Coming up, you will also hear from the longest standing employee, the newest and the President of our company.
1. How did you get started with KD Kanopy?
One of my best friends was working on the IT side for KD Kanopy. He knew I was leaving an 8-year position in retail sales and raved about how this company would be such a great fit for me. I met with the original owner and CEO of the company soon after and as the saying goes, the rest is history.
2. What are you most proud of with the business?
I am very proud of what KD Kanopy represents. I don’t mean the sales or increase in market share but who we are as people. There is not a lot of turn over with our company. If our team grows and changes, it’s because we have hired new people as the business expands. We are like family here. We have fun and enjoy coming into work everyday. We also treat each other and our clients with respect and honestly believe that you should treat others like you would like to be treated.
3. What makes KD Kanopy different than it’s competitors?
Our customer service and our passion. We don’t just sell a canopy to a client, we help with the design and the entire look of the canopy from start to finish. We make it a point for the client to get the best canopy for their needs and never over sell. As with customer service, we strive to make sure the client is 100% happy and comfortable with their purchase. If we did something wrong, then we will fix it. If the customer does something wrong, then we will help them fix it. The ultimate goal is for all customers to be 100% satisfied.
4. What is something people would be surprised to know about you or KD Kanopy?
Something people would be surprised to know about me is that I am originally from Scotland. I also just got my US citizenship this year.
And something people would be surprised to know about KD Kanopy is that we invented the first pop up canopy. It was made of chrome plated steel and weighed almost 100 pounds in a 10×10 size.
Also, that our entire sales team, from the front office to accounting and management all have lunch together everyday. We talk about the weekend, family or anything but work for that 45 minutes. During that time, you can expect a lot of humor and laughs to bounce around the table.
5. Who has been your most memorable customer?
Wow that is a tough one, so many clients come to mind. There was a customer who called in very upset about their canopy and said it did was destroyed because of an error on our end. I really wanted to help the client and asked if they could send some pictures of the canopy so that we could see what damage was done and if we could help fix it. That was when the client told me that it was impossible since the canopy was at the bottom of the lake. They had placed the canopy on the back of a boat and when they took off with skiers behind them, they could not understand how the canopy could fly off and sink. That story always brings a smile to my face.
I have had the honor with working with some amazing people as well. Jeremy Hasenbuhler with Monster Energy has been incredilbe to work with and he always makes sure to sponsor our golf tournament every year. Steve Farace from Sweetwater Brewing also comes to mind. He has a great sense of humor and has always been a great client these past few years. Matt Peters from Choonimals has a great product and I always enjoy seeing amazing videos and pictures of their travels. These are just a few of the amazing loyal clients that I have worked with through out the years, there are so many more that I could list. Each client is unique and has their own story and it is always pleasure to talk with each one.
6. What has been your proudest moment with the company?
Again, I could go with our incredible growth in a bad economy or our massive increase in market share. But for me, it is always the people that I work with that I am most proud of. The sales team has grown and changed throughout the years and most of our account executives have never worked in this industry before. Because of that, we provide over 2 months of intensive training. We go over education on products, parts, design, computers and printing to make sure our staff knows the ins and outs of the company.
I request that every person in the team works in every other department. This means they will cut sew, print and fold fabric. They will also learn how to quality check and ship items. Through this our employees experience what it takes to get an entire order out the door. This training makes your account executive one of the most knowledgeable and helpful people in the canopy industry. To watch them grow, to become successful, to hear them laugh with clients, to have clients call and ask only to deal with them is what makes me proud. We hope that everyone that walks through our door will be successful. They usually end up becoming our friends and if they decide to move on, I think our training and their experience will set them up to be successful anywhere they go. And for that, I am very proud to have been a part of their story.