We are lucky to have partners in SMART who share our core values. We aim to advance our industry, collaborate on projects that meet our customers’ needs and build a workforce of the highest quality. To meet these goals, it helps to have someone on the other side of the table who shares these values — and we have such a person in that position in SMART General President Mike Coleman.
Many of you may know that Mike and I go back a while. He was a long-time member of the T.H. Martin team, working his way through the ranks of our company until he became foreman and leader within our company. Mike was what everyone looked for in both a leader and an employee. He is hard-working, always looking out for the folks under him, and is consistently a straight shooter. Mike is committed to bringing the best out of everyone around him. It was these attributes that have made him such a strong labor leader. Mike was tough but fair and never let minor disagreements override our joint vision of how we wanted our relationship to work. When it came to our partnership, we kept it productive by building a climate of trust, ensuring constant communication, and believing both of us had the best intentions. This foundation has led to collaborations on numerous critical matters, including efforts to achieve fair and amicable resolutions in collective bargaining, developing a robust talent development framework, and addressing shared legislative challenges. I can’t tell you how many local labor events, fundraisers and other get-togethers we have attended together during our time in Cleveland. We are both big-picture guys — balancing this critical relationship building while also serving the best interests of our core constituencies.
To this end, we have also been partners in business matters. These include efforts to build enhanced market share and highlighting the value of signatory contractors as we work to reclaim market sectors that we may have lost to our non-union competitors. It is this commitment to the industry that made Mike such a phenomenal partner as we both built our careers in the Cleveland area.
This focus continues to guide us in our current roles. When Mike became General President, I was excited to see my friend’s hard work and commitment be justly rewarded. However, in addition to that, SMACNA contractors now have someone on the labor side of the table committed to a collaborative approach that achieves results for all. During my service as a national leader, Mike has been more than advertised. As we have interacted throughout my term, Mike has not changed from the individual who worked his tail off inside the walls of T.H. Martin. I won’t kid you, though; Mike will fight for the best interests of his members and make sure that they are treated fairly and equitably. However, he remains a good listener who gathers all the perspectives around him and works toward solutions that benefit everyone. He understands very clearly that everyone prospers from working together. These are all the same traits I witnessed the first time I met my friend Mike Coleman. I am proud not only of our friendship but also of the fact that we can work together to advance our shared interests and promote prosperity for all.
