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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with John Mercure, President of Raydeo Enterprises, to explore four decades of leadership in architectural metals, millwork, and signage. From humble beginnings in neon signs to delivering complex scopes on stadiums, high rises, and major commercial projects, John shares the lessons that shaped his company and his philosophy on building.

With nearly 40 years at the helm of Raydeo, John has navigated economic downturns, evolving general contractor dynamics, major technological shifts, and the increasing complexity of contract risk. Through it all, one principle has remained constant. Deliver the job.

As John puts it, “One of our things is we've never failed. I ain't gonna tell you, we made money on everything, but we've never failed.” 

About Our Guest

John Mercure is the President and founder of Raydeo Enterprises, a multidisciplinary fabrication company specializing in architectural metals, millwork, and signage for large scale commercial construction. What began as a neon sign operation in the early eighties evolved into a full scope fabrication firm serving stadiums, hotels, high rises, museums, and corporate environments across the United States 

Over the years, John expanded Raydeo through strategic reinvestment in technology, facilities, training, and people. Today, the company operates with approximately 85 to 100 employees in a 72,000 square foot facility, focused on complex projects that demand coordination, creativity, and precision 

Where To Learn More

Raydeo Enterprises: https://www.raydeo.com
John Mercure´s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/john-mercure-b081406/ 

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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Jenny Gayfer, owner of Top 40 Woodworks, an OAC certified commercial millwork company based in Canada. Jenny shares her unconventional journey from vendor representative to consultant to ultimately acquiring the very company she once supplied materials to.

With more than two decades of industry exposure, Jenny brought a rare perspective into ownership. She had seen the best and worst of millwork operations across Canada, understood the competitive landscape, and knew exactly where Top 40 stood in the market. What followed was not a quick overhaul, but a deliberate transformation focused on culture, systems, visibility, and long term strategy.

About Our Guest

Jenny Gayfer is the owner of Top 40 Woodworks, a predominantly commercial architectural millwork company with long standing national contracts and a growing multifamily presence. Before acquiring Top 40, Jenny spent over 10 years as a decorative surface and materials vendor representative, working closely with millwork shops across Canada. Top 40 was one of her largest accounts, giving her deep operational insight long before she stepped into ownership 

After years of consulting and business development for the company, Jenny and her husband acquired Top 40 and began a comprehensive internal restructuring. Since then, she has led the implementation of an ERP system, adopted EOS from the book Traction, redefined the leadership team, and repositioned the company for scalable growth.
What You Will Learn

1. Why culture must come before systems
    Jenny’s first priority was not software or machinery. It was people. She personally interviewed every employee to understand strengths, mindset, and growth potential before making structural changes.
2. The underestimated challenge of change management
    Implementing an ERP system while restructuring a company revealed that the hardest part of transformation is not technology, it is helping people adapt.
3. How visibility changes everything
    Before ERP implementation, scheduling lived in one employee’s head 
4. The power of combining ERP and EOS
    Energy provided operational control and data visibility. EOS provided communication rhythm, accountability, and alignment. Together, they created structure across both production and leadership.
5. Why automation alone is not the competitive edge
    Jenny believes automation will become standard across the industry. The real differentiator will be communication, collaboration, and understanding general contractors, developers, and integrated project delivery systems.
6. From technician mindset to strategic leadership
    Drawing from The E Myth and Traction, Jenny explains the difference between being an excellent technician and becoming an effective manager or visionary leader.
7. Forecasting as a survival tool
    With long lead times in commercial projects, the ability to analyze market trends, housing cycles, tariffs, and political shifts is critical to steering a millwork company toward stability and growth.
8. Why custom millwork i

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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Liz Ingebrigtsen, Project Manager at Sprovieri’s Custom Counters and current Chair of the Board for the Architectural Woodwork Institute. With more than 15 years in the industry, Liz shares her journey from starting at the front desk during the height of the recession to becoming a respected industry leader at both the chapter and national level.

Together, they explore the evolving role of AWI, the importance of industry involvement, and the real opportunities available for young professionals in millwork. This conversation goes beyond standards and titles. It is about ownership, workforce development, mentorship, and building a sustainable future for the trades.

About Our Guest

Liz Ingebrigtsen is a Project Manager at Sprovieri’s Custom Counters in the Chicago area and the current Chair of the Board for the Architectural Woodwork Institute. She has served for years on the Chicago Chapter board and recently stepped into national leadership.

Liz began her career in the middle of the 2009 recession, taking a front desk position at a countertop company that would eventually become her long term professional home. Over the years she grew alongside the company as it expanded from residential work into large scale commercial fabrication. Through her involvement in AWI, she found not just professional growth but community, mentorship, and purpose within the millwork industry.

Where to Learn More

Architectural Woodwork Institute
 https://awinet.org

Sprovieri’s Custom Counters
 https://sprovieris.com

Connect with Lizz Ingebrigtsen on LinkedIn
 https://www.linkedin.com/in/lizingebrigtsen/ 

Blog: https://vifpodcast.com/leadership-and-legacy-in-millwork-with-liz-ingebrigtsen/↗ 

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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Madison Fuzzell, Chief Operating Officer of Integrity Architectural Millwork, to explore what it looks like to step into leadership within a second generation millwork business.

Madison shares her unconventional path into the industry, beginning with a corporate career in international supply chain and operations before joining her family’s millwork company. Together, they discuss the realities of succession planning, earning trust in a legacy shop, and introducing modern systems into an established operation. This conversation offers a candid look at leadership transitions, industry change, and the future of millwork from the perspective of a new generation of leaders.

About Our Guest

Madison Fuzzell is the Chief Operating Officer at Integrity Architectural Millwork, a Nashville based millwork company founded by her father more than 40 years ago. Although she grew up around the business, Madison initially pursued a career outside the construction industry, studying business and working in international grocery supply chain operations in Germany and the United States.

After years of experience building systems, managing logistics, and driving operational efficiency, Madison joined Integrity Architectural Millwork during a pivotal transition period. Since then, she has helped modernize processes, implement scheduling and documentation systems, and guide the company through growth, a new facility move, and leadership succession. She is also actively involved in AWI and industry organizations that support collaboration, education, and workforce development.

 

Where to learn more

Integrity Architectural Millwork website
https://www.integritymillwork.net/ 

Integrity Architectural Millwork Linkedln
https://www.linkedin.com/company/integrity-architectural-millwork-inc./ 

Connect with Madison Fuzzell on LinkedIn
https://www.linkedin.com/in/madisonfuzzell/ 

Podcast blog:https://vifpodcast.com/leading-the-next-generation-of-millwork-with-madison-fuzzell/?utm_source=Buzzprout&utm_medium=Podcast 

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Better Drawings, Better Builds: Jobsite Lessons with Katelyn Rossier

In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Katelyn Rossier, a licensed architect in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and the founder of MentorDINO, a training platform built to close the gap between architecture school and real-world practice. Katelyn shares how spending more than half of her career on job sites reshaped the way she thinks about drawings, detailing, construction administration, and the relationships that make projects run smoother.

Together, they unpack a challenge both architects and trades feel every day: the disconnect between design and construction. From “design intent” that gets misunderstood to drawings overloaded with information that still miss the details people need to build, this conversation is a practical look at how teams can collaborate better and why mentorship is the real solution to the industry’s training problem. 

About Our Guest

Katelyn Rossier is a licensed architect and the founder of MentorDINO, an education and mentoring platform designed to help architects strengthen their technical skills, communication, and jobsite confidence. After working in both small firms and large, multi-location environments, she saw firsthand how understaffing, burnout, and limited training impact drawing quality and construction outcomes.

Today, Katelyn runs two businesses: MentorDINO, and her architecture firm, Rossier Architecture and Design, bringing together field experience, practical detailing, and mentorship to help architects become stronger partners to contractors and trades.
 

Where to Learn More

MentorDINOS website link: https://academy.mentordino.com/pages/mentordino-home-page

MentorDINOSLinkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/company/mentordino-llc/

Katelyn Rossier LinkedIn:https://www.linkedin.com/in/katelyn-rossier/

MentorDINOS  Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@mentorDINO

Find out more about this episode's sponsor, Skillya: https://skill-ya.com/?utm_source=VIF%20Podcast 

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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Amanda Conger, Executive Director of the Cabinet Makers Association (CMA), the Association of Closet and Storage Professionals (ACSP), and the National Woods Board (NWB). With over 20 years in the woodworking and machinery world, Amanda has become one of the industry's most influential voices for small shops, education, and workforce development. 

From the challenges facing today’s cabinetmakers to the nationwide push for better woodworking programs in schools, Amanda brings clarity to the talent crisis many millwork shops face. Together, Jacob and Amanda explore how associations, schools, and shop owners can work together to build sustainable career pathways for the next generation.  

About Our Guest 

Amanda Conger began her career in marketing at Stiles Machinery, where she discovered a passion for industry-wide collaboration and association leadership. That curiosity led her into executive roles first with CMA, then ACSP, and finally the National Woods Board. Through these organizations, she supports small and mid-size shops with education, networking, best practices, and crucially—access to a trained future workforce. 

Where to Learn More 

• Cabinet Makers Association: https://www.cabinetmakers.org/ 
• Association of Closet & Storage Professionals:  https://closets.org/ 
• National Woods Board: https://nationalwoodsboard.org/

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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Bruno Calatayud, National Director at EFICAD, to talk about the development, evolution, and impact of SWOOD a SolidWorks-based CAD/CAM solution built specifically for the woodworking and millwork industry. 

Bruno shares the story of how SWOOD grew from an educational initiative in France into a global platform with clients in 50+ industry categories. From SolidWorks integration to machine-ready CAM output, SWOOD is giving custom millwork shops the tools to take full control of their workflows from design to machining. 

If you’ve ever wondered whether a fully integrated CAD/CAM solution is worth the switch bor whether your current software is holding your team back this episode offers a clear look into what’s possible. 

About Our Guest 

Bruno Calatayud is the National Director for North America at EFICAD, the developers behind SWOOD, a fully integrated CAD/CAM solution for woodworking built on SolidWorks. With a background in mechanical engineering, Bruno has spent over a decade training technical teams, working with international partners, and helping shops streamline complex production with 3D-driven automation. Based in Boston since 2019, he’s now leading SWOOD’s expansion across North America. 

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In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond is joined by Ryan Randell, National Director at Elevated Finishing, to dive deep into one of the most overlooked, and most painful, parts of a shop’s workflow: finishing. 

From long cure times to inconsistent results, finishing can often feel like a mysterious “black art.” But Ryan brings clarity, process, and serious innovation to the conversation, introducing us to a game-changing solution: the SCHUBOX. Designed for real-world millwork and cabinetry shops, this compact, catalytic IR curing system slashes drying times, eliminates bottlenecks, and makes finishing predictable. 

Whether you're struggling with air-dry lag, overwhelmed by rework, or just tired of crowding your shop with drying racks, this episode offers insight into how smarter curing can transform production flow and profitability. 

About Our Guest 

Ryan Randell is the National Director at Elevated Finishing and a long-time expert in the world of finishing and coatings. His journey, from remodeling contractor roots to application engineering at Stiles Machinery, gave him hands-on insight into the real challenges millwork and cabinetry shops face daily. Now, he leads Elevated Finishing’s mission to bring European-style catalytic IR technology to the U.S. market through their signature product, the SCHUBOX. 

Where to Learn More 

• Elevated Finishing Website: https://www.elevatedfinishing.com/
• Social Media: 
  • Elevated Finishings LinkedIn:  https://www.linkedin.com/company/elevated-finishing/
  • Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@ElevatedFinishing
  • Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61557506270777
  • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/elevatedfinishing/
  • Ryan Randell's LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ryan-randell-b086749b/

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In this solo episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond steps out from behind the interview desk to tackle one of the most urgent problems in the millwork and construction industry, not the shortage of talent, but the shortage of training and mentorship. 

Drawing from his own unconventional path, from architecture school to engineering without prior cabinet-building experience, Jacob shares what it takes to create a true talent pipeline. This episode is a powerful call to action for millwork leaders, project managers, and shop owners who keep asking, “Where do I find good people?” but haven’t asked, “How am I helping create them?” 

If your shop is struggling with turnover, skill gaps, or a lack of promotable team members, this is required listening. 

Where to Learn More 

• Connect with Jacob in LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jacobedmond/
• Read the DuckWorks Blog: https://duckworksmw.com/blog/

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 In this episode of Verify In Field, host Jacob Edmond sits down with Matt Swatek, CEO of Microcap Solutions to discuss how millwork companies can future-proof their workforce through smarter recruiting, strategic HR practices, and proactive planning.  

About Our Guest 

Matt Swatek is the CEO of Microcap Solutions, a labor solutions and recruiting firm serving the millwork industry. His background includes leading HR and recruiting efforts at ISEC and USA Millwork, where he scaled teams, developed internal training processes, and built recruiting systems from scratch. Now, through Microcap, he helps millwork businesses develop smarter hiring strategies and fractional HR support tailored to their stage of growth. 

Where to Learn More 

• Matt Swatek: 
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/matt-swatek-71114983/
• Micro-Cap Solutions: 
  • LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/micro-cap-solutions/
  • Website: https://micro-capsolutions.com/
• Slides: https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1kD7fZ84XfrPNydWlNZHo5aqt_q1O1Z_T/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=111093157909006770221&rtpof=true&sd=true

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