Marshall Rodeno celebrates the women of this industry
BY JOHN E MARTIN
PVF industry veteran
Marshall Rodeno Associated of Denver is a rep firm living every day to its fullest and showing its appreciation to all the industry segments along the way. Not only am I happy to live in Denver, but it is a pleasure to be able to have my office located in the corporate office of Marshall Rodeno Associated (MRA). Going into 2012, I will process a series of articles for “Martin’s Corner” on our industry manufacturers’ reps around the country that truly have made a difference in the wholesale distribution business. At the top of the list for those interviews will be “MRA.”
But in the meantime, I wanted to share details with all of you about a celebration for the women in the Rocky Mountains that work in our industry. This was actually the brainchild of one of the women employees of MRA and has been 100% supported by the Rodeno ownership and management from the get go. Please settle in and read about the winning tradition that this gathering has become here in Denver.
In July, Marshall Rodeno played host to 40-plus industry ladies at the 2011 Ladies Luncheon at their central warehouse located in Denver. The luncheon is held to honor all women in the industrial and commercial industry in and around the Rocky Mountain Region, which is basically the coverage footprint of MRA for all the product lines that they handle. This year was done up in style by having a Hawaiian luau as the theme.
Yearly appreciation
“Every other year we put on a luncheon to show the women in this business how much they are appreciated by MRA and by the manufacturers that sponsor this event,“ said Shannon Brown, a commercial inside salesperson at MRA, and the lady that has been putting all this together throughout the 12 years they have been doing this for our industry ladies. “We have women from contractors, wholesalers, engineers and architects attending,” she added. “Mr. Rodeno and all the other management team here at MRA are 100% supportive of recognition of people like these ladies in the industry that have always been a big plus for the success of the company.”
The guest speaker was Monica Thornton from Church Seats, who gave a short pep talk about her experiences as sales rep and her struggles as a woman in this industry. Women were in attendance from our surrounding market areas like Billings, Mont., Gillette and Cheyenne, Wyo., and Cortez, Colo. MRA pays for their hotel stay each year and since some of them came from so far away they get to attend special after-lunch functions arranged by Shannon and Mark Najera (outside sales for MRA) such as a Murder Mystery Theater in downtown Denver, or a personal massage, or even a comedy club as a group.
This year was the first year MRA had two women attend from one of its key PVF lines — Anvil International — and one gentleman from Brasscraft. The salesmen that Shannon had waiting on and serving the lunch this year were Jeff Baylor, Mark Najera, Ryan Lee and Brian Rodeno (all from Marshall Rodeno), and David Bupte from Brasscraft. David was invited to be the greeter at the door also and make sure all the ladies got a name tag along with an Hawaiian lei. “What a champ David turned out to be for coming to Denver from Novi, Michigan and helping to keep 40 women happy with a plate of food and a smile on their faces,” praised Shannon.
Unsung heroines
There are actually many women in this business that do not receive a day of gratitude and attention like this and Marshall Rodeno wants them all to know that people do care and appreciate the hard work they do everyday year after year. These lucky ladies will remember that Marshall Rodeno treated them to a fantastic lunch served by our gentlemen sales guys who typically don’t have time or get a chance to say “Thank You” as they make their calls.
The lunch was actually catered by a woman who has her own business. She served pulled pork sandwiches, pineapple chicken, and sweet and sour meatballs along with Fruit punch and champagne. The cake and cupcakes were made by MRA’s own inside sales lady Milissa Dirks. Milissa and Jamie Reinbolt, both new MRA employees, had a great time as this was their first time to experience something like this before.
This group has a motto that states “Ladies Make a Difference” and Marshall Rodeno shows them just how much. The next lunch will be in 2013, but believe this writer, they all get it on their calendar right away.
Starting in our industry in 1968 at Anvil International (formerly Grinnell Company), John Martin has been with them over this 43-year span through at least five different owners! Currently serving as vice president of national account sales for Anvil’s rather successful mechanical products division, he has worked in every phase of the company from warehouse to sales (inside and outside) to the ever popular branch manager’s job in the 1970s and 1980s. He served as regional vice president for their West Coast units, and since about 1990 in this national role with contacts and customers/vendors coast to coast. Martin also traveled all over Asia in the 1980s as their acquisition guy for steel pipe used in their West Coast branch locations at the time! Currently also, he is responsible for Anvil as their lead person at ASA & MCAA, and is identified as Anvil in all the wholesale industry buying/marketing groups, In these capacities he has not only received numerous industry and association awards for his service, he has set on several boards/executive committees within these industry and associations as well. Martin was quoted currently as stating the following, “I’ve been blessed and had fun and been productive for my entire career, but I believe the most energizing time or times in my life have been (still is today) working with all the folks at Anvil and seeing the young ones in the field ‘get it’ on almost a daily basis — meaning learning our company and understanding how to meet the customers needs in today’s upside down world. Anvil is a great place for me to be right now.”
He can be reached anytime at jmartin@anvilintl.com or on his cell phone at 303/588-9806.