For a decade now, Libby Mendiratta has held the position of Vice President at GE Frisco, which is situated in Maryland, USA, and operates in the Building Materials sector. Initially, she began her journey at GE Frisco in administration, where she gained comprehensive knowledge about every aspect of the organization. Subsequently, she transitioned into the role of director of the minority business enterprise (MBE) division and centered her efforts on augmenting the company’s count of MBE certifications for 100% Asian-owned family businesses. Presently, as a result of her efforts, GE Frisco has acquired certifications that enable them to bid on construction contracts that are publicly awarded by the Maryland Department of Transportation (DOT), Prince George’s County, Maryland, the city of Philadelphia, the City of Baltimore, the Washington Metropolitan Area’s District DOT and Area Transit Authority, and the New Jersey DOT.
Below are highlights of the interview conducted between World’s Leaders and Libby Mendiratta:
Describe who you are as a person, inside and outside of the workplace.
I have three boys, and being their mother and what that means for me defines who I am as a person. Balancing motherhood and working has been a constant juggling act for me. Keeping my work ethic while also trying to be there for everything my children need is something I try to constantly balance. However, working for me is very fulfilling. We are a distributor and have a storefront, so most of our employees are in the office. It’s a joy to be able to see and work with them every day. I love to laugh with my team while we also work really hard to get the job done. I also like to network with many industry (construction) friends and build relationships and a strong network. It makes me feel connected to my work and makes me strive to constantly do better.
Describe your background and what did you do before you started/joined the company?
I received my bachelor’s and master’s degrees in information systems technology, which was the thing to do at the time, and started working at Bell Atlantic, which is now Verizon. I worked there for about two years before deciding to work for my father to learn the family business.
Tell us about the inception of the company. How did it all start?
Frisco Woodline was incorporated 68 years ago, and my father bought the company 38 years ago. He successfully turned around the company to make it profitable within one year. Covid forced a semi-retirement for him, and he fully retired at the beginning of 2022. My brother and I now own the company together and run it.
What has made you successful? What do you value?
Being able to effectively communicate and guide our team in meeting their goals has made us successful. We value transparency, honesty, and accountability in our day to day operations. We want each team member to know they can count on us, the senior leadership team, and that they can count on each other. We hold ourselves responsible for the tasks that are due and the key performance indicators we have set for every department and employee. It’s a process that works well for us and we have measures to ensure we are meeting our benchmarks.
I personally value each member individually. To me, each employee is like family. I respect them as individuals and value what they also hold dear to themselves. It’s important to me that each and every one of them feels valued, seen, and included as a part of our company.
Which are the major services of the company and how do the company to get ahead in the competition? What value-added services does the company provide?
Frisco Woodline supplies lumber as its primary product. As an Asian minority-owned business, we are also certified to supply any raw building materials. We pride ourselves on being highly knowledgeable and qualified to provide our expertise in suggesting the right materials for the right project. From foundations to new heights, we aim to help our communities thrive.
What are the most important aspects of a company’s culture? What principles do you believe in and how do you build this culture?
We hold five core values dear to us. We are family-oriented, positive, growing, accountable, and customer-focused. We are a family owned business, now in its second generation, and we treat our employees and each other like family. We always try to maintain a positive work environment and have a growth mindset to think outside the box for solutions. We are also continuously growing as a company. Being accountable for our work not only to ourselves but also to our team helps us maintain that growth and meet our goals. And finally, everything we do is for our customers and making sure they have a great experience.
What is the significance of innovative ideas in the company?
Working in an old-world industry per se, we are always looking to do things outside of the box. Are we a great place to work? Do we provide a great service to our customers? How can we use technology to further expand our growth and operations? What are the market and economic trends we need to be paying attention to? We have a wonderful senior leadership team that meets regularly to ensure we are not missing any pieces of this puzzle and to ensure we are being innovative and paying attention to the details we need to constantly stay on top of.
Give us your opinion on; do organizations rely heavily on individual heroics or team processes?
We certainly rely heavily on our team’s processes. As a company that focuses on customer service and timely delivery of orders, it’s imperative that our team works together to provide a smooth sale. From the first phone call to ordering and delivering material, just about every employee is customer-facing. We have to work together to build our sales and our pipeline and provide the type of service that will keep customers coming back to us.
What are your responsibilities as the Executive Vice President of the company? What is the happiest part of your daily routine?
As EVP, I work directly with our CEO and our senior leadership team. We lay out a strategic plan every year with KPIs to ensure we are meeting our goals. I handle all of our state and federal contracts to supply material and, more recently, have also worked to maintain our culture and keep our team aligned with our goals. The happiest part of my routine is seeing our team members and laughing every day with each other. We all work really hard, but we have a good time in the process. It makes it a truly joyful environment.
What advice would you give someone going into a leadership position for the first time?
I would tell them to find their professional voice. Being a female in a male-dominated industry, you may not be taken seriously all the time. However, reacting and not being able to emotionally regulate yourself is harmful to the end goal. Mastering your triggers is key to professionalism and leadership. Your employees and team will always look to you to see how you are reacting and how you handle adversity. Setting an example and bringing good weather to your team sets the tone for your company.
Written by Steve Sanchez.
