I own a small company, AR Industries, that specializes in manufacturing unique engineered fabric products. Our manufactured products focus on three areas: technical applications for the aerospace industry; architectural products such as awnings and restaurant enclosures; and products with industrial/commercial applications like protective coverings for heavy equipment and trucks.

EDUCATION | BA in Political Science Public Administration

HOW TO GET STARTED | The question to ask yourself is, what is it you are on earth to do: When you feel passionate about something, it resonates with your reason to exist.

MUST HAVE TRAITS | An open mind- when faced with different points of views, you need to be able to accept these differences. The ability to work well with others- nothing gets done without collaboration.

how I got started | My father and his business partner started the company in 1976. My wife Carmen and I bought the business in 1978. I was 38 years old and had been managing social services programs, which was the perfect preparation for this position. In social services, I had to identify the needs of clients and develop programs to address those needs in a holistic way, and our business operates in the same manner. We identify the needs of customers and develop products and services to best meet those needs.

why this job?| Our commitment to meeting the requirements of each customer, whether the customer is a truck driver who needs protective equipment for his or her truck, or an industry giant like Boeing.

why I love this job!| I love our company because it allows us to grow as a community of co-workers, customers and vendors. I find it tremendously fulfilling to help our staff grow in ways that have gone beyond their initial expectations. I enjoy dealing with individuals from the wide variety of backgrounds and cultures that are represented in our company. And I enjoy meeting the needs of our customers: recently we received the Gold Boeing Performance Excellence Reward* and the Regional Small Business of the Year Award. Equally meaningful is the positive feedback we receive from our customers.

my typical day| From 7-9AM I work from home, then head to the office, where I work on payment approvals, reports, and meet with staff. I eat lunch at the office with staff members and generally have more meetings in the afternoon. Communication is a big priority here. I write articles for industry publications and read through the vast amount of information I need to keep up with, go out for supper with my wife, and often work until midnight or later.

what they are | Making sure we're all on the same page. We continually try to uphold our values and encourage everyone's cooperation to make sure that happens. If we fall short, we take any corrective action we need to take. It can be a challenge to remember everyone is coming from a different background, and to integrate new employees into our corporate culture.

all about growth | It's huge: the big question for our industry is, how will the industry be able to address the amount of need that exists for fabric products. This type of manufacturing- creating high-quality crafted products that can't be manufactured using robots or unskilled workers- has the potential for growth.

my website| http://www.artech2000.com