NEW PERSPECTIVES AT FAMILY-RUN COMPANY by Rachael Pfenninger, director of strategic execution, AMBA
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n late 2020, Kyle Scott, project manager, Liberty Molds, Portage, Michigan, left the construction industry to join his family-run company, where he planned to share and apply developed skills in sales and relationship-building. Shortly after, he attended the AMBA 2021 pre-conference session for its Emerging Leaders Network, where he explored leadership tactics alongside like-minded peers in the industry. After just a year and a half at the company, Scott has made waves and already generated significant impact within the company. He and his uncle, Brian Scott – who currently runs the company as its president – sat down with Rachael Pfenninger, AMBA director of strategic execution, to dive into Kyle Scott’s journey into moldmaking, the role he plays in the company’s workforce development efforts and more. YOU’RE NEWER TO THE INDUSTRY. PLEASE SHARE A LITTLE BIT ABOUT YOURSELF AND WHAT YOU WERE DOING BEFORE JOINING THE LIBERTY MOLDS TEAM. Kyle Scott: I was born and raised in Grand Rapids, so I’m not from here, originally. I didn’t come from a moldmaking background, even though my uncle runs Liberty Molds; I actually came over from a sales role in the home building industry. WHAT HAS BEEN THE MOST SURPRISING THING ABOUT THE MOLDMAKING INDUSTRY SO FAR? Kyle Scott: Moldmaking has been an adjustment, absolutely. With the practical knowledge I have gained in relationship building, though, it hasn’t been too jarring. What’s been most exciting to me is the level of intelligence of everyone working here. I’m very engineer-minded, so I’ve been able to communicate easily with the team and train in the technical side of the business. Of course, there’s going to be personality differences, but overall, the level of knowledge and willingness of the team to share has blown me away.
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the american MOLD BUILDER | Issue 1 2022
BRIAN, WHAT DO YOU THINK OF KYLE’S TRANSITION? WHAT’S IT BEEN LIKE TO HIRE A FAMILY MEMBER, ESPECIALLY ONE WHO IS NEWER TO THE MOLDMAKING INDUSTRY? Brian Scott: This process really has been incredible for me. Kyle is a fast learner, so his onboarding was relatively easy. He’s taken on responsibilities that we had never envisioned. I think the greatest benefit is that I’ve gotten to know Kyle as a person rather than as a family member. We’ve been able to explore the city together, and I’ve been able to build a level of trust with him very quickly. IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU’VE REALLY TAKEN YOUR FAMILY RELATIONSHIP TO ANOTHER LEVEL – WOULD YOU SAY THAT YOU FEEL LIKE YOU’VE FALLEN INTO A MENTOR/MENTEE ROLE? Brian Scott: Absolutely, and it was something I never anticipated. From the beginning, Kyle and I agreed to be upfront with one another. This is a new industry, a new role and a new city for him. We both want to be sure it’s what he wants. Thankfully, because he has this willingness to learn and an ability to retain key information, I don’t think it has mattered at all that he lacks the experience some other guys in the shop might have. IT’S EXCITING TO SEE SOMEONE NEW COMING INTO THE INDUSTRY, ENJOYING NOT ONLY THE RELATIONSHIPS AND PERSONALITIES, BUT ALSO GETTING IMMEDIATE ACCESS TO SOMEONE IN THE INDUSTRY ON WHOSE EXPERIENCE YOU CAN RELY. OF COURSE, THAT TECHNICAL KNOWLEDGE IS STILL NEEDED. KYLE, WHAT HAS LEARNING THAT SIDE OF THE BUSINESS LOOKED LIKE FOR YOU? Kyle Scott: I’ve spent a lot of time just researching and understanding molds, as well as utilizing the knowledge of our people here. There’s no better way to learn things like mold construction, mold function, why things need to be where they are, et cetera, than through relying on the tribal knowledge of employees who have been here a long time. It’s also really helped to have an engineering background. At the same time, even though I’m constantly
