This Wednesday, CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana held their weekly production and 6-month forum meeting. As a developed business that has seen success both nationally and locally, CertaPro Painters uses these meetings as an opportunity to motivate its associates, celebrate success, and strive for continued growth and improvement for their franchise and others.
“It gives us all a chance to get together, get on the same page, and review anything that’s on the schedule,” said Mark Powers, Operations Manager at CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana. “During the week we’re flying. We get way too concentrated on work. So [these meetings] give us the chance to celebrate the last month or two...It helps build camaraderie and makes things more personal.”
The Northwest Indiana franchise holds production meetings on a weekly basis. Here, painters, site supervisors, and office staff gather to socialize over a beer and discuss how business is going. This particular meeting served a dual purpose, acting as what is called a forum meeting as well. Leaders from corporate as well as franchisees from out of state stopped by to share best practices and offer valuable advice.
“We work with [new] franchisees for the first two years,” said John Limburg, General Manager of CertaPro Painters. “[Every six months] we have meetings like this where we bring eight franchisees in and they have a meeting where they see how a big business runs...Guys will come in here with questions, and they get feedback from everyone on how to resolve that issue. We just facilitate that.”
After piling up on pizza and enjoying some cool, refreshing adult beverages, John Jordan, owner of CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana gave some opening remarks, and everyone introduced themselves. Each individual was recognized for their production output, guaranteeing that everyone’s success was appreciated and recognized.
Two visitors from Von Tobel and Anton Insurance gave presentations explaining the ways in which their partnership is currently benefiting the company, and encouraging other franchises to take advantage of the opportunities.
“[I’m talking about] what we’re doing now that’s different than what we’ve done in the past, what we do in terms of helping these guys out,” said Robert Hoover, Corporate Paint Salesman at Von Tobel. “The main thing is Von Tobel and myself can be a good ally for them in business. They can rely on us.”
After the guests completed their presentations, the local franchise delved into safety procedures and outstanding statistics made possible by the individual workers. Cash incentives were given out to those who received excellent reviews and new guidelines for achieving future prizes through the referral and production processes were outlined for the coming months. This not only fosters friendly competition among coworkers, but also provides excellent examples of how the visitors can structure their own production meetings.
“[The visiting franchisees] are basically where my business was at three years ago,” said John Jordan, owner of CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana. “At your younger, developmental stage of your business, things are moving quickly, so it’s always nice to have people to turn to for advice…They’re also seeing how a business of our size holds a production meeting, how we motivate people, and what we are doing that they can learn from.”
Meetings structured in this way achieve many of CertaPro’s goals. Most importantly, however, it instills a sense of belonging and respect for those who work for the company.
“John’s a good guy,” said Mike Kolbus, Job Site Supervisor for CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana. “It’s rare that you find a guy who would be willing to stick his neck out for you, especially a boss. That goes a long way. These meetings are a way of getting together and being a part of the family.”
With an outstanding culture, proven success, and strong relationships between coworkers and franchises, CertaPro Painters of Northwest Indiana are looking to expand! If you or someone you know is interested in joining this incredible team, please apply here!
