We’ve been having a little fun too
BECOMING EXPERTS ON
WATER HEATERS
Logan Hale, Management Trainee, Marietta
Having such a close relationship with the #1 water heater manufacturer in the
country has some serious perks. At the end of August, the South Central Division trainees
had the opportunity to learn, bond, and experience Rheem unlike many have before. Our
alignment with this company goes deep, and through this trip we, as trainees, we were able
to better understand what the future holds, not only in the water heating industry, but in
the strong partnership that lies with Hajoca and Rheem.
It was a quick trip packed with fun and learning. We spent time at Rheem’s brand
new Innovative Learning Center in Roswell, GA, right outside of Atlanta. We spent time
learning and understanding where Rheem has been and what their future looks like. It’s cool
to see things from a macro level and hear where Hajoca fits into their strategy to attack
the different markets. We were also able to tour the Rheem plant in Montgomery, Alabama.
Seeing a heater from the inside out and from beginning to end was very interesting. Their
facilities are massive and seeing the work that goes into making the heaters and testing
them was fascinating.
And of course we were able to share some fun together at Top Golf one night. We
have a competitive trainee group…and some of us may or may not need to work on our golf
skills.
The Rheem trip was an incredibly informative, eye opening experience that not many
get to participate in. As a vendor partner, Rheem is committed to our success, and they
truly put that on display with this event. We, as Hajoca, are also committed to Rheem's
success, and I am excited to hit the ground running with the product knowledge and energized
relationships that I came away with.
VENDOR MEETING AT HORSESHOE BAY
In October, 2016 I had the distinct pleasure of attending our strategic vendor
meeting at the Horseshoe
Bay Resort in Marble Falls, TX. This was the perfect venue for hosting a group of
individuals
that included our PCMs, Management Trainees, and our closest vendors. The overarching theme
of
the three day conference was to work together in developing a pathway to achieve our
mutually
beneficial goals. I'm always amazed and encouraged by our company's emphasis on the
importance
of relationships, not only with our customers, but also with our vendors and manufacturers.
Our week started with a friendly competition among the management trainees on the
Horseshoe Bay professional
18 hole miniature golf course. The camaraderie is second to none; we always have a blast when we
get
together even though we are spread out across the state. We spent the following morning with a few
of
our strategic vendors discussing the importance of vendor-supplier relationships focusing on how we
can
better serve each other's strategic priorities. The afternoon comprised a trade show where we were
able
to spend more time with vendors as they showcased their products. The evening ended perfectly with
a
catered alfresco dinner with the entire group.
The final two days of our vendor meeting consisted of round table discussions with our key
vendor partners.
I have never seen such willingness and commitment by so many organizations to find mutually
beneficial
pathways to growing business together. This is what makes our company unique. We realize it's not
just
about us and that it takes the entire supply chain working together to be successful. I can't
forget
mention that the trip wasn't all business and we always find a way to infuse some fun into our
trips.
In between round table discussions, we had our choice of playing a round of golf on one of
Horseshoe
Bay's four beautiful courses or competing in a skeet shoot - no poor choices there.
Rich Stokes, Management Trainee, Austin
DEVELOPING RELATIONSHIPS WITH OUR VENDOR PARTNER, DELTA FAUCET CO.
This month I had the privilege of traveling to Indianapolis, Indiana to visit
Delta Faucet Company
with a large group of trainees from Moore Supply Co. Personnel from the sales teams of
Delta
Faucet and Southwest Sales, a rep agency in Texas, served as our hosts. The goal for the
visit
was to introduce us to the Delta Faucet Company, its values and its culture. After our
group
flew in from different areas around the region we met for dinner. This dinner included the
CEO,
CFO, and many members of the Delta Faucet Executive team. At this dinner it became very
evident
of the value Delta Faucet placed on the business relationship between our two companies.
On day two in Indianapolis our group boarded ground transportation to Delta Faucets home
office. As we all
walked into the foyer of their building, we received a standing ovation from those on the Delta
team
that were in the building. This represented well over 150 people and lasted for several minutes. We
all
felt the genuine desire to continue to grow the relationship between our two companies. The bulk of
the
day was spent learning more about their vision and their future. Not only were we given a total
overview
of all the lines of faucets they manufacture but we were given a behind the scenes tour into their
research
and development departments. After signing confidentiality agreements we were allowed to visit with
the
design team and see what faucets they were working on. We held the mock up models and looked at
sketches
of new ideas they had. We heard about the methods in which Delta Faucet comes up with new designs
to
enhance their offerings to better serve their customers. We were given the ability to see working
faucets
side by side and understand the features and benefits of each one. Delta Faucets product offering
has
a bright future based on what we all saw and learned.
Delta hosted dinner for us at the brand new facility, Speedway Indoor Karting and 1911
Grill. The business
is just blocks away from the Indianapolis Motor Speedway and next door to the Dallara race car
manufacturing
facility. The Delta team treated us to a large amount of time to drive the karts around the track
at
speeds up to 45 mph. Although no records were broken (as well as no bones) we all had a great time.
It
was a special treat to meet the owner of Speedway Indoor Karting, Ms. Sarah Fisher, of the Indy
Racing
League. For those that don’t follow the sport she was one of the youngest IRL drivers to race
the
Indy 500 and had a very successful career before she became one of the first female car owners.
The next day the team from Delta Faucet Co continued to invest in us by providing a half
day Franklin Covey
course. This was a huge benefit as we all want to be better stewards of our time in the business
and
be able to focus on the priorities of each day. Many long term relationships were formed with the
Delta
team that will benefit both companies moving forward as we both continue to grow. Thank you Delta
Faucet
for treating us all to a very informative, educational, and fun visit.
Blake Westmoreland- Management Trainee
A GROUP THAT GIVES BACK
In late October I had the privilege of working with my fellow Texas Hajoca
trainees volunteering
our time for an amazing organization, Habitat for Humanity. The time together was held in
the
north Houston area and included an ample amount of fun, fellowship, and hard work. On the
night
of the 28th all Texas Hajoca trainees met at Top Golf for a night of competition and
relaxation.
The following day was to be our philanthropy event with Habitat for Humanity.
On the evening of October 28th I met 15 others at Top Golf in Spring and helped kick off
our night of festivities.
Think driving range meets dart board. We took a little time to warm up and get comfortable with
driving
the ball short and long distances before dividing into teams. Uh oh….teams? That means we
get
to compete! We’re all friendly in the group but I’d be lying if I said we all
weren’t
secretly wanting to WIN. A little healthy competition is good right? Let’s just say my team
didn’t
come in first or last place. Combining the fun we had with the game and the great food, it was a
terrific
night. We enjoyed the comradery and friendly competition, but it was also nice to discuss what was
going
on in each of our lives personally and professionally. We had some new trainees join the team this
year
and we all take pride in welcoming them to the group, learning about them and sharing our journey
with
the company thus far.
Thursday the 29th was beautiful. The weather was cool with clear skies and ended up being
a perfect day for
some sweat intensive labor. The Habitat for Humanity group had finish out tasks for us to complete
for
multiple houses within their housing subdivision. We initially split into three different groups:
painting,
assembling blinds, and yardwork. I was chosen to be part of the yardwork crew. We were tasked with
creating
a level and clear yard space for new grass sod to be placed at a later date. We grabbed shovels,
pitchforks,
and other tools and began tearing up the overgrown weeds. After some time working we realized there
was
a large block of concrete that was poured directly in the middle of the yard. Rather than give up
we
decided to grab sledgehammers and try to bash it enough to eventually break it all out. Picture a
group
of sledgehammer happy guys not wanting to be defeated by a block of concrete. As we took turns
swinging
the hammer we quickly realized that we didn’t have the energy or the muscles to clean out the
entire
block of concrete within our limited time frame. Since quitting was not an option, we decided that
the
next best thing was to rent a jackhammer, because every guy finds an excuse to play with power
tools.
One trainee volunteered to grab one from a local hardware store while the rest of us found other
jobs
around the jobsite. For the next few hours we continued clearing the yard, laying soil, and busting
concrete
with the jackhammer until the task was complete. The other groups were touching up paint and
hanging
blinds. We were all extremely satisfied with the progress we had made and that our group helped
multiple
families that day. Though our impact may have been small, this event reminded me of some of the
best
reasons why I chose to work for Hajoca and why I’m proud to be a part of such an amazing
organization.
All of the efforts put forth that day will go a long way for Habitat for Humanity and will help
grow
and develop our future leaders within Texas. It was an honor to work alongside my fellow friends
for
Habitat for Humanity and I’m greatly appreciative of the opportunity. I’ll be eagerly
awaiting
the next philanthropic event we have!
Taylor Gilbert- Management Trainee, Houston
VISITING RHEEM
In April I was fortunate enough to travel to Montgomery, AL with my fellow
management trainees. The
trip was an educational and relationship building trip to Rheem’s Manufacturing
plant.
The trip started off with all of the trainees from Texas flying into DFW Airport and
occupying
a single plane to Alabama. It was a cool experience to have the majority of the plane
reserved
for just our company. Once on the ground we headed to a welcome dinner hosted by Rheem at
Firebirds.
The atmosphere and food were amazing!
On day two the education began bright and early with a recap of Rheem’s history and
culture presented
by Matt McLaughlin (National Account Manager) and Jeff Reimer (Region Sales Manager). The plant we
were
in had a conference room that was dedicated to the water heaters of the past. I thought it was
interesting
to see how technology in the industry had advanced over the years. We continued the day with
various
conversations about marketing, technical support, future changes, and a plant tour. If you have
never
been inside a live running plant it is something to behold. The temperature had to be well into the
90’s
with fire and huge moving machines around every corner. We were escorted through several of the
assembly
lines and saw how the products were made from start to finish. After seeing all of this first hand
I
have a new found respect for the people that make the heaters we sell. The night ended with our
limos
picking us up for a local minor league baseball game…..did I mention we travel in style? We
had
two private suites full catered with snacks and drinks for the evening. We were even slotted for a
few
of the wacky events that happen between innings. The group managed to partake in sumo wrestling and
a
water relay challenge!
Our last day we headed back to the manufacturing plant for one last experience. Rheem was
nice enough to
bring in tankless water heaters and let us strip them down and build them back up. Although
I’m
sure those heaters will never work again after we touched them…it was a great experience to
see
how these machines operate. It can be challenging to try and sell an item back at the branch when
you
don’t know much about it. This experience helped me build some lasting relationships and
stack
up my product knowledge on Rheem heaters. It also didn’t hurt that we were able to cut loose
a
bit on the trip.
Corey Bugay- Management Trainee, Arlington