March definitely flew by and I’m almost nearing a year in the MDP program! It has been such a fun and incredible journey; blogging about it has sort of been a reminder of all the cool things I’ve experienced. I started this month working with our operations assistant who primarily handles the Accounts Payable functions of our profit center. I learned how to bill customer invoices, pay our monthly bills, research purchase order discrepancies, and utilize our accounts payable system. I also learned how to resolve issues with freight and pricing errors that can occur on vendor invoices. This portion of our business is crucial to our bottom line and daily functions.

                Our profit center here in Orlando is in the heart of the commercial market. Our biggest customers are plumbing and mechanical contractors. We’re fortunate enough to have a commercial quotations team whose primary function is to create bids for commercial jobs. Our quotations team is responsible for every phase of winning commercial jobs. They have to coordinate with our vendor representatives, outside salespeople, and customers; not an easy job at all! I have a ton of respect for these guys and each of their 30+ years of experience in this industry. I learned how we create job bids, compile submittals, obtain competitive pricing for jobs, order product, and complete a buyout. I realized that having a specialized quotations team is just another way we’re able to service our customers here in Orlando and differentiate ourselves from the competition!

                Towards the end of this month I was able to be an observer for an inventory in Ocala, FL. An observer is a neutral person from outside of the profit center who participates in an inventory and ensures that calculations/counts are honest and according to Hajoca’s standard policies. I’ve been a part of several inventories, but this was the first one in which I took on a leadership role. I was able to work with the inventory lead and complete calculations, checklists, verify count sheet accuracy, etc. This was a smooth and successful inventory and a great learning experience for me.

 

This month was definitely filled with a lot of unique and exciting days. I was able to spend a few days out on the jobsite with customers; learning how to install fixtures and gaining more insight into what their job entails. Here in Orlando most of our business is tailored to the commercial market. These commercial jobs usually have a variety of contractors working on each job, so the jobsite is definitely a hectic place. I was able to see the different stages of a job and understand how each contractor contributes to building/remodeling a new hotel, condo, etc. This experience was so incredible and I’m feeling like a master plumber already!

                I also had the opportunity of doing a little bit of recruiting for Hajoca this month. I went back to my alma mater, Stetson University (home of the Hatters), and was able to socialize and meet new faces that I could introduce to Hajoca. Most people don’t know who/what Hajoca is and I love talking and bragging about our company; word is definitely getting out about us! The career expo was so much fun and it was great seeing some fellow alumni recruiting for their companies and being able to catch up with friends from the undergrad days. I found a few really great candidates for the MDP program and I wish them the best of luck through the interviewing process.

 

                As my time in Orlando continues to wind down, I’ve been doing my best to take in every last bit of information that I can before I move on to my next phase of training. Next month I’ll be working side by side with our commercial quotations team and outside salespeople. The people here have been around the industry longer than I’ve been alive, so their knowledge is invaluable. Our team is larger than most of the Hajoca profit centers, so each person essentially has become an expert at what they do and I’m so glad that I get the opportunity to learn from them.

 

 

It’s been another great month for me here in Orlando. The weather has been perfect for soccer (65 degrees) and I’ve been getting a lot of refereeing in. I just recently upgraded my certification and am one step closer to reaching my goal of becoming a FIFA referee one day! I’ve been very busy personally and professionally.  I’m starting to wrap up my counter sales phase of my training and next month I’ll transition into learning about the purchasing and accounting functions of my profit center.

This month I began working on a few small projects to help improve our counter and counter sales team. I conducted a survey with 120 of our customers and asked tough questions about how well we service them. After collecting and analyzing the data, I was able to get a good feel for how our customers perceive us.  I decided to set up a meeting with our counter sales team to discuss some of the highlights and the areas that need improvement. During the meeting, our counter sales team was definitely motivated to step up and design their own action plans for improvement. I’m definitely excited to see the progress we will make in the months ahead!

                Towards the end of this month I headed down to Tampa for a huge profit center move. Profit center managers are continuously looking for ways to minimize expenses, and typically, rent is one of the biggest. The decision to move a PC is not an easy one, but there are numerous resources that Hajoca provides to assist with such a big transition. I was able to see some of the behind the scenes work that has to be done before a move can be executed.  I think I have a pretty good idea of what to expect when I participate in another move.  The Tampa move required a lot of manpower and hours.  We were able to finish the move over the course of 4 days.  Let’s just say the move was exhausting but we all bonded and had a great time in Tampa!

 

This is my last post of the year and there’s so much to reflect on from the past 7 months that I’ve been in the MDP program. Not long ago I started out pulling orders in the warehouse for customers, and now I’ve been at the counter for the past few months selling our products. Boy how the time flies! Even though there’s always more to learn, I truly feel confident and proficient in my ability to service our customers, which is the key to our business model.

 

Earlier this month I spent a few days at our FL regional forecast reviews. Forecast reviews are held once a year for every single profit center manager in our company. This is a time for PCMs (profit center managers) to look back on the previous year’s successes and identify opportunities for growth. PCMs have such a unique opportunity to sit down with the President and Vice President of our company and discuss what their plan for the next year will be. My mentor and I had a great review and there’s a lot for my profit center to look forward to in the upcoming year!

During the forecast reviews, I was able to hear presentations from key people involved with different aspects of our company. From our new website user tools to how to execute a solid action plan, I learned a ton. One of Hajoca’s key values has always been to consistently develop its people; I definitely left the forecast review meetings feeling re-energized and re-focused on what my purpose is as an MDP. I’m so excited to see what’s in store for me.

 

I found myself on the road again this month and as usual pretty busy! I spent the first 2 weeks of November in Arlington, TX to assist with a huge computer software conversion. This new software rollout required a lot of hands-on training and numerous people within our company volunteered to help.  I spent a lot of time with my training team and learned so much by working side by side with people from across the country. Every person on my team brought a variety of expertise to the table and it definitely made the software conversion a smooth transition.

The Profit Center in Arlington, TX had a great group of people and they were very welcoming and eager to learn. Our team enjoyed a lot of great BBQ and “Tex-Mex” while we were out there, and let’s just say, I might not have another margarita or steak for a while. I also had the chance to meet up with a few MDPs who were nearby and as always we had an awesome time together. Debbie, Jack, and Glenn, I can’t wait to see you guys again!

As soon as I returned from my trip to Texas, my PC was having a Thanksgiving potluck at the office. We had tons of food and fried turkey. I think we really outdid ourselves and everyone had such a great time. As much as I enjoy travelling, being away from my team here in Orlando is hard and it feels good to be back home…at least for a little while