Specified: Building Materials Innovation Podcast

Steve Levin is the Managing Director of Elemence, which creates new platforms for various clients, and founder of ASI Materials (advanced surfaces and interfaces). He has been at the helm of many start-ups having to do with technology. At the same time, he sees commonality and synergy between totally different industries to innovate new products with multiple applications. Levin is a great believer in taking a multidisciplinary approach to any project so it can find all the possibilities to solving a problem or finding a new product. This approach leads to streamlined, cost-effective results for his clients. In the building and construction sector, he and his team, including co-founder Adam Malofsky (see episode 24), are trying to find new ways to replace the labor shortage. One of these ways is to build offsite as modular or prefab work, using new, greener materials, and bring these to the building site. This not only saves on onsite labor but also in reduced development time and less waste. Levin’s advic

Tom Reber is the Co-Founder of The Contractor Fight, “a movement of home improvement contractors who are taking back control of their businesses and fattening their wallets”. Reber is a plain-speaking business coach who helps contractors find the way to get their minds straight and improve their businesses. Reber didn’t have an easy time growing up. Consequently, he had little self-respect or belief in his ability. Since he had to find a way to make a living and also grew up in the trade, he bought a second-hand truck and a ladder and became a painter. He struggled but managed to make a living and successfully expand his business. His coaching techniques grew out of this experience. To improve himself, he started reading books and blogs, which helped him to stretch, and he started to write his blog Daily Fight for contractors. From there he learned the value of social media and created his podcast STRONGpreneur. At the same time, he was asked to become a speaker at conventions and conferences, which led to

Do you use your time wisely? I'll share my thoughts on how you can improve your efficiency and make smart time-saving choices in this weeks Tats Talks. Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Bob Chalker is the CEO of NACE International,The Corrosion Society. NACE is the foremost organization for setting standards and offering certifications in corrosion control. It also provides conferences and direct learning for those in the industry to come together to learn about new products and methods of containing corrosion. NACE has 36,000 members in more than 130 countries. Along the way, he acquired experience in strategic planning, governance, operations management, business development, marketing, and financial management. He is also comfortable working globally in countries such as Brazil, China, and India. Through the lessons he’s learned, he formed his core philosophy. First, do right by your people, then do right by the business. And always remain mission-based but also fiscally responsible. One of the things he’s done at NACE is to have the website redesigned to improve outreach and to use more online communication such as Facebook and Twitter, even though the industry hasn’t completely caught

Ken Kelly of Kelly Roofing in Florida is a second-generation roofer. Although he didn’t start out as a roofer, when he was 17 his father seriously injured himself and Ken jumped in to help. Since then, he has expanded the business to include Energy Savings Solutions, a consulting and educational firm that helps others understand environmental conservation. The roofing company also tries to stay as green as possible and has received many green certifications. In addition to embracing the green movement, he has modernized his company with a system that streamlines and coordinates preparing estimates and scheduling. In fact, he writes the codes himself, a skill learned in high school.  Kelly is a believer in the Japanese business model of kaizen, which means always striving for improvement. To this end, he has weekly staff meetings to assess where they are, where they can go, and how to get there. One of the challenges under discussion is a labor shortage in the future. His core values, which are part of kaiz

When do you come up with your best ideas? Do you even know? I'll share my thoughts on how you can improve your effectiveness in this area on a new segment called Tats Talks. Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Adam Malofsky of Elemence Advisors in Cincinnati is a man with so many ideas they just flow from his brain. He’s been an innovator all his life and continues to be enthusiastic about finding new ways to streamline, create, and develop new and old products for an ever-changing universe. His first degree (yes, his first of several) is in chemical engineering, so most of his companies concentrated on performance chemicals, polymers and other materials for the building and construction industry, among other fields. His current company, Elemence Advisors, takes a multi-dimensional consultative approach to help customers find the new way to do things, the lowest cost, and the fastest path to fruition. He and his team assess the client’s needs and develop a meticulous presentation that may include a sample product, a cost analysis, and an outline on how to eliminate risk and how the company benefits. To would-be innovators his advice is to remain grounded but open to all experiences. After all, an open mind can le

Amy Hopkins, VP of Marketing at Silvaris Corp., tried several careers before she fell into marketing for Silvaris. One of those careers was in logistics and tech software, which helped her to learn the software for this lumber industry, specifically Silvaris’. Silvaris deals in sourcing B grade materials such as that used for paneling, flooring, pallets, crates, and roofing to other businesses and suppliers. Silvaris developed its own software, including CRM and inventory control, to create an efficient process from sourcing to sales.  As a marketing manager, Hopkins takes the vision of the company’s leaders and maps out the individual parts that will make the vision come true. She then plans the steps to reach full implementation of the goal and the roles each employee, known as a trader, will play. Also, she uses the company software to generate the data needed to improve efficiency and communication. It’s Hopkins’ task to build relationships with the company’s customers and with her traders, who research

Mark Lipton of Tremont Paint Supply, may have fallen into the family business, but he’s just as enthusiastic about it as his great-grandfather was in 1912. With two shops located in New York City, the company offers a full range of painting products from tarps and brushes to high-quality paints. He has something for everyone, including low-end apartment house owners and managers to exactly matched paints for high-end uses. To keep things running smoothly, he has two machines to blend paints with varying degrees of accuracy. There’s also a dedicated employee who will work with customers blending and reblending until the paint is an accurate match to the customer’s sample. He doesn’t believe that buying paint online is a viable choice, so he’s not concerned with that competition. Because computer screens aren’t calibrated with retail outlets’ websites, the customer has no guarantee the online-purchased paint is the right color, and the shipping costs would be prohibitive. He also has long-term contracts with

Charles Antis, founder and CEO of Antis Roofing & Waterproofing, became a roofer quite by accident. In fact, at first he was only a re-roofer. He then made the leap to full-time roofer. Established in Orange County, California, 30 years ago, the company promises to keep families safe and dry. Years ago, after an intense and awakening experience with poverty in Thailand and one in this country, he felt impelled to begin his philanthropic activities. He provides free roofing to Habitat for Humanity and Ronald McDonald houses in Orange County. He also serves on the board of Habitat for Humanity. His need to serve and live with purpose permeates his entire business, which resulted in his philosophy of people before profits. That combined with his goal of striving for excellence led to a 93 percent retention rate, unheard of in the roofing business. His employees share his feelings and work toward improving their community through service and excellent roofing. There’s even a director of cause and a marketing ma

Eric Lussier calls himself the Executor of Advancement at Precision Athletic Surfaces in Burlington, Vermont as a conversation starter. And he’s well-prepared for any conversation about all phases of construction. For his day job, he’s a manufacturer’s rep and contractor all over the East Coast for all kinds of athletic flooring, including cushioned sheet vinyl and synthetic turf. To give his customers the very best, he uses modern technology such as 3D modeling and CAD (computer-aided design). But his enthusiasm for the trade doesn’t stop there. He and Cherise Lakeside, Specifier for LSW Architects of Vancouver, Washington, representing the West, have created a website/blog, Letsfixconstruction.com, that covers all things construction. They write blogs and record podcasts just for the industry about construction gripes, concrete moisture, specs, project submittals and more. Two of their goals are to transfer knowledge from experienced practitioners to those who are new to the industry and to provide new kn

Edye Fox Abrams is the Director of Business Development at The Chemquest Group. Edye has been on a career journey her adult life and has learned specialty chemicals for construction and repair along the way. When she graduated from college, she struck out on her own even though she had a family manufacturing business she could easily have joined. Her brother already worked for the family business manufacturing paints, coatings and cementitious concrete restoration and protection for the construction and repair world. However, when her father suddenly died, her brother asked her to help him run the business. Of course, she joined and immediately helped the company improve. She also changed the business model from a manufacturer/contractor to a manufacturer/supplier. And Edye learned the chemical end of the business (from helpful staff members) and developed strategies to align different departments so everyone worked to one goal. After a while, the company reached a crossroads, and the brother and sister cou

Jeff Hayzlett is the C-Suite Network chairman and author of The Hero Factor: How Great Leaders Transform Organizations and Create Winning Cultures. Jeff has vast experience in marketing and other ventures such as TV and podcasts at both large and small companies. He also serves on the boards of many organizations. In this episode, he discusses great marketing and what makes a leader. Jeff emphasizes the importance of communication in marketing and in leadership. Businesses should use all venues of social media, especially Twitter and BombBomb video email, keep its promises, which will develop a clear brand, capture customer behavior and stay in front. He advises that the best marketing is to set the trend but not to get too far ahead or too far outside norms. Leaders must keep current on emails and other communications methods, show enthusiasm, remain organized by keeping lists and calendars and always feel adventurous about business. He also says it’s vital to set standards and values, which is to do the r

Joseph Hughes is the owner of Contractor Dynamics. He was in his family’s marine construction business for about 20 years, and with that broad, deep knowledge turned to marketing. He created his marketing business six years ago for the construction industry. His purpose is to help clients stay relevant, spend money wisely and find just the right consumers for his clients to reach. Hughes believes the best marketing starts with a partnership with the client. If the client knows about marketing, they start the plan there. They know their audience and have some idea about how to craft messages. If the client is in the dark, Hughes and his company use group coaching to help the clients get a snapshot of where it wants to go, define its audience, make plans and define projects. Using social media is of paramount importance. He particularly finds the best results from Facebook and YouTube. Audio content such as podcasts are also excellent avenues. Although posting often seems like overkill, he reminds us that not

Sarah Weiss is the COO of Elite Roofing Supply in Phoenix, Arizona. In this episode, Sarah tells us how she and her family have built a solid business following a belief in mutual respect and open learning. As COO she takes a very hands-on approach to dealing with everyone from employees to partners to customers. Weiss believes in building a consensus, letting everyone come up with new ideas. To do this, she visits the company’s branches frequently to share her enthusiasm with them and they with her. Her open leadership style invites everyone to participate fully in the company’s success. Having a properly trained team involves continuing education from employees knowing the distribution list to adopting a welcoming attitude from and for everyone inside and out of the company. This applies to customers and selling partners, the full spectrum. When everyone at Elite Roofing lives and breathes the company culture, everyone wins.  Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @Tats

Aryo Falakrou is an entrepreneur and architectural leader, and is the owner of myhomedesigner.com. The capacity to recover from setbacks is one of the most powerful skills an entrepreneur or innovator can have. Setting yourself up to be more successful under these conditions comes down to one key piece of advice. In this episode, Aryo will discuss the secret to being more resilient while pursuing your dream. Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Crystal Morrison is a global coatings and building materials innovation veteran and leadership development professional, and the Founder and CEO of EverRise. Many companies talk about innovation, but when it comes to execution, they achieve much less than expected. This shortfall is a result of not having the right environment for success. In this episode, Crystal will share her experiences on how to approach creating a productive environment.   Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Matt Cullen is a sales expert, and the VP Sales at Castagra Products, which is a manufacturing and technology company that focuses on helping forward-thinking contractors and manufacturers solve difficult coating and building material challenges. Saying “no” to a shiny opportunity is difficult. But if you don’t, it’s easy to get distracted, and before you know it, you’re spread so wide that you’re not able to capitalize on anything. In this episode, Matt will discuss his thoughts on optimal sales strategy and teamwork.   Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Clark Chow is an innovator and leader, and President of Plascon Plastics, which is a green technology development company with a basis in injection molding. It takes more than luck to engineer a perfect partnership. Curiosity and gaining trust from key players is critical in creating a great match. In this episode, Clark will detail his winning formula for solving difficult client challenges and creating new opportunities.   Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Jim Estill is an entrepreneur, and the CEO and Owner of Danby Appliances. Scaling a business is about doing less not more. It sounds like a contradiction, but it’s true. Where entrepreneurs and innovators fall down is when they add things to their plate, and they forget to take something off. Overloading your plate leads to a lack of consistency, burnout and low-quality work. In this episode, Jim will reveal the blueprint that allowed him to achieve massive success in the marketplace and in life. Please reach out if you have any feedback or questions. Enjoy!    Twitter: @TatsuyaNakagawa Instagram: @tats_talks LinkedIn: Tatsuya Nakagawa  YouTube: Tats Talks www.tatstalk.com www.castagra.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices