Latest / The Elevator Careers Podcast / 70 Years of Elevator World Magazine | CEO T. Bruce MacKinnon on the Elevator Industry’s History

Transcript

70 Years of Elevator World Magazine | CEO T. Bruce MacKinnon on the Elevator Industry’s History · The Elevator Careers Podcast

• 0:00
  SPEAKER_01: um and the industry supports each other.
• 0:02
  SPEAKER_01: That's the amazing thing really about this industry is uh you can you can be in competition, you can be selling the same product and uh and and have a great relationship with uh with your competitor which is certainly not the norm I think in in a lot of industries.
• 0:18
  SPEAKER_00: Hello and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the Allred Group.
• 0:23
  SPEAKER_00: I am your host, Matt Allred.
• 0:26
  SPEAKER_00: In this podcast, we talk to the people whose lives and careers are dedicated to the vertical transportation industry to inform and share lessons learned, building upon the foundation of those who have gone before to inspire the next generation of elevator careers.
• 0:41
  SPEAKER_00: Today our guest is T Bruce McKinnon, CEO of Elevator World magazine.
• 0:46
  SPEAKER_00: T has been with Elevator World for 27 years, three years as the CEO.
• 0:51
  SPEAKER_00: Elevator World is a family business that was started by T's grandpa Bill Sturgeon in 1953, this year being his 70th anniversary.
• 0:59
  SPEAKER_00: Although he was initially hesitant to join the business, T fell in love with the elevator industry.
• 1:04
  SPEAKER_00: He loves the people who make it all happen and finds his work very rewarding.
• 1:08
  SPEAKER_00: Welcome to the show.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: Hey Matt, glad to be here.
• 1:12
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you I'm excited to to be able to talk to you again.
• 1:14
  SPEAKER_00: It was good to meet you.
• 1:16
  SPEAKER_00: I think it's been a couple of years I'm trying to remember which conference one of the NEC conferences I think it was Florida if I'm not mistaken.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Sarasota Yep I think that was that was when we got you know kind of more officially connected and that was I think one of the first events after after COVID.
• 1:32
  SPEAKER_00: So yeah yeah I I think my my first event was the one I think before that in in uh Tucson and it was actually one of my clients that said hey why don't you come to this and I was a little hesitant at first because I just being feeling like a little bit of an outsider you know he said shut up you're not an outsider get down there.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_00: So I came and had a great time and and was really impressed with the way I was received by the elevator industry, the community the people that were there um not knowing what to expect.
• 2:02
  SPEAKER_00: And so uh was excited to get back to another one and and that's what I mean Matt.
• 2:06
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah absolutely the industry is uh is really uh full of great people very I think very open to new people coming in the industry um and I think there's a great there's a great need to try to even attract more you know more people in the industry um it's um I don't I don't know why it seemed like it's a secret industry I tell people this all the time it's like a it's like a secret industry nobody thinks about elevators you know everyday citizens just get in the get in the elevator push the button they don't really think about what's behind the behind the facade but um it's it's a great industry great opportunity in it yeah yeah yeah well and I I find that all the time when I tell people that I recruit you know specialize in elevators they're like what is is that a thing you know how does that even work but uh something that most of us take for granted until you get to know a little bit more about it.
• 2:56
  SPEAKER_00: So um so how did you first get exposed to elevator industry?
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: Well I mean I kind of feel like I've been in the industry my whole life um you know my my uh my family started elevated world in 1953 my grandfather uh on my mother's side and um so so I was around it you know my whole life cutting grass you know at elevator world and stuff like that but um but I really wasn't interested in getting involved in the business at all so I was uh I was I was quite reluctant and and and never really probably never really fully understood what what they were doing.
• 3:29
  SPEAKER_01: So like a lot of people when I tell tell people that I that I own a company called Elevator World they're they're they're usually confused.
• 3:36
  SPEAKER_01: So right right tell me a little bit about how your family you know your grandfather Bill Sturgeon started Elevator World what kind of brought that about how did he yeah so he um he he started elevator world in 1953 we're we're 70 years old this year and um he came out of the came out of the military uh world war two and uh got married to my my grandmother his wife and uh and and she her side of the family owned a small elevator company here in Mobile Alabama called Mobile Elevator it was just a small maintenance company and they maintained uh elevators on the on the port on the dock that we had uh docks that we have here and so he he went to work didn't have a job and um went to work there and uh learned the business and he kind of had a communication background in the military and and worked in that side of things and and as as time kind of went on I I think he he began to realize that the industry was was really fragmented that it was difficult to you know to to connect with people and and learn and so he was an integral part of you know setting up and establishing a lot of the groups within the industry associations and small uh you know small groups and uh ultimately um you know started uh started elevator world about um I guess maybe six or seven years after uh working in the industry and then and then ultimately he he sold mobile inherited the company and sold mobile you know mobile elevator uh I think to Montgomery elevator at that time and uh and then you know elevator world has continued on.
• 5:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's interesting.
• 5:18
  SPEAKER_01: I mean and I I can just kind of imagine in my mind the the fragmented nature you know if you're working on the on the ports on those elevators well then maybe you don't have any interaction with with the elevator people in you know doing the high rises or or even and I see a little bit of that between seemingly uh the commercial side the residential side or you know just different it's like hey you're in a different world you don't do what we do so you know no need to to talk to you um but it sounds like he was able to to obviously create this the magazine itself is a is is a way to communicate but also like you say a lot of the associations and um just getting people together I guess yeah the you know some of the of course we've got a huge archives and you know we we know the story well but you know some of the early meetings were just you know five or ten guys in a hotel suite you know meeting to talk about their problems and challenges wherever they might have been located and uh uh I think he found that helpful and others did as well and so you know those those those different groups started and you know found their purpose and and and needs and NAC being you know the National Association of elevator contractors is is really the the largest uh you know largest association and and the main one that he really was uh involved with but he was he was involved with uh global you know uh global associations he was he was a friend to the industry you know and and uh he you know he really gave to the industry and I think that's really the the the the the mindset that he had was to to serve the industry uh through the through the publication through helping establish these uh these associations uh and he even you know even with other publications in other parts of the world he would he would work closely with them and they would with they would trade content and and you know support each other so that's great you sound like the real a real visionary when it comes to you know bringing the different people to the table and and um and and I think you can see a lot of that now I mean you know you and I had talked about you know the way we met at an NAEC conference or the way that you know those get together and and and the fact that people come into the industry and and stay for forever.
• 7:36
  SPEAKER_00: I remember talking to a guy not too long ago who'd been at it 50 plus years and you know asking him hey do you think you'll retire?
• 7:43
  SPEAKER_00: No I just all my friends are here.
• 7:45
  SPEAKER_00: This is this is my family.
• 7:47
  SPEAKER_00: And uh it seems like it gets that way for a lot of people it does.
• 7:53
  SPEAKER_01: I'm sure there's other industries that there's some similarities but uh you know uh I've I've never experienced it quite uh with other other industries that I've worked in I've I've never experienced anything like it people people just don't leave they they may like say they may jump to another company or or they may start it they may start their own company you know uh but they they stick around and um and the industry supports each other.
• 8:17
  SPEAKER_00: That's the amazing thing really about this industry is uh you can you can be in competition you can be selling the same product and uh and and have a great relationship with uh with your competitor which is certainly not the norm I think in in a lot of industries no it's a little unheard of certainly in in industries I've worked in in the past you know it was it culturally you know the the competition was just the enemy that that was kind of the way they spoke about them but um yeah I've not seen the kind of you know camaraderie and and uh just just the way that people come together and respect each other you know whether they're you know competing or or not it's it's uh there's a there's a unique culture and and I think it uh certainly has captured me and that's that's part of the reason I love having these conversations is just finding different perspectives.
• 9:07
  SPEAKER_00: So I'm curious you uh you mentioned growing up you know cutting the grass and hey I'm aware of this thing called elevator world but zero interest.
• 9:15
  SPEAKER_01: What was it that kind of changed that for you well I had worked in some other uh other industries I'd worked for uh a uh my father early in my career and that was that was a very challenging time in my life we we didn't work together very well so I was very hesitant in getting back into uh you know the family side of business um and so uh I was worried I was so it just really didn't you know once once I had left working for my father and gone into another business it just didn't really cross my mind but it it it it wasn't until uh my grandfather was was seriously looking at retiring and that my mother was um you know gonna be left running the company really without him there and I'm the only child uh that you know they they talked they want to talk to me about it and wanted me to consider it and and uh I was working in a restaurant business and was probably gonna have to move away from from mobile where I've lived my whole life my wife and her family is here and she didn't want to move as well.
• 10:21
  SPEAKER_01: So um you know so you know that conversation just just happened and uh and so I started thinking more about it and would come to Elevator World and kind of you know meet meet the people here and look at what you know where I could contribute and and and be involved and and and I actually bought into the company.
• 10:37
  SPEAKER_01: So uh I didn't uh I just didn't just walk in and you know take over.
• 10:41
  SPEAKER_01: I I bought ownership into the company and uh you know worked you know work worked from the bottom up and you know learned the business learned publishing I had a marketing degree but um you know I didn't know anything about elevators and I'm still not an elevator still not an elevator uh you know expert I'm not QEI I'm not a I'm not an elevator inspector I and I I I recently gave a presentation that said uh I I I I joked around and said sometimes I identify as an elevator uh mechanic but I'm I'm not one so what what was kind of your first foray you know once they finally convinced you to to join what what was your first job what did you do?
• 11:21
  SPEAKER_01: Uh yeah really mainly just kind of uh learning from from the people that were here you know learning about uh you know how we you know how we how we manage content how we you know how we deliver the magazine obviously that was 27 years ago a lot of things have changed since then um we still produce print publications uh obviously we've got lots of digital properties that support those print publications um but uh but you know just learning those learning those processes and and learning how um you know you know how we we we deliver the magazine and you know meeting deadlines that's the other thing too you know in an industry uh in the publishing industry just got a huge amount of deadlines on uh you know to to to put to put out a product and uh of course you know going to events and you know setting up and and you know meeting people in the industry you know all those type of things yeah yeah yeah no there's there's a lot to it and and I'm curious how has technology changed the way you you know you talked about digital assets uh you probably didn't have a whole lot of that 27 years ago I mean I we're probably not too far apart in age and I I didn't really have a computer or even access to one until I think I went to college.
• 12:26
  SPEAKER_00: I mean they were there were it was a little live at high school right but college is the first time I touched email and and so I'm curious how that has affected your business.
• 12:35
  SPEAKER_01: Well it's interesting because you know my grandfather he retired when he was 85 which was probably um about 20 20 years ago 20 20 20 or maybe 25 years ago and he had never used a computer.
• 12:50
  SPEAKER_01: Wow and we had we we were using you know some type of computer at that at that time 25 years ago uh but uh he had never used a computer and so when he went home and retired uh about six months later he said i i want a computer and so he spent another 10 years living and writing books so that that was kind of interesting that he you know put always was pushing himself to you know learn you know learn new technology and and and all that but yeah 27 years ago we we we had one you know one regular publication elevator world our which we like to call our our global publication uh and we had a uh an annual directory uh um actually an annual uh annual issue is what we called it and it was it was an issue that was really kind of focused on a region of the world and when he retired we we basically turned that into an annual directory but now we have six publications covering you know uh you know very specific regions of the world India Turkey Middle East the UK Europe um and so uh so we have those publications obviously we have digital editions of them on our website we have all of the all the content in those publications are available on our website in HTML format we also produce about 10 monthly email newsletters uh and then of course you know uh you know social social things and and all of that so six um I think you said international is that based on kind of continent region like Europe and Southeast Asia and um yeah a lot of it has been you know relationships allowed us to be able to establish publications also there there are no publications in the US other than elevator world us and Canada um there are other publications in other parts of the world so uh there's an Italian publication and a couple of German publications um and so we've bought some publications and then rebranded them we've launched publications uh in in regions where there weren't a pub where where there wasn't a publication our first our first kind of uh uh launch was uh India Elevator World India uh about 15 years ago so really when I when I got involved and really really started you know doing a lot of the international travel carrying that load so my mother really didn't have to do that uh I really you know built a lot of relationships around the world and and you know saw opportunity to to truly make our ourselves global and cover content related to those to those market specific uh and specific publications right so do you have I assume you have offices and and you know printing operations and and all of that in those locations right yeah some of that's changed over the years but we have uh three main offices our our our corporate office uh is in Mobile Alabama in the U.S.
• 15:41
  SPEAKER_01: uh we've been in in the location we're at for 50 years um and then we have an office in Istanbul which is really strategically located to be able to to really serve a large part of uh of Eurasia and and and really I mean just anything on that side of uh of the pond and um and then we also have a uh a partnership and an office in Bangalore India that that uh you know handles our Indian publication and and and and some other details in that area so you know that that helps us a lot we uh we've changed the way you know we've changed where we print where we mail you know it's all obviously based on you know um cost and uh logistics um so you know it's changed over the years we're currently uh uh we still print our our core publication elevator world in the US uh and mail in the US um but we we print our international uh uh subscribers and copies in Istanbul and we mail and we mail from that region.
• 16:40
  SPEAKER_00: Cool did you end up traveling a lot yourself?
• 16:43
  SPEAKER_01: I mean it sounds like you did especially at the beginning of starting these publications yeah I I've I've done a lot of travel uh over over 27 years I I mean that's really been a uh you know a great experience for me uh you know I mean you know people hear you hear places you go and they think oh you know that sounds so wonderful that you got to go there you know travel's work anybody that has has traveled know that the traveling is is work and is challenging and uh I contribute my my experience in the restaurant business uh to have helped me be able to deal with uh international travel because if you have ever worked in the restaurant business you know that you're you're gonna work long hours and uh people aren't gonna show up and you're gonna you know you're gonna have to work hard at times sure and uh and so I think it kind of prepped me for international travel and being able to you know fly you know seven eight ten hours and then get there and go right to work right and and try to be as fresh as possible but but I've I've seen the world I've been to a lot of interesting places and um I still like to travel.
• 17:46
  SPEAKER_01: I'm doing a actually a lot more travel these days.
• 17:49
  SPEAKER_01: I did I didn't do uh very much uh US travel except mainly the main event like NAC uh but uh but I'm doing a lot more of the smaller uh smaller events in the US so yeah my travel schedules is uh is still still going strong.
• 18:04
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah no it's great I mean it it sounds like it's uh certainly work but uh you're up to the challenge and you're making it happen and um it's it's great that you can you can provide the service here as you know throughout the US or throughout throughout the world rather and um and really bring the whole community together.
• 18:23
  SPEAKER_00: What would you say is one of the the greatest benefits of of making those connections and and you know have having that communication worldwide.
• 18:34
  SPEAKER_01: Well I think you know anybody you talk to in business today knows that you know relationships are key to success in a business you've got to make the right connections you got to you know you've got to be sincere you've got to be honest uh you got to be humble uh and so I think um you know depending on what your business is and what you're doing uh you know uh you know it makes it makes a difference those those those attributes are important obviously we're not uh you know obviously we're selling uh selling a product we're selling you know subscriptions and selling advertising and those type of things but but we're also doing a service for the industry we're recording uh my grandfather you know once said you know we're recording uh we're recording the history of this great industry and um and you know nobody else is really doing that we have more content about this industry than uh than anybody in the world and you know I don't know if that matters you know I mean it's it's the elevator industry you know it doesn't matter it's not like uh you know uh you know some some social media channel or whatever that you know has has all this content but you know but for our for our industry it's important it's important uh that we record uh you know the achievements uh that are happening and and the projects and so um uh so yeah I think relations relationships matter and and I I also find the elevator people are the same no matter where you go doesn't matter if you go to to uh you know to uh to Italy or to you know to um to Israel or uh you know uh uh you know or or Saudi Arabia the the elevator people are the same all over the world they love the industry um they love the product and um you know and they're and they're and they're good people they're honest they're hardworking people and you know you gotta you gotta love that you got to appreciate that.
• 20:14
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah no that's great it's good to know it's the same world worldwide I mean I've definitely found you know just hardworking love what I do you know want to want to keep doing it you know is is really the the attitude of just um so many good people what would you say you've you've come to love the most having been at it 27 years now well yeah going back to the people really I mean people are people are the key in any business so you know making those relationships and friendships playing golf you know and uh getting to reconnect at uh at conventions that's a that's a great part traveling uh you know traveling's been a great experience meeting people of different cultures and and having those you know kind of having those taboo conversations you know they always say you know when you travel when you go to different parts of the world you don't talk about politics you don't talk about religion but the fact of the matter is those those are the two things that always end up coming up particularly when you know particularly when there are dramatic differences sure and I and I and I so I've I've found that uh people are the same all across the world I used to think my grandfather was kind of a strange guy because he was always you know always studying the world religions and and all these things and I was like well why are you doing that?
• 21:24
  SPEAKER_01: And it was because he had experienced people uh you know with such diverse backgrounds um that he wanted to you know he wanted to have some connection and understand them and people are the same all over the world doesn't matter if you're a a Muslim or Hindu or Christian whatever it is you're you know you're you're a product of what how you were raised so you know if you're if you're raised in a good environment you're a good you're a good guy.
• 21:49
  SPEAKER_01: Raised in a bad environment you're probably a bad guy.
• 21:51
  SPEAKER_01: And so you know people people are the same all over the world and that's that's a great uh that's been a great experience for me making friends of uh you know different backgrounds
• 22:00
  unknown: Yeah.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:00
  SPEAKER_00: And just being able to connect.
• 22:01
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, it sounds like his his passion was, you know, I want to learn something about what you value so I can at least appreciate where you're coming from.
• 22:08
  SPEAKER_00: So we can have a a richer conversation because I know a little bit more about you know why you feel the way you do or you know what your understanding is.
• 22:18
  SPEAKER_01: So absolutely.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: That's very cool.
• 22:20
  SPEAKER_00: Very cool.
• 22:21
  SPEAKER_00: So um as you as you look at the uh the industry, you know, overall, obviously you're you're kind of in a unique niche.
• 22:27
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah.
• 22:28
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, a lot of the people I talk to are in the field or they're running a business or they're doing sales or um what what would you say is key to success in the elevator industry?
• 22:41
  SPEAKER_01: Well, I mean, for elevator world, I think the key, the key to success is uh, you know, being very thorough and in uh you know covering the industry, uh being fair in what what we're doing, you know, being independent.
• 22:55
  SPEAKER_01: You know, my grandfather didn't establish Elevator World to be an association publication.
• 23:00
  SPEAKER_01: He could have done that, but I think he felt like that that would have tied uh the publication to you know to one entity.
• 23:07
  SPEAKER_01: He wanted it to be independent, he wanted to be able to cover you know the entire globe, uh, from you know, from all over the world, from you know, the OEM, from the largest OEMs to the you know, to the smallest independent guy.
• 23:19
  SPEAKER_01: And so I think that makes us you know unique in in some in some way in what we do.
• 23:25
  SPEAKER_01: But I think in general, to be successful in the elevator industry.
• 23:28
  SPEAKER_01: I mean, if you look at the people in the elevator industry who are successful, independent, you know, maintenance guys, uh, you know, those those guys are hardworking.
• 23:37
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, they they have great personalities.
• 23:40
  SPEAKER_01: Um uh they probably have some, you know, they probably have some sales capabilities.
• 23:45
  SPEAKER_01: That's probably the same traits you see almost in any, you know, in any type of business.
• 23:50
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta, you gotta be able to sell yourself.
• 23:53
  SPEAKER_01: You gotta be able to be uh approachable and personable.
• 23:56
  SPEAKER_01: But the other part of the industry, I think you got to understand the product.
• 23:59
  SPEAKER_01: You know, you gotta have, you know, that's always been the biggest challenge for me.
• 24:03
  SPEAKER_01: I'm not an engineer, I'm not a uh, I'm a pretty mechanical guy, but I've never, you know, never really worked on the elevator itself.
• 24:10
  SPEAKER_01: I've toured a lot of them and been on the cartops and all that.
• 24:14
  SPEAKER_01: But um uh and I understand, you know, uh door lock monitoring and all these, you know, all these things that are going on in the industry, you know, based on presentations, but I've never done it.
• 24:25
  SPEAKER_01: And so that that that's always an obstacle that I I struggle with a little bit.
• 24:29
  SPEAKER_01: So you gotta you gotta know the product, you gotta know the benefits of the product, uh, you gotta be you gotta be uh you know, you gotta be personable.
• 24:35
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 24:36
  SPEAKER_00: Well, and I you know, as I've talked to a lot of people, you know, the one of the themes that comes up a lot is nobody knows everything, right?
• 24:42
  SPEAKER_00: Even the even the guy that's been at it 70 years is you know, he doesn't know everything, and and for um, you know, it's uh and I think that's part of what contributes to the community overall is just talking to people that uh will call a buddy, call somebody they trust, call somebody they know and say, Hey, I'm looking at X, Y, and Z, and and I have you ever seen one of these?
• 25:04
  SPEAKER_00: Can you help me through this?
• 25:05
  SPEAKER_00: And that that has always been it honestly, it blew me away when I first learned that you know, a mechanic, for example, can call somebody that he knew 20 years ago and he'll help them walk through a a problem.
• 25:17
  SPEAKER_00: That just is so foreign to so many other uh industries and businesses that I've that I've touched before.
• 25:24
  SPEAKER_00: So um maybe that's maybe that's part of it too, is just knowing that, you know, we can't do it.
• 25:30
  SPEAKER_00: Any one person can't can't know all the answers.
• 25:32
  SPEAKER_00: And so we've got to rely on each other.
• 25:34
  SPEAKER_01: Well, absolutely.
• 25:35
  SPEAKER_01: And there's a lot of different, I mean, there come on, there's a lot of legacy products out there, there's a lot of different types of products out there.
• 25:40
  SPEAKER_01: You're not talking about plumbing, you know, or electricity.
• 25:43
  SPEAKER_01: Much of that has not changed, you know, uh, you know, over a long period of time.
• 25:47
  SPEAKER_01: But you know, in the elevator industry, you know, equipment has has changed dramatically.
• 25:51
  SPEAKER_01: But some of that legacy equipment is still out there, but there may not be someone that's directly connected to to your company, you know, that knows how to fix this problem or deal with this.
• 26:00
  SPEAKER_01: So yeah, you've got to have those connections to to figure out some of these things.
• 26:04
  SPEAKER_01: So that's those are great stories that you hear about when you talk to guys in the industry.
• 26:08
  SPEAKER_01: I talked to a guy literally last last week about uh he he has a breakfast or something once a month with a with an older gentleman who has retired from the industry, but literally got him into the industry.
• 26:22
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, they still they still stay connected, you know, every every month over a breakfast or something and have these great stories.
• 26:29
  SPEAKER_01: And I think that we're gonna, you know, he's gonna do an he's actually gonna do an interview for us so we can kind of, you know, you know, write something up about that relationship.
• 26:37
  SPEAKER_00: Very cool, very cool.
• 26:38
  SPEAKER_00: Um so we're we're getting, I guess, close to our end uh our time.
• 26:44
  SPEAKER_00: But um, is there anything in particular that you that you'd want to bring up as we close?
• 26:51
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I mean, I I'll just say that, you know, I'm I'm you know so grateful for you know this this industry and the support that it has you know given Elevator World over 70 years.
• 27:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um I I always when I talk to people, I joke a lot, you know, they they say that the first generation makes it, second generation takes it, third generation breaks it.
• 27:15
  SPEAKER_01: I'm the third generation.
• 27:17
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, I'm trying real hard not to not to mess elevator world up and and to to keep it uh you know professional uh and providing good content and supporting those in this industry.
• 27:29
  SPEAKER_01: And so, you know, with that, I, you know, I'm very thankful for the support that we have, uh, have had, you know, over over 70 years, which is you know, really, really quite remarkable.
• 27:38
  SPEAKER_00: So, T, you've talked a little bit about how the industry has supported Elevator World and and you know, being grateful for that.
• 27:45
  SPEAKER_00: And I just want to thank you for for Elevator World support of the industry and and in particular want to share a little bit of my story.
• 27:52
  SPEAKER_00: And that is I I was uh you know, I've been recruiting for I think about 15 years old overall, and about 13 of those in the elevator industry.
• 28:01
  SPEAKER_00: But it but at first it was it was kind of half and half, you know, I was doing some manufacturing and I was doing some elevator and and so for several years, you know, worked with Kone, did a little bit of work with Tyson.
• 28:11
  SPEAKER_00: And then I think it was around 2020, a friend of mine who's a marketing PR guy, he says to me, Hey, I want to I want to help you with your marketing.
• 28:19
  SPEAKER_00: And I'm like, I don't even know a thing about marketing.
• 28:22
  SPEAKER_00: I don't I don't even know what you're talking about.
• 28:24
  SPEAKER_00: You know, and he said, Well, let me let me talk to some of your customers and I'll get back to you.
• 28:28
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Great, do it.
• 28:30
  SPEAKER_00: So gave him some of my elevator contacts, and he he made a few phone calls and he comes back to me in just a few days and he's like, You need to elevate yeah to advertise in elevator world.
• 28:40
  SPEAKER_00: Like, why?
• 28:41
  SPEAKER_00: I mean, I'm I'm familiar with it, but I I'm like why?
• 28:44
  SPEAKER_00: He's like, Well, that's it, it's the hub, it's where you need to be.
• 28:46
  SPEAKER_00: It's you know, if you want to build your business, you you know, that's gonna build visibility, it's gonna build credibility, and you can do it affordably, you know, even with a fairly small ad.
• 28:57
  SPEAKER_00: And I said, Well, Mike, you're the expert.
• 28:58
  SPEAKER_00: I'm willing to do it.
• 29:00
  SPEAKER_00: And so, you know, he he uh he's the one that arranged to have the ad put in and everything, and maybe even designed it, but um put it in there and very quickly I was getting some phone calls, you know, you know, not a not a ton, but just hey, I saw your ad in Elevator World.
• 29:17
  SPEAKER_00: Can you help me out?
• 29:18
  SPEAKER_00: And and really from there, I think it's helped it's helped in a lot of ways, but through COVID, through um, you know, the selling and and you know of some of my my clients kind of losing that business, but it being able to find new business.
• 29:32
  SPEAKER_00: So again, I just want to thank you for for being there as a resource because I know you've helped me and my business and especially through some of the rocky times.
• 29:41
  SPEAKER_01: Hey, that's good stuff.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: Good stuff, Matt.
• 29:43
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, we're happy, happy to hear a great story like that.
• 29:46
  SPEAKER_01: And we hear a lot of them.
• 29:47
  SPEAKER_01: And and again, that's really that's the that's that's our mission is to you know support the industry in in any way we can.
• 29:53
  SPEAKER_01: So I'm glad to glad to hear that you've had success.
• 29:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, thank you.
• 29:57
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah.
• 29:58
  SPEAKER_00: Is there any any words of wisdom you'd like to share with our listeners before we wrap up?
• 30:05
  SPEAKER_01: Um hey, recruit, man, recruit more people into this industry because we we need people everywhere I go, uh no matter where you are in the world.
• 30:15
  SPEAKER_01: Uh I that's all I hear is uh you know, we need more hardworking young people to get into the industry.
• 30:21
  SPEAKER_01: And I'm I'm I'm trying to get my son into the industry.
• 30:24
  SPEAKER_01: I think it's uh, you know, it's great, it's a great pay.
• 30:28
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's a good it's a good lifestyle.
• 30:30
  SPEAKER_01: Uh it's it's it's a it's a safe industry.
• 30:32
  SPEAKER_01: There are, you know, there are obviously accidents that happen on on the equipment, but as a whole, uh the industry is is really uh a safe industry that can provide a good you know good lifestyle.
• 30:44
  SPEAKER_01: And so we need, you know, and I know that's what you're doing.
• 30:47
  SPEAKER_01: You're you're helping businesses find those people.
• 30:50
  SPEAKER_01: And that's uh that's great.
• 30:51
  SPEAKER_01: I think that you probably got a good business because uh there's a there's a great need for it.
• 30:56
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah.
• 30:57
  SPEAKER_00: There's always uh always needing you know good talent.
• 31:00
  SPEAKER_00: And you're right, I hear it all the time that uh, you know, we need to get the get the word out, get people to to recognize what a gem it is so that we we have enough people to to get the work done because there's there's a lot of work to do.
• 31:12
  SPEAKER_00: And I do find that as people dig in, learn, learn their job, it it's it's kind of like job security.
• 31:18
  SPEAKER_00: If you if you know your stuff, you know how to deliver, then you're always gonna have opportunities.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 31:25
  SPEAKER_01: I just recently read an article where it's talking about uh how you know how AI will affect certain industries.
• 31:31
  SPEAKER_01: And you know, obviously, obviously I've got to pay attention to that because you know, publishing is one of those things that they say that it's gonna, you know, take over, you know, you know, journalism or whatever.
• 31:41
  SPEAKER_01: I don't think it will, but I think it'll certainly support it.
• 31:43
  SPEAKER_01: But the one of the things that said it it won't take over is it won't take over, you know, uh uh, you know, blue, you know, blue-collar labor related industries.
• 31:52
  SPEAKER_01: Those things are gonna stay strong.
• 31:54
  SPEAKER_01: And really, to be honest with you, those industries are great industries, you know, and great income.
• 31:59
  SPEAKER_01: Uh, there's a lot of um a lot of satisfaction working with your hands.
• 32:04
  SPEAKER_01: And uh, you know, it's it's unfortunate that um we've we've got such a large portion of this younger generation that's not that interested in in working with their hands.
• 32:14
  SPEAKER_01: They've they've been raised on computers and raised on social media.
• 32:18
  SPEAKER_01: Um, but you know, tinkering with things and working on things really is there's a lot of satisfaction in it.
• 32:23
  SPEAKER_01: And um, so hopefully more people will will learn that and get in the industry.
• 32:28
  SPEAKER_00: Yeah, yeah, yeah, agreed.
• 32:29
  SPEAKER_00: Well, um, T, thank you for your time.
• 32:31
  SPEAKER_00: I've enjoyed it.
• 32:32
  SPEAKER_00: Appreciate you know the the conversation and all your your insights and wisdom and wish you the best as you as you keep building your business.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: Yeah, absolutely.
• 32:40
  SPEAKER_01: I enjoyed it as well, Matt.
• 32:42
  unknown: Thanks.
• 32:43
  SPEAKER_00: Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast, sponsored by the All Red Group, a leader in elevator industry recruiting.
• 32:51
  SPEAKER_00: You can check us out online at elevatorcareers.net.
• 32:55
  SPEAKER_00: Please subscribe, and until next time, stay safe.