May 2015
| Business World
177
feel like paper. The main line converts PVC
into the composite material we call Strait-
Flex.”
Made up of 20 to 22 employees, Conboy
places particular attention and importance
towards training the sales force and nurtur-
ing relationships.
“I try to tell everyone in the plant to treat ev-
eryone like they're you're child,” he said. “You
want to teach them, you want the best for
them, but you have to discipline them also. I
want everyone here to get smarter and make
more money, and I try to instill that.”
“We're in a global market, we're competing
with everyone, and in order to have great
products and provide great value to our cus-
tomers, we have to be extremely efficient at
what we do,” he continued. “I want them to
come in and own that machine and try to op-
erate it at 100% efficiency. I respect everyone
and try to utilize their skills the best I can.”
TRADITIONAL TALK TIME
As Strait Flex’s market is continuing to grow,
so, too, are their marketing efforts. The new
version of the website, for example, is go-
ing to be extremely user friendly. But while
the digital platform is being refurbished and
upgraded to meet current industry trends,
Conboy still believes in the power and per-
suasiveness of traditional customer service.
“I'm never going to have a computer answer
the phones here, I always have someone an-
swer the phones because I respect the cus-
tomers' time,” he said.
Even from a sales perspective, Conboy re-
mains ardent in his approach towards a cus-
tomer-facing, handshake-type strategy.
“Like most companies, I go to the best dry-