CAROL DUNCAN: MY JOURNEY

CAROL DUNCAN: MY JOURNEY

CEO, General Sheet Metal  Management Co-Chair,

SMACNA/SMART Best Practices Market Expansion Task Force

I was a real estate agent performing accounting, rental home repairs, and cleaning for my broker in 1982 when I got a call from my dad asking if I was interested in the controller position at General Sheet Metal (GSM). Interest rates were 15%, and wallpapering, painting, and cleaning were not as fun as they sounded, so I said yes. My dad, uncle, and a third partner purchased General Sheet Metal in 1972. Growing up, I had worked in the roofing company they all ran together and always enjoyed being around the crews and in the office.

In March of 1982, I started as GSM’s controller. By May of 1986, I married my husband, Dave, who I love to say was the “best damn tinner in town.” Dave started in the trade out of high school in 1967. He worked in the field showcasing his architectural and mechanical skills, and was known for his shop expertise. He started at GSM in 1976 and was an estimator when we met. We made a great team, running the business together for over 25 years prior to his retirement in 2008. There was a line of responsibilities, and as long as neither of us stepped over that line, things ran smoothly. It was the perfect labor and management relationship.

In the late 80s and early 90s, my first priority was raising our two daughters. I worked part-time in the office and parttime from home so I could be there with the kids after school. As the girls got older, I returned to focus more time on the business. From my perspective, I raised my daughters and then began raising GSM. In the mid 90s, I started to get involved with SMACNA by attending conventions. It was wonderful to get to know other contractors, learn about their businesses, and gain insight into how they operated. I soon realized how generous SMACNA contractors were—willing to share and assist whenever possible. By the late 90s I started getting involved with SMACNA committees on a local and national level. Through participating on various committees, I gained more value than I felt I contributed. Through SMACNA, I fed a constant thirst for knowledge and support, always walking away with new ideas and tricks of the trade. It was through the support and insight from contractors that I was able to create a vision for GSM that continues to this day.

Our local contractors and Local 16 have usually had a good labor-management relationship. We’ve been through a lot together. Roughly eight years ago, the National Joint Best Practices Committee came to Portland. Local parties were asked as labor-management partners to present our programs and practices. It was that meeting where I realized I wanted to be part of the larger conversation on best practices for labor and management. I currently co-chair that committee and am extremely proud of the group of people and commitment we all share to making our industry better. We’ve done some incredible work!

A business doesn’t grow and thrive without both parties working together. At GSM, we’ve always felt like a family, and I know the people who make it all happen are the most important piece of the puzzle. My job as a leader is to remove obstacles—no matter what those are—so others can be successful. Every job is important, and every position matters. We have been fortunate to create a great culture at GSM, and although it’s not perfect, we keep striving for improvement. We engage our employees through a yearly exercise called “7 Things To Get Done”. Everyone within the company gets to put down seven things on a sticky note they think we need to accomplish in the next year. We then place those stickies on a wall in our building hallway, moving items from “To Do” to “Doing” to “Done,” so results and action items are visible and employees can see the progress.

As my journey starts to wind down, the next generation of leaders is now at the table with the current leadership group and making decisions that will drive the future of GSM. Within that group of next generation leaders is my youngest daughter, Ashley. I have great faith in our young leaders throughout GSM and in their abilities to steer the company towards a very bright future. ▪