John Mitchell holds down the sales manager position for heavy construction products at Samuel Roll Form Group. Based in Cambridge, Ont., Mitchell’s career spans more than four decades. His experience has made him an expert in the metal fabrication industry and a go-to resource for customers across Canada.
Mitchell sat down with Piling Canada to provide insights into his career, the circumstances that allowed him to become so versatile, and what he likes to do outside of work and more.
Let’s go back to the beginning, John. Can you walk us through your career?
John Mitchell (JM): In college, I took air conditioning and refrigeration technology. When I graduated and entered the job market, the opportunities in that field were limited due to the recession at that time.
I pivoted into the metal fabrication business and worked for Westeel Rosco, the largest manufacturer and distributor of a wide range of fabricated metal products in Canada.
It was a good place for my start in the “work world.” I worked in the shop, ran various types of equipment and familiarized myself with metal fabricating at a young age. I was also given the opportunity to be involved in supervisor duties. I then moved into the office, working in production control, scheduling, inventory control and inside sales.
I gained a lot of experience in my seven years at Westeel, particularly from the people I worked with. I was the youngest employee; the average age was over 50. They were happy to pass their knowledge onto me and I was grateful to accept it. I didn’t realize it back then, but later I realized how valuable my time was there.
Where did you go from there?
JM: Well, when Westeel Rosco came to its demise in the early ‘80s, I was laid off. From there, I worked at The Franklin Mint as an operations manager before moving on to Hawker Sidley, a heavy forestry equipment manufacturer, as a warehouse supervisor. I spent 2.5 years there before another layoff due to the company relocating.
And then one morning [in 1987], I read the newspaper and saw an ad for an inside salesperson with a metal fabricator, and I was excited to get back into the metal fabricating industry. I called right away to arrange an interview. The company was Canadian Metal Rolling Mills [now Samuel Roll Form Group]. I knew the sales manager from Westeel Rosco. It was an easy hire because Canadian Metal Rolling Mills was a metal fabricator like Westeel Rosco.
I started in inside sales, production and inventory. After six months, I moved into outside sales. At the time, heavy construction products was a new division, and I was excited about the growth potential it had. We’ve grown from a few products to becoming a diverse supplier of piling products.
And now you’re the sales manager of heavy construction products.
JM: Thats right, I manage piling products for all of Canada. I have sales agents in Western and Eastern Canada, but most of the business is managed from our Cambridge, Ont., office. I have an excellent team in Cambridge that works closely with our sales agents and customers. We pride ourselves on being a trustworthy and reliable resource.
Can you describe what you’re doing day to day?
JM: The big thing for our industry is anticipating the needs of the customers and making sure we have material available for their projects. In Canada, a large amount of material comes from both domestic and offshore.
I really like to see what’s coming down the pipeline as far as what kind of jobs are happening. Typically, a day for me is reviewing projects out for tender and going over them with my team and our clients. Some are design-build, and for some, everything is specified. I like to talk to customers about what their needs are, what their designs might be, and try to get in on the ground floor and work together with them. We put pricing together a couple of days before the job closes, so they have everything in front of them.
I also manage inventory across Canada. We have various yards, so I must stay on top of material availability. I also participate in the purchasing side of things, ordering steel from mills all over the world. We have a lot of discussions with owners/engineers because they also are in the design stages of these projects. They want to make sure they’re specifying something that’s available and meets their required designs. There’s a lot of homework and prep work involved before these projects go out for tender. Planning is important.
“I think Canadians have a fantastic work ethic… We are a diverse country and have the opportunity right here in Canada to train and employ people with specialized skills.”
John Mitchell
Do you travel often for work?
JM: I do travel to meet with customers but not as much as I used to. Early on in my career, I did a lot of traveling across Canada and spent a lot of time in the field with our customers. It is important to have face-to-face contact. Most of my customers now across Canada have seen me face-to-face many times. I do think that part of the job is important. It is important for customers to know who they’re dealing with.
What makes a great day at work for you?
JM: At the end of the day, for me, it’s the feeling of accomplishment, knowing that I’ve made progress on the projects I’m working on and the satisfaction I get knowing that customers find the products they’re looking for.
The piling industry, as everybody knows, is very risky. Whenever a customer starts their project, there could be unknown elements involved. You don’t really know what surprises are in the ground. There’s always something that happens and you must be ready to respond. I just like to know that my customers are taken care of and start fresh the next day.
How many people do you manage on your team?
JM: We’re very lean. In Cambridge, including my office staff and myself, guys in the yard, there are seven of us in total. And then two sales agents that help us along – one on the East Coast and one on the West Coast.
That sounds like everyone is busy all the time.
JM: Yes, we are; you’ve got stuff coming at you from every direction. During peak time, we all come in early and stay late to make sure projects are moving along smoothly. I have a great team.
Have you had mentors or people who have had a big impact on your career?
JM: Yes, I’ve had many.
Number one is my father. He was a hardworking and smart man. This is where my work ethic, morals and values come from. Over the years, I’ve also been fortunate enough to work with some very knowledgeable engineers from our industry, as well as many clients with years of experience.
What was your father’s job?
JM: He was an operations manager, and also worked for Westeel Rosco. He managed five plant operations with a staff of hundreds of employees.
You’re also the guy with experience to a lot of people.
JM: Yes, I do have a lot of experience and knowledge in and of the industry. After 38 years in the business, I do know a thing or two.
Do you like giving advice to people who come to you?
JM: Oh, definitely. I have no issues sharing my knowledge. It’s important that the younger people have someone to come to for advice. Sharing knowledge helps everybody.
What kinds of questions do people ask you most often or does it vary?
JM: It varies because my knowledge is diverse. It could be anything from purchasing to inventory, to how I price. Questions about soils, applications for sheet piling, what they should use for this type of project. I even get calls from engineers looking for advice simply because some of them know how many projects I’ve been involved in over the years. I’ve seen what works and I’ve seen what fails. If I ever hear about a failure in our industry, I visit the site to see what went wrong.
Can you talk about some of the projects you’ve been part of?
JM: I’ve been involved in so many projects across Canada from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland, up into the Arctic and the U.S. I’ve had my hands in some of the largest piling projects in Canada; to name a couple, the Randle Reef project in Hamilton Harbour, the Essex Parkway in Windsor. I’ve worked on mega-projects across Canada, and right down to the little guy with the backhoe and a pickup truck who’s trying to shore up a culvert.
I’ve seen all of Canada. That’s the great thing about my career – I’ve been to so many places. Canada is such a beautiful country.
“I’ve seen what works and I’ve seen what fails. If I ever hear about a failure in our industry, I visit the site to see what went wrong.”
John Mitchell
And you’ve spent most of your career at the same company. What’s kept you there for so long?
JM: I really enjoy the people I work with, not just at Samuel, but all my customers I have built relationships with. Samuel has supported me along the way. There’s nothing boring about what we do in our industry, there’s always something different every day. I honestly have a great passion for the piling industry.
What’s your best sales advice for people who are new to sales or new to the industry?
JM: Be very transparent and honest with your customers. Transparency is important. You can tell people what they want to hear, but they need to know the truth about what you can and can’t do. Start your day early – this allows you to get the small stuff done and make progress on important projects before the demands and distractions kick in.
And there’s a saying – discipline leads to habits, habits lead to consistency and consistency leads to growth. That’s a model that I have in the back of my mind that I share with the younger people around me.
What are some of your biggest challenges?
JM: Today, it’s the price of steel. It’s inconsistent – it’s up and down and sideways. It’s hard to look at somebody’s project and see where the steel pricing is going to go. The right word is volatile – steel pricing is volatile and has been for quite a few years now.
Another challenge is supply, making sure that we can supply products to these projects. It takes time for imports to come in. You can get easy supply from the U.S., but it’s high-priced. Offshore steel, it takes so long to get here and you’re ordering four to six months in advance. That’s a challenge, knowing what to order four to six months down the road.
Does it help working with a large, international company?
JM: It does help – I can call the corporate office and get advice and support that I need. There is a large network of people who are also experts in their field. Samuel has an excellent reputation in the steel industry.
What about changes that you’ve seen throughout your career – what’s different now than when you first started?
JM: When I first started out, steel was thinner, cranes were smaller. Now, our products are bigger, wider, heavier, longer, harder to move and harder to install. It’s the same with our customers – they’ve got bigger cranes, bigger equipment, bigger hammers, bigger everything.
As far as the clientele, it’s shrinking, because companies are buying other companies up. The market has shrunk in terms of the number of potential customers.
Since this is a Canadian publication, what’s special about the Canadian marketplace?
JM: I’ll say this – I think Canadians have a fantastic work ethic. We are willing to take on any new challenges the piling industry has to offer. We are a diverse country and have the opportunity right here in Canada to train and employ people with specialized skills.
That’s an interesting observation. Also, since this is a Canadian publication, we should talk about hockey. You have some important ties to professional hockey.
JM: You found that out, did you? Hockey was always my thing as a kid and I played a lot, up until I was 50 years old. But when my son started to play, my model for him was that if you can’t skate, you can’t play. I put him in skating first; when he was five years old, all he did was skate. When it came time for him to play hockey, I’ll never forget his first game. His team won seven to none, and he scored all seven goals. He was quite a good player, and he kept improving and excelling.
He got drafted by the Toronto Maple Leafs, then onto the New York Rangers, and from there to the Colorado Avalanche, where he played for five years. After that, he went to Europe and played in Germany for two years. He had a great 14-year professional hockey career. When he was playing, I made it to 21 different NHL arenas.
Since he’s retired, I think I’ve added three more arenas, thanks to the Deep Foundations Institute. Now, my son is a TV analyst for the Avalanche.
Do you have any other children?
JM: I have a daughter who lives close by and she has two children, so we get to see them on a regular basis. Family is important.
What else do you like to do in your time away from work?
JM: My wife and I have been married 40 years, and we spend a lot of time outdoors. We have a trailer up north and like to go on weekends as often as we can. Being in sales, I spend all week talking to people face-to-face or on the phone. So when I get to my trailer, that’s where I go to have peace and decompress. Although I do take a satellite phone and call into work every other day to see if there’s anything urgent that I need to help with.
I’m also the president of our local Sportsmen’s Club with 300-plus members, where we run many events. I’m an outdoorsman, and the top of my list is moose hunting. We hunt in northwestern Ontario. It’s beautiful wilderness country.