and inspired by their contributions, "I believe we take that entrepreneurialism for granted." It'll take renewed endurance and recalibrated plan but Dirk's in distribution's corner.

BONUS! Check out the resources Dirk mentioned here:

Innovate! How Successful Distributors Lead Change In Disruptive Times

Conversation with Saul Kaplan: Using The Pandemic As A Launchpad For Business Innovation

UnleashWD

Shift to Tomorrow

"I've told our people over the years say, we're not just selling pipe valves...we're actually helping build automobiles and airplanes and chemicals that are used in just about everything in the country and I tried to paint a bigger picture of, you know, how important we really are." -Kip Miller

Kip Miller, president and CEO of Eastern Industrial Supply Inc. out of Greenville, SC, shares with us some of the lessons he's learned about managing - and growing - through challenges. Our conversation touches on Kip's initial trial by fire and the question anyone who wants to become a better leader and a happier person should ask themselves: How do you want to live?

"The only place where real, true learning takes place is trial and error through making mistakes." And, with that, Kip busts the myth that exemplary leaders are infallible from day one on the job.

His story, and that of his company, is one with peaks and valleys to rival any great novel. The fresh-faced college grad lands a great job just before recession hits the early 80s and stays on through a buyout, loyal to the man who originally hired him.

But his good fortune is followed by bittersweet opportunity when his boss is struck by illness and a massive heart attack, leaving the company in his hands. Kip was just 29 years old when he inherited Eastern Supply's 12 employees and debt load. "I certainly didn't have the leadership or the business experience I needed. But, I certainly went through a quick business education."

The original dozen stuck by him, forging on and slowly paying down the debt. "Then we picked up a huge... project of a new textile mill being built. We were off and running and we've not looked back since."

***

Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Kip on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/kip-miller/

***

The company may not be looking back, but Kip has. As an introspective thought-leader, his posts are refreshingly transparent. He's not shy of detailing his struggles or discussing the changes he's put into practice on his way to becoming the leader - the person - he's always wanted to be.

"I used to be a person that played their cards really close to the vest and didn't want anybody to see you sweat," he says about his earlier management persona, the silent intimidator. "So, I had to learn about who I was, what my personality type was, where I was challenged in those areas, and what steps I needed to take to overcome those."

He credits his original employees for bringing some of those early management shortcomings to his attention and for helping him create a company culture that remains, to this day, steadfastly aligned with its five core values: caring, honesty, integrity, self-responsibility, and positivity.

Kip views those principles as the bedrock of Eastern Industrial Supply's service to the country, painting the bigger picture as he reminds his staff that they're not just selling plumbing parts, they're actually helping to build all the industries that keep the country running.

Kip's message is doubly important as the world ventures into the uncharted territory of a global pandemic. And now is the perfect time for leaders at every level to ask themselves his simple question: "How do I want to live? I think that's a tremendously important question."

Listen in to find out how Kip's planning to live his answer.

BONUS BOOK CLUB: Recommendations from Kip's own reading.

The Man In The Mirror - by Patrick Morley

Halftime: Moving From Success To Significance - by Bob Buford

"We oftentimes say it's not the incentive why people buy from you, it's the cherry on top of the cheesecake. But the incentive, if designed properly, puts a spotlight on the value that you bring." -Lincoln Smith

With everything you've got going on, here's a topic you might not have considered: loyalty programs. Business has been thrown an unprecedented curveball over the last few weeks.

Lincoln Smith, chief strategy officer at HMI Performance Incentive, says rewards packages could hit a home run for B2B pros looking to boost their profiles and bottom lines in the months and years ahead.

"At the end of the day, distributors are looking for opportunities to differentiate themselves, to create a stronger relationship with their customers and then drive behaviors that are in the interest of both the contractor [and] the customer." That desire to foster long-lasting connections has been with Lincoln since he began working with HMI 20+ years ago.

And he's not just paying lip-service to our industry. He and HMI have serious street cred, having participated in NAW and HARDI. Originally the domain of consumer transactions - about 97% of us are passively or actively enrolled in some sort of loyalty plan - participation has expanded to include B2B incentivizing. This adoption rate makes sense given that HMI's data shows a direct link between good loyalty programs and overall margin enhancement. It's a behavioral economics win-win.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Lincoln on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/lincolnsmith/

***

Amplifying value-added services is another incentive program win-win, especially in situations where a company's natural humility gets in the way of communicating their full worth.

"I think that a lot of wholesalers discount that value," says Lincoln. "I think that they could do a better job of highlighting it in a myriad of different ways."

To that end, HMI takes an agency approach to their consulting, devising strategies for companies to enhance their messaging, maybe through something as simple as adding a services tab to their website. "These are just communication and engagement tactics to deliver that message on a more consistent or maybe a more meaningful way."

Many distributors and wholesalers are being forced to meet challenges that were at the tail end of their do-to lists. HMI is stepping in with innovative solutions for any size business.

"These programs can really be designed to drive certain behaviors," says Lincoln. "As an example, it's now no longer just do this, get that. Here we are in April of 2020 and the world looks a little bit different, this month than it did just six weeks ago now."

The drastic changes might warrant a tactical refresh and programs like those built by HMI become much more relevant as your business searches for an advantage in the business environment of the very near future.

"We want to come out of this stronger, we absolutely do. And we want to, if we can, come out of this more connected, sharing of similar values, sharing of similar thoughts, and direction. I think that we do have a tremendous opportunity to change the paradigm going forward here." -Jason Bader

"There's so much trust that is required to have an effective buyer-seller relationship. It's still an open question mark. Can you develop that kind of trust virtually as opposed to physically?" -Marshall Jones

There's no question that a distributorship faces challenges from time to time. What happens to the industry landscape when the entire world is hit with the same crisis?

As the COVID-19 pandemic continues to pass grim milestones, it's impossible to answer that question definitively. Only time can tell which practices our community will return to and which will give way to innovation.

As my business partner Marshall Jones and I continue to watch events unfold, one thing has become clear to us: business has been forever altered in the span of only a few short weeks. In this episode, we assess the positive and negative impact of those changes.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Marshall on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marshall-jones-89933240/

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"I think it's very early to determine whether or not it's going to have a long-standing effect on how we communicate in distribution," says Marshall. The pandemic-related ubiquity of online meeting platforms like Zoom has become a lifeline in the age of social distancing, a tool for company survival.

While not ideal for some companies, staff meetings are conducted remotely. But what about those clients with whom in-person contact was the norm? How does an outside salesperson's value translate via the screen? Has the pandemic brought us to an inevitable tipping point?

"You know, the extinction of the outside salesperson has been predicted many, many times in the last, 50, 60 years. And they're resilient creatures. They keep coming back."

Customer relationships aren't the only connections managers should be taking a close look at right now. How are team members handling remote work? While some may thrive on the noise and camaraderie of a typical office bullpen, I'm hearing that others - often those without children at home - are more productive at home, away from distractions.

How will businesses reintegrate staff once shelter-in-place orders are lifted? And what does post-pandemic service look like will-call and walk-up windows? Are there deficiencies in your procedures that the crisis has exploited?

Whether companies were looking to make changes or not, changes are coming. "Leadership really needs to spend a lot of time as people start to come back, listening to what went well during the quarantine, during the stay at home time, and what they struggled with."

The environment we're facing now, the way that we're trying to connect right now and communicate right now, will have an impact. It's going to put a dent in tradition. When the current crisis is over, who will be satisfied going back to business as usual?

As owners and managers, we want what's best for our customers and our employees. Take time now to ask yourself, what does our service look like in the future?

"You don't build consensus around what people think. You build consensus around why they think it." ~Terrence Metz

Chances are good that you've got a meeting scheduled today. Assuming that it starts on time, how many of Terrence Metz's eight meeting killers will your team slay before agendas are abandoned, egos bruised, and goals sidelined?

As managing director of MG Rush Facilitation Training and Coaching, Terrence has built a career helping businesses and organizations conduct faster, more productive meetings. His insights could revolutionize your next meeting and promote higher-quality outcomes.

"We would be better off running more workshops and having fewer meetings," says Terrence of the stagnation prevalent in meeting culture today. He notes that once-productive sessions have devolved into little more than discussions.

"The problem is most people can't get prepared well enough to know what they would do in a workshop environment. They use meetings to lift the fog high enough that they can figure out what they should do until the next meeting, and that's quite dastardly."

It's no wonder that businesses and organizations waste precious energy trying to reach consensus when a majority of the decision-makers don't even have time to adequately prepare. Things rapidly disintegrate from there, often at the expense of the end goal which, in Terrence's view, is the only reason to have a meeting in the first place. "Know what done looks like," he says and work backward from there.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Terrence on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/terrencemetz/

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Touching on the idea of consensus again, Terrence is clear about the difference between a kumbaya group hug and a workable agreement.

"Yes, everybody has to agree. But they don't have to agree it's their favorite [decision]. They have to agree the resolution is robust enough that they will personally support it, that they will not fault it and try to unravel it."

It's a level of understanding born from years of observing group dynamics and successfully coaching participants toward a common goal. And, yes, he's facilitated consensus-building across the great generational working divide.

The key, he says, is for facilitators to acknowledge the diversity in the room. That's where younger decision-makers have the edge, Terrence says. Gens Y and Z are generally more willing to accept a broader range of individual working styles within the confines of a team goal than their older counterparts.

So, what about Terrence's remaining meeting killers? You'll have to listen in! Then head over to the MG Rush blog for free facilitator resources and additional tips. Bonus book club recommendations mentioned in this episode: Harvard University's Howard Gardner PhD, and an old favorite The Seven Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Covey.

"We don't have a warehouse. We have a distribution center. Warehouses [are where] things go in and they don't come out...So, again, that's another thing you don't say here." ~Paul Neustadt

As a master distributor of HVAC controls, Neuco, Inc. stakes its reputation on two guiding principles: efficiency and effectiveness. I sat down with the company's president Paul Neustadt to find out how this third-generation family business manages to innovate while honoring tradition.

"Our family has been in business consistently since 1907," says Paul. What started over a century ago as horse-drawn fuel, grain, and hay business in Chicago is now one of North America's largest master distributors, operating out of a brand new 145,000 sq ft facility in Bollingbrook, IL.

What is a master distributor? "Neuco's model is to fill in the holes." Say you've sold seven items to a job but you've only got six and the manufacturer is quoting you four weeks until deliver? Neuco has you covered without you having to look to other brands for fulfilment.

That level of supply chain management takes an investment in customer service and automation. Neuco has always doubled-down on both, taking the time to learn what they don't know and invest in technology.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Paul on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/paul-neustadt-0571b719/

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"As a company, we are very hard on ourselves. Our feeling is, just because we're doing something one way does not mean that's the right way to do it." Paul says the worst thing anyone can say in a meeting is, "Well, that's because we've always done it that way!"

That spirit of always striving, never getting too comfortable with where they're at, is part of Neuco's DNA. "The people that came before us challenged themselves when they changed industries. And we challenge ourselves to say: How can we do better? What can we do better? How can we do more?" More for the manufacturer; more for the customer.

For Paul, these aren't mere transactions Neuco is making on both ends; they're relationships. Maintaining loyalty means everything from providing knowledgeable technical support across their brand catalog to seamlessly filling an oddball request. To that end, the company's new facility is state of the art. "The amount of automation that we do...we don't have robots but we have the picklist," says Paul. "And, the way we do inventory and the logic that goes into how we inventory, it's incredible!"

Listen in to find out more about Neuco's incredible automation and the team-building magic of moving into a new facility.

If you think inventory-sharing is the silver bullet to your overstock woes, you're missing a vital aspect of its potential.

Mark Tomalonis, president of WarehouseTWO, says the platform performs best as a collaborative space, one in which the power of peer inventories helps members source non-stock, difficult-to-purchase items. I sat down with Mark to uncover how inventory-sharing works and why it's good for business.

"We help distributors of any size act as if he owns all the inventory in his catalog," says Mark, of the business he started on a whim back in 2005.

The WarehouseTWO model doesn't just provide a second life for unproductive inventory or deadstock. Instead, it connects buyers with sellers, allowing both to defend against backorder delays, high-quantity minimums, and disappointed customers, all without having to keep the actual product in hand.

"Inventory sharing increases asset efficiency and operational efficiency for a network of pure wholesale distributors."

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Mark on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/marktomalonis/

***

While not the first company to come up with the idea, WarehouseTWO is one of the prime players in this small niche, managing to grow even as big names like IBM bow out of the market.

In an age when it seems like everyone's out to shake up an industry, Mark credits his company's staying power to his philosophy of supporting authorized regional distributors. "WarehouseTWO exists to defend and support a manufacturer's assigned distribution channel," he says. "We don't exist to disrupt it."

Nor does WarehouseTWO exist to solve inventory management problems in a vertical fashion akin to ERP models. He wants clients to think horizontally by exposing their inventory to tens of thousands of additional end customers, taking what's in stock and making it available to dozens of pure distributors in other parts of the country.

Besides, to his way of thinking, there's only three ways to rectify surplus issues.

"Number one: prevent it." Mark urges listeners to put systems, policies, and resources or talent into place so that you don't end up with the extra stock in the first place. "Number two: rent the dumpster." And his number three tip for avoiding inventory overload? "There is no number three," he laughs. "Nobody wants your purchasing mistakes."

Listen in for more inventory insight from Mark and find out how WarehouseTWO can take the sting out of number three.

"In retrospect, of course, I didn't realize it then when he said, 'Son, I don't give positions. I give opportunities. We'll see what you can do.' But you know, now I sit here as the owner of the company, some 30 years later, and I've worked every position getting up to here, so I know how the company runs." ~Jim Henderson

Faith and fasteners may not seem like an obvious fit. For Jim Henderson, president of Dynamic Sales Company, Inc out of St. Louis, his beliefs and his business couldn't be more compatible.

Jim shares his levelheaded business advice as well as some refreshingly honest insight into the role religion plays in his Christian-based company.

"The four points of our star logo are service, quality, commitment, and integrity. And those all line up with those principles that we gather from our faith." Jim isn't shy about his relationship with God. His religion is a tool for creating opportunities and maintaining an inclusive, successful family-run company. From tithing on behalf of the company to incorporating two scripture passages into the Dynamic logo, Jim's spiritual values are woven throughout the fabric of his life.

The value of deep connections informs Jim's recruiting style as well. He's a master at finding the right people for the right positions through seemingly unconventional relationships, finding candidates in unlikely places: a car dealership and a newspaper route.

"One of the things I try to find is what my brother and I used to term a servant's heart, someone's who is willing to serve the customer and put the customer's needs before their own." Jim still uses traditional resources like LinkedIn and Indeed but he's always on the lookout in his day-to-day interactions for fresh, forward-thinking talent.

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Jim on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jim-henderson-83280312/

***

The value Jim places on service and relationship-building is also evident when he speaks about STAFDA, the trade organization his father helped start. He's baffled by members who pay their dues but sit on the sidelines.

"Being able to use my network - and I have used that from coast to coast, North, South, East and West - and being able to connect with people," he says, "they're always willing to help a fellow STAFDA member out."

Likewise, Jim's commitment to customer service has seen the industrial sector of Dynamic's business grow considerably. That success is a credit to his expertise at pursuing relationships as avenues for growth, making sales calls instead of micro-managing from behind a desk. "I work on the big picture stuff," he laughs. "I don't worry about the minutia of everything. That's handled by everybody here and I just focus on customers and I enjoy it."

If you're interested in the scriptures Jim quotes, they are John 14:6 and Matthew 6:33. He also mentions the following books: Business By The Book by Larry Burkett and Talk The Walk: How To Be Right Without Being Insufferable by Steve Brown.

"The gift is in the giving. And I will tell business people that when you give to a good cause...you give the gift in the giving." ~Steven Lazar

Can surplus commodities become a driver for change? If you ask Steven Lazar, president of Lazco Corporation, the answer is a resounding "yes!".

We began our conversation discussing the business of buying and selling surplus HVAC equipment but quickly expanded our focus to include family dynamics, getting young people involved in entrepreneurship, and the importance of personal altruistic pursuits.

"I think once we recognize the value of community, even in the heating and air conditioning industry, that we have to be able to help each other, you know, and do things." But Steven isn't satisfied with just unloading a client's product for the best price - although that certainly is chief among his considerations when organizing a sale.

What truly motivates him is the role he plays in his client's future - be it the buyers who get good products at great prices or sellers who would otherwise take a hit on a warehouse full of unused goods. "This is why my passion, to help distributors and manufacturers turn their surplus inventories into working capital."

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Distribution Talk is produced by The Distribution Team, a consulting services firm dedicated to helping wholesale distribution clients remove barriers to profitability, generate wealth and achieve personal goals.

http://www.distributionteam.com

This episode was edited & mixed by The Creative Impostor Studios.

Connect with Jason on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jasonbader/

Connect with Steven:

Lazco Corporation

480-265-9980

[email protected]

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/Lazco/

Yeshua Messiah Ministries

Send Prayer Requests to [email protected]

Distributor Trends article: http://digital.bnpmedia.com/publication/?m=&l=1&i=627750&p=42&ver=html5

***

One thing that can upset a carefully crafted Lazco sale is emotionality. Ego often prevents sellers from accepting bids which have been coordinated with their best interests in mind. As Steven sees it, there's no reason not to consider a 70-cents-on-a-dollar deal when it could mean the difference between moving on to greener pastures or standing still -- watching your equipment depreciate.

"Logistically, it doesn't make sense!" What does make sense is his ability to put sellers together with buyers and even renters. "This is perfectly good equipment that we can use to help save people money that don't have a budget to buy."

Steven's commitment to his customers is matched only by the concern he has for his community. Veterans affairs are close to his heart. To that end, he's working to create his first subdivision of homes outfitted to serve veterans (and veteran families) in need. In partnership with Legacy Manufactured Homes, Steven hopes to open the first of these villages in Arizona in 2020. It's a footprint that features 30 modular units of various-sized dwellings with additional onsite support for personal and professional growth through community gardening, job training, and social services. If all works as he envisions it will, the goal is to set up additional communities to repay those who have given so much to their country.

"One of the important things is the attitude of gratitude," Steven says. It's this philosophy that he applies to his business and philanthropic endeavors. Listen in to find out more about how Lazco might be of service to your business or how you can get involved with his homes-for-veterans project.