Patrick Duffy with Avaya, a telecommunication vendor of ours, posted this terrific article about PAMPCO on LinkedIn some time ago.   It is so representative of the company we are we just wanted to share with the rest of you. (edited)

“When I met these guys, I couldn’t help but think “How cool is this?” Passaic Metal & Building Supplies Co. (aka PAMPCO) began their story in 1911 as a fabricator of sheet metal, expanding their business in 1973 to roofing and siding products. One-Hundred and Ten years later, they are seven locations, hundreds of employees and on their fourth generation as a family business.  

Our first meeting took place on a park bench at the advent of the pandemic in April of 2020. I pulled up in front of their largest office and distribution center located in the industrial section of Clifton, NJ. Frank Gurtman, CEO and 3rd Generation owner told me to follow him and the President, George Heckel, in Frank’s white Cadillac. We wound through the streets of Clifton’ industrial yards which gave way to residential neighborhoods and then a beautiful park. I stood in front of them as they sat on a bench. Frank talked about what his family had built and how he brought George in to take PAMPCO to the next level, like they did in ’73, this time by modernizing the operation. I told them Mitel’s story about being one of the oldest and most trusted brands in telecom. The meeting was interrupted twice by friends of Frank pulling their cars over to say hello and chat. I knew these guys believed in relationships as much as Mitel does.

What I find so cool about our business is that we get to meet these players who are in the process of building something great, even if that’s still happening 110 years later. It is in large part their essential purpose and we’re invited to understand, participate and someday be part of their nostalgia. Companies like PAMPCO are the foundation and strongest part of the fabric of America. Families build their lives around these businesses. It’s how they put food on the table and their kids through school. What I’ve found over the decades of doing this is that a client’s priority isn’t about features or even the price of your product. Customers are in perpetual build/fix mode and want competence they can have a relationship with and an advocate that sees their success as being mutual. I’ll being telling the PAMPCO story with gratitude and pride along with the stories of other great businesses I’ve been invited to be part of their journey.”

Thank you Patrick!