By Lorraine Grubbs and Melissa Smith
This is the second interview in a series highlighting General Insulation employees. The two individuals, Stephanie Meegan, Operations Manager of the Miami Branch and Vincent Martinez, Warehouse Manager of the San Francisco Branch were chosen because, like the first three Branch Managers interviewed for our first article, they are a good example of the culture of commitment at GIC.
Stephanie Meegan, Operations Manager, Miami Branch
A Leap of Faith
I met Frank in Boston when I worked in the hospitality industry as a bartender. He would occasionally come into our establishment and sit at the bar to have lunch. One day he asked me what my career plans were. I was 26 at the time and I told him I was happy bartending. When he left, he said, “Call me if you ever want to change careers”. He later told me he saw in me someone that would be a good fit in his company.
His comment got me thinking. A couple of my friends worked for General Insulation, so I called them. They went on and on about how they love what they do and talked about the great culture and opportunities at GIC. That convinced me to call Frank even though the timing was not good. My dad was very sick and, wanting to be near him, I knew I couldn’t work outside of Boston.
During the call Frank assured me they would keep me in the Boston area for the time being. When I hung up the phone I thought, “What am I waiting for? This seems like a great company and a good opportunity.”
My career with GIC started at the Malden Branch in November of 2016. I remember walking in that first day and meeting Frank Granara Jr., the manager of the branch. “Good morning!” he said as he walked up to welcome me. “My dad called and said he’d hired a new employee and that you’d start training today. Did you discuss any particular position with him? What about salary? Did you fill out any paperwork?”
I shook my head “no” to all the questions. I guess you could say I took a great “Leap of Faith” because I trusted that I would have a position. The Malden Branch leaders and those I came into contact with in our corporate headquarters took me under their wing and helped answer my questions gladly no matter what time I called. I was made to feel part of the team right away.
As a new hire, GIC showed me that compassion was a part of their mission. I’d been working in Malden for a short period when my dad took a turn for the worse. I wanted to spend time with him before he passed so I went to Frank and told him I’d need some time off to be with my father. 
Without hesitation, he said, “Take the time you need”. My dad passed away a few weeks later and I will never forget how GIC helped me spend the last precious days with him. Not everyone gets that lucky and at that point GIC had my heart. That’s when they truly became family.
The Malden Branch is a training center for many new employees who later transfer to other branches. A few months into my training Frank Jr. asked me what job I’d like to do. Being a multi-tasker, I found that the operations area attracted me. I knew I’d have to start at the bottom and intended to climb the ladder as opportunities came along.
That’s when my second “Leap of Faith” occurred. I was chosen as the new Operations Manager of the Miami Branch. I took the job and moved to Florida leaving my family, not knowing many people in Florida, and lacking any knowledge of the export business. As in Malden, I hit the ground running. The entire team took me in as part of their family and I have not looked back. I consider some of the people I talk to throughout Florida to be my friends at this point. It’s great to be able to reach out both workwise and personally for things I need.
I feel proud “in general” (no pun intended) to be where I am. It’s only been 1½ years but the fact that someone gave me a chance to be an Operations Manager in a growing branch is huge. Even though this branch had some problems when I joined, I immediately jumped in and became part of the team. I am glad I chose to take this opportunity. It’s always challenging and I’m learning something new every day and that’s what I love. There’s never a dull moment!
GIC doesn’t hesitate to let you know when you do a good job. Last Saturday morning I checked email and found a message from Donna in accounts payable, who works in Malden, saying, “Stephanie, I want to thank you for all you do for Branch 24 from an accounts payable perspective. You being there has helped to ensure that orders placed and received match up, etc.” It was a simple email but it honestly made my day/week. She even copied my VP, which never hurts.”
I would tell any potential new hire at GIC, “You’ll love it here. Everyone supports each other. You’re encouraged to learn, submit ideas and you’ll have the freedom to make them happen.” Like the VPs in Frank’s book, “Beyond the Executive Comfort Zone”, I push myself outside of my comfort zone almost every day.
This past St. Patrick’s Day the Tampa branch coordinated a Florida Region softball game in Melbourne, Florida. Over half of the region came with their families. This is not something the company told us to do, rather something we wanted to do. It helped us get to know one another and just another example of how “family” works at GIC. The last time I went home to my mom’s she had a picture of our team taken on the softball field on her refrigerator door.
I count my blessings and hope to be part of this company for many years to come. I am grateful and can’t picture myself anywhere else. In fact, I never pictured myself here. I hope all future new hires take that same “Leap of Faith”… it’s worth it!
Vincent Martinez, Warehouse Manager, San Francisco Branch
Commitment to Accuracy
When I was 16 my first job was in a warehouse and I liked it. I eventually ended up in the printing business but it wasn’t what I wanted to do. I took a break from that business and went to a temp job as a delivery driver. One of my customers was General Insulation where I met sales manager Len Raab. On my third visit to the branch he informed me that they had an opening for a warehouse manager. I remembered how much I had enjoyed my first job in the warehouse and accepted his offer to apply. I saw this as an opportunity to not only go back to what I loved doing, but to start from the ground up with a small branch. I would be able to organize the warehouse in the way I knew would work in a newly opened branch. That was 17 years ago. It’s been one of the best decisions I’ve ever made – a blessing to me.
GIC is a great place to work for many reasons. The freedom to do my job has been a huge plus. When I first met Len I immediately related to him. While I didn’t know anything about the insulation business, I did know warehouses. I bounced my ideas off of Len and he was open to them. Back then we did not have much space and keeping things organized was a real challenge. Len did not micromanage me; he let me do my job.
The trust the company puts in you makes you feel great. When I first started working in the warehouse I was paid hourly. Len never questioned my hours and that told me he trusted me. That really does something to a person inside when you don’t have to be watched all the time because you are trusted.
I’ve had a lot of proud moments working at GIC. If I had to pick one, I’d say it’s the pride I take with our customers, the insulators. I have an excellent relationship with them. At GIC we are taught to always put the customer first. For example, when I started working in Hayward 17 years ago, our hours were 7:30 a.m. – 3:30 p.m. It quickly became clear that our customers needed to pick up supplies earlier than that so when Len asked me to change my hours to a 5 a.m. opening time, I did not mind. It was the right thing to do for the customer.
Over the years I’m proud that I have been able to keep the customers and our team happy. I live by the philosophy that “the customer is always right”.
I know it sounds hard to believe, but every day when I get up in the morning I’m excited to get to work. I love what I do. I’m not just coming to a job, but to a great company. They’ve allowed me to do my job, I work around great people and I’ve never had an issue with anyone at GIC.
I love showing off “my” warehouse to visiting GMs and VPs. They comment on how organized and clean everything is and that makes me proud. This is only one of many reasons I love what I do.
Several years ago Len came to me and told me GIC was thinking about opening up a new branch in Los Angeles and asked if I’d be interested in transferring to be the Warehouse Manager. I didn’t have to think about it. I’m happy where I am. My family is here and I have grandkids I see often. So I said, “No thank you”. I’m completely content. I’ve seen others take advantage of those opportunities and I’m happy for them. It’s actually one of the tools I mention to new hires.
GIC is also a caring company. 12 years ago I was not doing something properly and hurt my back. I drove an hour home and when I got there I couldn’t get out of the car. The doctor diagnosed 3 slipped discs and told me to fill out paperwork for disability since I would be out of work for a month. I was dreading not only filling out all the paperwork, but not being able to work. When Frank found out he called Len to ensure I’d have all the support I needed while I was out. I couldn’t believe it! When I finally returned I was put on limited duty. Most companies would have forgotten about any employee not there, but not GIC. They kept in touch and made me feel like I was still part of the team even though I could not work.
I’m not big on being recognized but several years ago I received a certificate of thanks and a gift 
card from Frank. It seems the company had put out a call to the managers to submit names of employees who deserved to be recognized. Without me knowing, Len submitted my name and I was selected as one of several employees. It blew me away. I was very honored to be chosen. I told Len, “Thank you for seeing me that way and putting my name in the hat”. Also, the birthday gift Frank sends every year is huge. It says a lot about him.
As employees, we need to remember Frank’s vision – commitment to accuracy. As long as we do
that we will continue to grow. We need to keep hiring the right people and let them do their job.
My advice to new hires is, “If you’re looking for a long-term career and somewhere you can have advancement, this is a great company. From warehouse to inside sales to operations manager, if you have the potential and work hard, you can advance. Or, like me, if you want to stay in one job, no problem. You’ll love it here.”
Comment submitted by Theresa W. Scott:
Melissa/Lorraine: thank you both for such a well written and interesting article about the culture of GIC. You all picked 2 very interesting and diverse employees. It was so interesting to hear about their previous work history and then their work with GIC. One newbie and one veteran were a great choice to put together in the same article. I had the pleasure of meeting Stephanie when she worked a few days at Dayton. She was a real help, even though new with GIC.
Just wanted to say, job well done, you two. I look forward to your next installment. Thanks.
– Theresa W. Scott, Metal Building Insulation, Business Development Mgr. General Insulation Co.
A Culture of Commitment: From Millennial to Baby Boomer: by Lorraine Grubbs and Melissa Smith
