The value of a good leader is priceless. Whether it’s the leader of a small business or a major conglomerate, those who lead the way aren’t afraid to try new ways of doing business or conquering new environments (think Elon Musk). They look above and way beyond. Many family companies with strong leadership have a business plan that projects well into the future (and they constantly update it), they have good benefits and good leadership that keep good employees for the long term, and hopefully there is a good succession plan in place as well. Strong leaders look outside the box, they contribute to their community as well as their industry, and they know when to say yes and how strongly to say no.
Along those lines, I thank the many AWCI member leaders who contributed to this year’s AWCI Contractor Directory (page 34). Just being an AWCI member is an acknowledgement of a commitment to the industry, but then there are those who stepped up and sponsored the directory with their business card information. At the top of each page it says, “AWCI salutes these leading companies that lend support and bring excellence to the wall and ceiling industry,” and I believe this is accurate. As AWCI’s president, I salute them as well.
The directory lists all the AWCI contractor members, their fields of experience and phone numbers. This information is also on AWCI’s website, www.awci.org. AWCI members know that being a member of an industry trade association is one of the keys to success in this business. Not only do you meet others who think like you and are often facing the same problems, you receive education opportunities that you can’t get anywhere else. The wall and ceiling industry lost a lot of good companies during the recession, but those that were left standing are among the best of the best. Those are the companies with leaders who know and appreciate the value of trade association membership.
Because this was written just days before the start of AWCI’s Convention, I will continue next month with my thoughts about AWCI’s 100th anniversary celebrations in Florida. In the meantime, lead on.
In addition to being 2017–2018 president of the Association of the Wall and Ceiling Industry, Sellers is president of OCP Contractors, which has offices in Cleveland, Columbus and Toledo, Ohio.
