00:01
Hi, welcome to Power of the Network. I'm your host, Tim Locker, Vice President of Broadband here at CBM. It's been a minute since I've been in the studio, so it's great to be back in the chair here with you. This week, we're gonna highlight one of our own, Mr. Jordan Katzfee. He's our Hoffman specialist uh and account manager in our CNI group. So this is actually the first opportunity that we've highlighted someone within that CNI group. And so we're grateful to have him on today. m
00:30
let you get to know him a little bit better. So let's welcome him to the show.
00:37
Jordan, welcome to the podcast. Thank you for joining us here. oh Thanks for having me. So you're actually the first CBM guest from our CNI group. it's awesome to be able to highlight you and highlight that team a little bit more as well. So for the folks that may not know you, let's just start off with a softball. uh Tell us a little bit about your background, how you ended up here at CBM.
01:08
So went to KU majoring in accounting and then right out of college. Just warped my cyclones. They did. Yeah. was a really good game. They warped them. Wow. Did you watch it? I couldn't finish it. Yeah. I couldn't finish it. Yeah. We played really well. I think we were probably upset that we were out of the top 25. Yeah. And we got beat by West Virginia this weekend. Yeah. So I think it was kind of a payback.
01:37
payback game. They're ready. Yeah. Yeah. I just hope we can continue it for the rest of the season because yeah. Sorry to side. Yeah. Yep. Nope. So yeah, went to KU, majored in accounting and then first job out of college was for a lighting manufacturer inside sales. um Shout out Lightwild. locally or? Yeah, they were locally in Overland Park. Okay. And then they were acquired by Flextronic's Lighting Solutions, a major corporation.
02:07
And then within that transition, I kind of got to know one of the sales engineers who knew my previous boss, Doug Mailey. then she said, you should interview with CBM. You know, they're an employee-owned company, really great benefits, ESOP. And then interviewed with Doug over a couple of lunches and then started Inside Sales in 2013. So you've been here now
02:36
going on 13 years. Yep. Yep. Just started my 13th year. Yep. Awesome. Yeah. Awesome. So you, we were back at the old building then. We were. And you started right down. Yep. Yep. So you went to school for accounting, but you ended up in sales. Yep. How did that transition? Yeah. So the last year of college, you take your tax and auditing classes and I just realized that's something I did not want to do. Okay. So then I transitioned to
03:05
really looking at any job. um And then I guess what was available when I graduated. Okay. That makes sense. mean, numbers and a love of numbers are one thing, but then understanding tax law is a whole other thing. Yeah, exactly. I had coming out of high school really thought hard was going to go to uh UNI and take accounting. Oh, yeah. And just ended up not. I stayed working.
03:34
doing construction at the time, I just stayed working and didn't do that. fortunately for me, college came later, you know, there was a little push, Marla will deny it, but she, you know, she pushed me and urged me to go back and get to get my degree. So, you know, I think I completed that when I was, I started when I was 40. So I think I completed it maybe at 46 or 47, something like that. So.
04:02
Yeah, and I would say accounting has really helped me in our business because I can look at the numbers, run all the numbers for all of our factories um and really be able to look at a business as a whole. you can analyze that data quickly. correct. No, that's awesome. what was it that, going back to your lunches with Doug Mailey, what was it that attracted you to CBM? um
04:29
So I would say one of the big selling points that, you know, Doug kind of explained to me was the employee ownership. So every, every employee at CBM is an owner. um And then with that, you know, kind of gives you that longevity for um the employees. mean, cause once you start working here, then you kind of see the returns of your ESOP. And then that kind of makes you want to continue to grow that. long did it take you to see that?
04:59
and understand the value. Because that's one of our challenges, frankly, is hiring new people. And it takes a little bit for that to build up, and so it takes a little time for them to realize it. But what did that look like for you? Well, I would say really the first year. I mean, when they donated, I think the first year was probably around 25 % salary and bonus into your ESOP. um I mean, that's a pretty uh good...
05:28
Yeah. Most pretty good starting most folks aren't able to save that on their own. Yes, exactly. It's a big deal for sure. Yep. Yeah. Gotcha. Did you understand the rep world when you came here or did you kind of have to learn a little bit about what we do? A lot of people don't understand what reps do. Yeah. So in my previous job, yeah, we would work with lighting reps. Okay. And then, yeah, kind of really understanding that we're more or less
05:56
you know, a direct sales person for the factories just set a lower cost for the factory. um I mean, if you really think about it, we are kind of a direct sales person for all of our manufacturers. you know, your role here, ah you know, you're our Hoffman specialist. know, there's a lot more to it than just knowing the product. um You know, walk us through
06:27
Walk us through that role and kind of what you do different and specific to Hoffman. Yeah, so as a Hoffman specialist on the CI side, I'm basically the main point of contact for Hoffman enclosures. And really what that entails is I deal with all of the new product launches. So I inform the team any time a new product comes out. uh I order samples for the team when a new product comes out.
06:55
I deal with all of the reporting requirements that Hoffman has us do. um I really stay focused on all of the sales numbers, let the sales guys know every week how their accounts are doing. um Kind of look for gaps in business that we're missing at certain accounts. if we sold a lot of like a stainless steel enclosure to one customer last year, but it gets to June of this year and we haven't sold any.
07:23
I kind of raise that question to them, say, hey, what's going on here? So you pay close attention to those trends. How many times is it an actual trend or is it just project driven, where you may sell something one year and not the next? Yeah, exactly. Yep. So I would say it's probably about 50-50. A lot of it is project, but then also in our market, it's very competitive. I mean, we have a lot of really good competitors.
07:53
So it's really just making sure we're having price and availability ready for the customer whenever they're ready for that order. Obviously, especially in our CNI group, Hoffman is a critical part of what we do. um What do you think it takes to be effective in supporting that product line? Really just staying engaged with all the customers.
08:22
um They can't get a product quick, know, make the right phone calls to the people at the factory to get something expedited, which is something I do along with our inside sales staff, Jay Carlson. um And then just making sure you're staying aware of like competitive forces. I mean, because in the CI side, we have a lot of strong relationships with our customers, but it also seems like every order, you know, we're kind of fighting.
08:52
that battle to stay front of mind. Yeah. It's interesting. There's a uh handful of customers that I've recognized the pattern where, let's just say Joe, for example. You walk in and see Joe. It's been a while since you've been there, but then you see him and literally like the next week, he orders something. Yes. oh And then maybe you don't see him for a while and... uh
09:19
then you go back and see Joe again and then he orders something. So, you know, even as long as you've been doing it, it still takes repetition and like you said, be in front of mind. Yes. uh You know, so that's an important message I think sometimes we just overlook, you know, but what you do behind the scenes, looking at the trends and following the data, I mean, that's got to be incredibly helpful in terms of making sure that you're in front of Joe. Yeah, it is.
09:49
Yep. Yeah, because I can spot the trends really quickly um and then make sure the team takes the corrective action to gain that business back. Yeah. Yeah. And then also in the role of the Hoffman specialist, I'm on the IEC rep council and the cooling rep council. OK. And what those are for Hoffman is they have a select group of sales agencies and direct sales staff on those calls. And they're monthly.
10:18
talk about product roadmaps, new products, obviously new products coming out. And then it allows us to kind of have a little more input on what we're seeing in the market so they can make changes internally at Hoffman. Yeah, no, that's awesome because not every manufacturer has a rep council like that as well. And it gives us some input and a voice, if you will, and where we think the market's going.
10:48
That's an awesome tool. I'm glad they do that. Yep, I am too. What makes Hoffman unique in your mind? What separates us from the competitors? I would say right off the bat, breadth of product. I think we have over 10,000 part numbers to really fit anything the customer's looking for, all the way from commercial screw cover boxes up to our Hi-Shed, which is an IP69K.
11:16
wash down, food and beverage rated, stainless steel enclosure. We have utility CT cabinets and then we also even have fiberglass enclosures. So we really cover the full breadth with every product that we offer. With that many products, how do you stay on top of lead times and those kinds of things? We're obviously not inventing a bunch of 10,000 products. So what does that look like and how do you manage through those things?
11:45
So it's kind of twofold. mean we have, you know, Hoffman's factory warehouses and then we also work through our distribution network to have locally available inventory. And that's more customer driven. the high running SKUs, we've got distribution channels that'll have it in stock and then Hoffman does support some inventory as well. And Hoffman actually has what they call the Hoffman on demand program, which is 80 % of their business is in
12:16
roughly 1200 SKUs. ah So they keep those ones in stock. Gotcha. Yep. And it's kind of a gatted selling on their website. Whenever you see a little quick ship button next to the enclosure you're looking for, that means it would be in stock. Gotcha. Oh, that's great. That's great.
12:37
CBM is a manufacturer's rep based right here in Kansas City. We've got territory where we cover from Iowa all the way down to Texas. We cover specifically three different market segments, uh utility, commercial industrial, and broadband communications. CBM is structured differently. We're an employee-owned company. We're ran as an ESOP. That allows us to do business differently. We can cross...
13:02
lines of markets, we can put our people where they need to be and really have expertise in the right place. That's what makes a difference uh for our customers and for our manufacturers. If you think we can help you uh with the product line in the Midwest, look no further than CBM. Find us right here at cbmrep.com.
13:27
What would be one example uh where your involvement has made a big difference with whether it's a customer, distributor, the manufacturer? Give me an example where you're able to make a difference. Yeah, so as the Hoffman specialist, I go on joint calls with our account managers and do product training for customers. So for instance, Steve Wallace and I went to a couple of end users in the Wichita market.
13:56
in November and we did product training kind of on a competitively held account. And we've started seeing the business transition over. actually Steve and I have a couple calls lined up for heavily competitive accounts next week. Good. Yep. In Wichita again. Do you think the training is something, I mean, obviously it makes a difference. I feel like maybe we can do a little better job of it, but I have noticed over the years if you're
14:25
able to set up and do a good training for whatever the product line is, it seems like you give a lot more value to the customer and get a lot more of the business that way. Again, you have to remember customers are seeing 50 reps a week. Everybody's launching a new product, coming in trying to get the business. So anytime you can get in front of a customer and do product training, it kind of refreshes their memory.
14:55
Maybe you have a new product that you can train them on that they haven't even seen yet. And then that really allows them to kind of um tailor their solution around the new product. Yeah. And it builds a little trust. When you're able to go in and A, be confident and know what you're talking about, but help them take care of their issues, for example, I think that goes a long way too. Yeah.
15:22
And I would say that's something I really like to do for customers is whenever they're having an issue is trying to solve the issue for them and get a solution that makes sense for them. So one thing we talk about a lot on the podcast is culture. How would you describe our culture to anybody outside the company? Yeah. So I would say the culture at CBM, again, we're an employee on the company. So that kind of drives everybody's uh
15:51
responsibility back to the company. I mean, even though you're a part of a corporation, CBM, individually as an employee owner, um you kind of have that responsibility to grow the business, make the right decisions for yourself and for your customers m to really add value to all of us. I because at the end of the day, we're all teammates. um And I know on the C &I side, we're very collaborative.
16:21
in how we go to market. So we all ask each other questions. How did you do this with X customer? And then you kind of give an example. ah And then everybody really just is fosters teamwork, I would say. Yeah, I would agree with that. A lot of times when you talk about culture, people think about, oh, the fun things we do and having a ping pong table in the break room and stuff like that. uh
16:51
Those kinds of things only really go so far. It's really about how we go to market, how we work together, how we do things as a team. One of the things that sticks out to me, and you're a perfect example of getting the right people in the right seat of the bus. You started in inside sales, been also outside sales with account responsibilities.
17:21
But really, what you're doing with the Hoffman piece of it is so uh integral of what we do. you're the best guy at it. being able to be flexible and put people where they need to be is really a critical part of winning. uh The other thing that comes to mind too is over the past several years, it's been uh intentional.
17:47
I would say, but we're really trying to knock down those silos between the different business units. being able to cross lines and work with your counterparts in the utility team and work with the counterparts in the communication group, I think we've come a long way in terms of that as well. Yeah, I would agree. uh I mean, and for instance, Evergy is one of our very good Hoffman customers.
18:16
Yeah. They were kind of in a situation a couple of years ago where they couldn't get pad mounted transformers fast enough. So they came to us looking for a junction box to kind of go on the pad in the subdivisions. So we were able to quote them a Hoffman box and they ordered a ton of them. Another time we were able to solve the problem. And it was a modified enclosure.
18:45
Yep. So was good. It was good business. Yeah. And it's, they're continuing to be one of our top customers. So that's awesome. Yeah. That's a, that's a great example of, know, working across the lines and just, you know, when you're in your own silo, it's hard to see the rest. You know, so I think we've, I think we've done a good job there, uh you know, as a company trying to bridge that. Yeah. I would agree. Little birdie told me that you like to ride dirt bikes. I do. Yep. Still. Yeah.
19:14
How many times have you broken your collarbone? Zero. Really? Yep. Never broken a bone. Wow. That's amazing. What is it about the dirt bikes that is it just you got the go fast button or? Yeah. I would say, yeah. The adrenaline rush of going fast, hitting a good jump, going down a tree run. Yeah. So like what's your jam? You like racing or just trail riding or what? Kind of all of the above. So I grew up in Eudora.
19:43
Kansas, small town outside of Lawrence. And actually on our land, we had a dirt bike track. So we rode dirt bikes, you know, growing up all throughout the years. Yep. So yeah, some friends of mine when I was a kid uh had an incredible track at their place. And uh I don't even know what the bike was, but they put me on one and uh I do not have a go fast button. yeah. You like to putter around? Well.
20:13
I'm not so, yeah, I'm just, my brain likes to go fast, my body doesn't. So, you know, I didn't take it on the track. I took it on the highway and you know, give her the berries. And that power band hits and literally like the front wheel comes like three feet off the ground. And I panicked. I didn't wipe out, but I stopped.
20:38
I got up and I walked it back to the farm. did you? Okay. And I'm like, no, give me a four-wheeler. I'm good on a four-wheeler. just honestly, deathly afraid of them. Always have been. And they were, I mean, there was brothers, two brothers, one of them was in a cast always. Just always. Okay. Yeah. yeah, another fun fact. um We go skiing every year in Colorado.
21:07
Yeah. Fastest I ever hit speed on skis, take a guess. 85. No, 65. Okay. Yep. 65 on a pair of skis. That's pretty good. It was cooking. So I haven't skied since I was probably 18. Okay. Just, you know, a little sundown up in Dubuque, you know. I still feel like I'm probably pretty good at it though. Oh yeah.
21:36
Yeah. mean, I would say in my mind, think I could do it pretty good. I would say even if you haven't done it in years, yeah, it's just like riding a bike, honestly. I mean, you could pick up skiing. Yeah. I did a lot of water skiing when I was a kid. Oh, yeah. A lot of water skiing. I don't mind going fast in a boat if I'm driving. OK. I like that control. don't like going fast in a boat when...
22:06
someone else is driving and you know, it's three foot waves and you're doing 72 mile an hour and all that. I don't like that. But if I have control, I don't mind. But the motorcycle, I don't have control over. It's got control over me. that's my thing with that. So that's awesome. um What excites you the most about the future here at CBN? ah I would say just continuing to see everything grow. I mean, we're expanding markets.
22:35
You know, in the C &I group, always looking for, you know, new lines to represent. um And then I would just say overall developing the team um and then continuing to grow, you know, our ESOP. I would say, yeah, that's what excites me the most, honestly. mean, increasing sales, you know. um You know, we currently have a couple of positions open. um What would you say to somebody that's thinking about a career?
23:05
with us. Yeah. I mean, I would say CBM is a great place to work. um Obviously again, one of the biggest selling features is the ESOP. You you come in as an employee owner and you can immediately make an impact because what you do day to day impacts your team and yourself. um So, you know, we win and die as a team. Yep. And that's, that's a great thing. You know, we
23:31
What you do every day matters to me and what I do every day matters to you. And we frankly win as a team. So that's the beauty of it. Awesome. Well, I can't thank you enough for coming in and giving us the opportunity to highlight you. Yeah, no, I appreciate it. Yeah. Thank you. Awesome. Thank you.
23:57
Thanks again, Jordan, for joining us today on the show. We appreciate you being here. uh We look forward to watching you grow for years to come. You're an integral part of the team and we really appreciate what you do here. So thank you. uh Remember, if you need help with a project or looking for representation in either the utility space, commercial industrial, or the communication broadband world, look no further than CBM. You can find us right here at cbmrep.com. uh Give us a like.
24:27
comment, subscribe, let us know what you'd like to see on future episodes. Thanks for joining us on Power of the Network and until next time, we'll see you next time.
