Beyond The Mill
The Manthei brothers, cousins and uncles successfully rebuilt the veneer mill started by Ted and Ernie Manthei. Conflict existed during that process and, as might be expected, it still exists in the company today.
“We fight regularly,” Tom admitted during his interview. “Fighting isn’t a bad thing. What keeps us together is everyone in our group knows and is committed to the fact that we need each other. We don’t necessarily always think alike. We don’t always have the same idea on how we’d do something ourselves. But what we do know is that we need each other and there is a commitment to the team concept.”
“We are as different as night and day,” Ben contributed. “But to work as a team we’ve developed a deep respect for one another because we see what each of us add to the team.”
Rebuilding the company from the ashes served to strengthen the family—although some of the older family members eventually left the partnership to pursue their own interests. Their departure created openings for the other brothers who, at the time the partnership was originally formed, were too young to participate. Those who remained have expanded the company considerably beyond the original veneer mill.
“Six of us are left in the business,” Tom explained. “The core businesses are the veneer mill, we have three mobile home parks in the Palm Springs
“As a team through the years we’ve developed eight different businesses and combined we do approximately $50 million in sales a year,” Ben elaborated.
At this point in the original Secrets Of Success show we cut to something of a “who’s who” in the Manthei organization, beginning with Tim Manthei. “I’m the director of the Manthei west coast operations. I came out and started to build some RV spaces and it ended up being an RV and mobile home resort business. We have about sixteen-hundred spaces now.”
Next up was Mark Manthei. “I’m the president of the Manthei Development Corporation. My responsibilities are the general, overall management of the company. This company is really composed of three basic departments: the aggregate division, the Ready Mix division and then our contract division.”
“My role with the company is to develop the systems and the equipment in the plant so we stay as efficient as possible,” offered Dan Manthei. “We want to make it as easy for the employee as possible, run as much veneer through the plant as possible, and get the most wood out of each log as possible.”
“I’m the President of Redi-Rock International,” Ben Manthei explained. “And we are presently marketing one of the new products we just developed which is a large retaining wall system that looks like natural, cultured rock.”
Jim Manthei was next in the lineup. “I am the vice president of Manthei Development and I’m in charge of all the heavy construction. I’ve been with the company ever since it started and through that I’ve developed the heavy construction end of the business as far as working in the field.”
And last but not least, Tom Manthei. “I’m president of Manthei Incorporated and we make single-ply, fancy face quality veneers here. We use maple, ash, cherry, walnut and some of the more exotic woods. Our products are used primarily in the cabinet industry.”
The Manthei Corporation is clearly comprised of a group of strong, independent personalities, each with their own way of doing things, each with a unique approach to creativity and problem solving. So, how do these businessmen manage to overcome their differences? Stay tuned.
© 2012 Philip Kassel
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