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.

PEER NETWORK OR LIFELONG FRIENDS?

Mark Williamson, Management Trainee, Houston

Every time I meet a management trainee from outside of Texas, they always have the same reaction. They’re always impressed with the level of friendship and camaraderie we have here in our group, and the relationships we build with each other aren’t an accident. At least three times a year, (Spring, Summer and Fall) the management trainees in our region get together. This Spring, we all took a couple of days away from the world of plumbing wholesale, and met up at a retreat style conference center just outside of Salado, Texas. We spent some classroom time learning from a couple of leaders in our region, but we also took some time catching up with each other.

One of the most beneficial aspects of the Management Develop Program is the peer network we develop. We spend time telling stories about how we’ve won at work, some others about how we’ve learned lessons the harder way, but most importantly, we develop a core group of allies that we’ll have throughout our career. One stressful part of starting any new job is not knowing anyone or not having any support. Through events like the Spring Fling, we foster a support group that is only ever a phone call away. As we progress through our development, we always have a group of people who are one or two steps ahead of offering us guidance through our own journey. All of us are going through the same program across the region, but are learning best practices from the various leaders that we work with.

Throughout the program, I’ve made some great professional connections with the other trainees, but I’ve also been making some great friends. Whether it’s over a game of pool or corn-hole, or sitting around the bonfire having a drink, we’re all sharing our lives with each other. Personally, I’ve gotten engaged since I started working for Hajoca, and a couple of the trainees were the first guys I went to for advice about what married life would mean to me. Experiences like we had at the Spring Fling helped develop us as future leaders in the company, and helped us create stronger bonds with each other. The peer network we create across the region is part of what attracted me to Hajoca, and I think it’s why we have a training program that rivals any other across the country.

BUILDING POWERFUL ALIGNMENT WITH CHARLOTTE PIPE

Matt McGeehan, Management Trainee, San Antonio

Anyone who has been with Hajoca more than a week probably knows that one of the habits of world class leaders is building powerful alignment. We work to align ourselves with our customers, teammates, and vendors. In May 2018, management trainees from around the country were invited to North Carolina to strengthen our relationship with one of our strategic partners, Charlotte Pipe and Foundry.

According to Rick Fantham, the full power of alignment comes when the partners adopt each other’s goals as their own. “People will work harder for their own ideas than yours.” Throughout the week, we were visited by top executives who made it clear how important it was for Charlotte Pipe to help Hajoca reach our goals. Their commitment of information and resources makes it clear how highly they value their partnership. Charlotte’s product knowledge trainers, Brian Connor and Brain Helms, were amazing hosts. Their excitement for cast iron and plastic made a potentially dry subject into a very entertaining education. The mix of classroom instruction and hands on training helped us become more valuable partners to Charlotte and our own customers. We got the chance to put our knowledge to the test by plumbing a mock house. Judging by the number of leaks, it is probably for the best that we don’t have to make practical use of our new knowledge for a living.

The highlight of the trip was touring the manufacturing facilities. The only thing more impressive than the towering cupola and state of the art injection molding machines was the Charlotte family at the heart of the processes. Whether teammates were stamping their name on freshly extruded pipe or bragging about how many times they had been splashed by molten iron, the passion for their product was obvious. The tours really underscored the importance of hiring the right people and showed it is the foundation of success in any industry.

Thanks to our wonderful hosts at Charlotte Pipe and Foundry! It was a great chance to exhibit our shared values and find ways to strengthen our relationship. Not only was this trip a tremendous opportunity to strengthen our partnership with one of our key vendors, but it was also a chance to...

TEXAS REGION TRAINEES

Stephanie Schubert, Texas Regional Recruiter

I live by the mantra “surround yourself with people that make you a better version of yourself”. When I’m around our group of trainees, I am reminded of this mantra and feel like I am winning! This group is smart, driven, competitive, forward thinkers, and all around great people. They care about each other, they care about the team of people that they work with at their individual Profit Centers and they care about making Hajoca the greatest supplier to our customers, greatest partner with our vendors, and greatest place to work for the thousands of teammates across the country.

As a Texas Region, we bring our trainees together a couple of times a year in person, as they are scattered all across the Region (Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas) working at different Profit Centers. I have enjoyed watching them create bonds and friendships with one another. They talk on the phone with one another regularly. They share work experiences and best practices with one another. They talk about girlfriends and wives and kids. They are constantly learning from one another and I can’t think of a better environment to be in than that.

In March we planned a retreat style gathering in Salado, outside of Austin. We had some informal Q&A time where they asked questions of the Region Managers about anything from how they work through certain important decisions to outlining the short and long term goals for the Region. Most of the 24 hours was spent just hanging out. Getting to enjoy one another and learn more about one another. The leadership team engaged as well which is so refreshing. We shared a few cocktails, a few stories, a few successes, a few failures, a washer game or two, a few dunks on the basketball goal, a few foosball matches and most importantly we just shared life with each other.

Investing in our future leaders, is the number one priority for our Region Managers, and the environment that has been created to do this is pretty fantastic. I am so proud of this group of Texas trainees and look forward to adding more and more tremendous future leaders to this group.

WHO SAYS PLUMBING
CAN’T BE FUN?

I’m a former Supply Officer in the United States Marine Corps. And when I say former, I mean I just got out last year. One of the things I was afraid I would miss as I said goodbye to all my brothers was the comradery, the closeness, the bond that Marine Corps brothers share because of the service we’ve done and the experiences shared together. While it would be close to impossible to emulate that type of bond just because of the circumstances that create it, my transition to Hajoca and this team of work brothers is pretty darn close. And it’s trips like the one we took last month to the Nibco plant that make me realize this. What a fantastic time together as a group of trainees and an incredible learning opportunity as we learned about the Nibco products, company and culture.

We spent some time with Ken from Nibco who did a fantastic job talking about how the Nibco products are made and also shared his passion for his company and the culture. It was great to see how closely Nibco’s values and overall culture parallel that of Hajoca’s. I love to be hands on and experience things, not just read or observe. So when we toured the factory and learned how to solder, it was exhilarating for me. We broke down ball valves and learned how to properly install them. This was a great experience to learn how time consuming it can be to install basic copper fittings. And I’m going to feel really cool when I can” talk shop” with my customers who come into the counter next week picking up copper fittings. It’s great to be that knowledgeable when I talk with customers. After actually using the fittings we then got to tour the factory where they are made. The tour was incredible and allowed us to see the quality of the raw product that Nibco puts into their finished product and the care that they put into the finished product. There are a lot more steps in the process of making a basic copper 90 than I could have ever imagined.

Our leadership team is great about orchestrating a trip that has learning combined with some fun. We had a great dinner one night at a local tap house and then did a tour of the local breweries in the area the next night. I work at the Corpus Christi location and am the only trainee with the team there in Corpus. So it’s awesome for me to get out and talk to all of the other trainees who are also going through the training program, just at different locations. We crosstalk about different experiences we are all having…sharing funny stories, best practices and blunders that we’ve all had. I joined the team in January of 2017 and this was my 2nd trip with this group.

What a great time and a huge success this was. Grant, Ken and Kevin from Nibco were outstanding hosts. Every day I gained a new perspective on different aspects of the business both from our vendor partner and the other trainees.

James Andrews, Management Trainee, Corpus Christi

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.

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.

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.

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!