David Fezer

Founder and CEO of Alpha Tubular Motors

After being in the business world for more than 25 years, it doesn’t come as a surprise that David Fezer has had his share of successes and failures. But with Alpha Tubular Motors, the company he founded in 2011 and he leads today, he hit pay dirt. The motorized window covering company is headquartered in Australia, although it caters to an international clientele, including consumers located in the United States, Canada, Korea, Latin America and the Dominican Republic.

Fezer’s story is unconventional per industry standards. He dropped out of school and described himself as an addict who “struggled with life.” Meeting his wife, Daniella, provided the catalyst for his ultimate transformation, along with building a relationship with God.

Beyond providing a full life for Daniella and their four children, Alpha aims to give back to society in tangible ways—all on top of its high-quality products. The company recently purchased a bus to help the homeless in California, which will be outfitted with showers and space for simple medical treatment. Fezer said, “I feel like it’s my God-given duty to give back and help wherever I can. I’ve been blessed in life.”

We sat down with him to peel back the layers on his part in the business and how he leads a company that keeps on flourishing as competition continues to arise.

WINDOW FASHION VISION: What inspired you to launch Alpha? What need were you looking to fill?

DAVID FEZER:

We were manufacturing and, after getting charged enormous amounts of money from one of our suppliers, saw there was really good potential to disrupt that market and build our own brand on another level that provided better service, better quality, better reliability and a better warranty.

WFV: Resilience and humility go well together. What does it take to be a leader in today’s world?

DF: To be a successful leader in today’s business world, it’s important to have a wide range of skills and qualities. Some of the key qualities that are needed include resilience, adaptability, strong communication skills, emotional intelligence, strategic thinking and the ability to inspire and motivate others.

WFV: Why should consumers trust you?

DF: We believe that we deliver the best service in the industry. We have sameday dispatch, we ensure that every single one of our staff members can deliver quality support so no one waits for tech support. We integrate a lot of artificial intelligence into our business models with HubSpot, we’re starting to work with Matter Over Thread technology. We want to lead the industry in terms of the way future trends are going.

WFV: So you’re not afraid to evolve?

DF: I learned many years ago that if you don’t adapt to the times, you fall behind very quick. So as soon as something comes out, I’ll be the first one to learn it.

WFV: How would you describe your leadership style?

DF: The company philosophy has always been honesty, integrity and transparency, so we focus on that as the key point that we work around. I think that’s been a huge part of our success. It’s how we treat our staff and how we treat our customers.

WFV: How does failure play a role in leadership?

DF: Failure can play an important role by providing opportunities for growth and learning. Leaders who are willing to take risks and learn from their mistakes are more likely to achieve success in the long run.

WFV: How do you keep your team motivated?

DF: We have monthly targets to chase and we all get a bonus at the end of each month. It’s not just the sales staff, but the internal warehouse staff as well. And as long as the company grows a certain percentage, we give an increase at the end of each year. It keeps them on board to want to make the company their own and grow it. At the same time, the company thrives.

WFV: Do you have a specific book that inspires you?

DF: There’s one book that changed my life and changed my whole thought pattern. It’s called “Rich Dad Poor Dad” by Robert Kiyosaki. I was uneducated and it taught me that you don’t need to be to be successful.

WFV: What do you think it takes to be a good leader today?

DF: You need to be a good listener. I think that’s one of the key points that most people miss these days is to listen to other people and really hear them.

WFV: What are the most important values and ethics you demonstrate as a leader? Give me an example of these in practice.

DF: As a leader, it is important to demonstrate values such as integrity, honesty, respect and accountability. For example, a leader who values accountability might take responsibility for mistakes and work to address them proactively. By setting a positive example, leaders can help to build a culture of trust and respect within their organizations.

WFV: What thoughts do you want to leave us with?

DF: People are talking about us in the States and we picked up some of the largest key accounts there. We’re just continuing to thrive and grow. We genuinely have a really good product and we want to deliver a quality that is sort of unmatched in the industry. V