By: Davies Hood, Induron President
Last week I had the pleasure of hosting the Induron Sales Team at our annual Sales Meeting. This year’s event was held at the beautiful Pursell Farms near Childersburg, AL. Our Team spent two nights together under one roof at the “Man’s World-esque” Parker Lodge. I describe this lodge as ‘Man’s World’ because of the Mountain Lodge décor, which includes a Moose-Head above the mantel, a game room complete with billiard, ping-pong and foosball tables, a patio with a fire pit and cigar ashtray overlooking the 17th green, a large dining area where we enjoyed a filet mignon prepared in-house, AND a modern meeting room featuring leather chairs and two entire walls of windows as well as modern A/V!
Though the meetings were long (all-day), the presenters and presentations varied throughout the day. Some were group discussions and others were video presentations. We even had one old-school Power Point! Each was led by a valued member of our Sales Team, so we not only ‘practiced our pitch,’ but we also kept the day interesting and eventful. Likewise, the one-off conversations that occurred on early morning walks, over late-night beers and/or while watching playoff baseball (Go Cubs!) were invaluable.
The next day we headed to our corporate offices where we discussed new, innovative products, ongoing marketing efforts and successes, and demoed (both spray and roll) several of our new and/or key products. To properly conclude the meeting, I hosted the entire crew at my house for a relaxing outdoor dinner where my father, David Hood (second-generation owner of a family business) shared the history of our company…first hand. The energy and ‘effusive’ attitudes of this group was really cool. Check out the feedback I received from a few salesmen and some photos below!
“It was great to see our team, a mix of veterans and some newcomers, sharing ideas on how to grow our company with a high level of energy and excitement similar to the level on an SEC football Saturday. Just not quite as loud.” –Jeff White
“This sales meeting fell on the eve of my 10th anniversary with Induron, which prompted me to reflect on my tenure. I can honestly say we’ve never been more efficient in production, competent in service, and as experienced and talented in our sales team. As Induron approaches its 70th anniversary as a company, I can’t help but feel as if we are still in our infancy and bound for greater things. I can’t wait to see what the next 10 years have in store!” –Ben Rowland
“As someone new to the sales-side of the industrial coatings business, it was fantastic for me to interact with so many veterans of this process and get their advice on how best to build meaningful relationships to support our clients. The meeting struck a balance that very few do: it was as fun as it was informative.” –Andy Odorzynski
“I have been in coating sales for 47 years and found this meeting to be one of the most informative and efficiently managed. I was delighted to see the vast scope of products and technology that is available to our sales department. It is a small but talented group of salesmen. Induron is positioning itself for significant growth in the near future. I am thrilled to be on the team.” –George Shannon
After reading all of the above, I am even more disappointed that I was unable to participate. Jeff and Ben were on board before I joined Induron and it has been an extremely exciting ride for me. I started out in the coatings industry with a small family owned paint manufacturing company and was part of a few much larger paint companies. It is with great joy that I am once again with a “small” family owned paint manufacturing company – but one that aspires to greatness. I hope I can hang around for a while longer and really see it develop.