Meet Gary Stoneback
GAWDA’s 62nd President gets up close and personal. Gary Stoneback is operations manager for Metro Welding Supply Corp. in Detroit, Michigan, where he is part of Metro’s third generation of leadership, following his grandfather, Howard “Stoney” Stoneback; his father, Neal; and his brother, Greg. He has served on GAWDA’s Board of Directors since 2000. At the 2007 Annual Convention in San Francisco, he was inaugurated as GAWDA’s 62nd President.
What was your very first job?
I started caddying at a golf course when I was about 11. I was pretty small for my age, and the first couple of times I went out I almost didn’t make it. I guess the job taught me perseverance, because I stuck with it, and with my brother’s help I figured out how to make it through 18 holes. And it taught me how to get up early in the summertime, that’s for sure!
What was your first job out of college?
I worked as a civil engineer with a firm in Lansing, Michigan. I was the fourth person to join the company, which was a new firm and a family business, and within two years we were up to about 40 people. So I was able to see how the family successfully grew their business, and I had the experience of working in a small business where you’re constantly trying to stay ahead of the curve.
If you couldn’t be in the welding and gases industry, what would you be doing instead?
Probably coaching somewhere at the high school or college level. I really enjoy coaching basketball.
What is your favorite part of your job?
When you run a small business, you get to see direct results from the decisions you make. So I would say the ability to make decisions and reap the rewards of those decisions on a regular basis.
What do you do on a typical day?
Because Metro is a small business, I tend to wear a lot of hats. I oversee all of our operations, including the office, inside sales, the plant and the drivers, so my day involves everything from answering phones to helping the inside sales guys, processing orders, routing trucks, checking over invoices, signing checks and taking care of personnel problems—the whole gamut. I usually don’t know what my day is going to look like when I come in, because it’s always changing.
What is the most important thing that you’ve learned about leadership from working in your
family’s business?
My brother Greg and I are partners, and we have two different styles of leadership, but we complement each other very well. As a result, I’ve learned that sometimes my way is not necessarily the best way. I have to be flexible and keep my eyes open to other ways of doing things.
How has your leadership style changed since you began working at Metro?
For a long time, one of my biggest faults was that I wanted to do everything myself. Over the last two years, though, with my greater involvement in GAWDA, I’ve had to turn over some of my responsibilities to a couple of employees and learn how to delegate. It’s been tough for me, but these employees are stepping up to the challenge, and it makes my job a lot easier if I have to travel, knowing I’ve got good people here that I’m confident in.
What impact will that have on your leadership style as GAWDA President?
It dovetails nicely with what I want to do with GAWDA. We have 17 people on the GAWDA board of directors, and I will lean heavily on the team we have on the board to work out issues and set policy going forward. My role is to steer the ship.
What is your family life like?
It’s as busy as my workday. My wife Liliana and I have four children: Jonathan, 10; Julie, 8; Luke, 7; and Casey, 6. The kids are all very involved in after-school activities, so when I leave the office, I always coordinate with Liliana to figure out which kids I’m picking up or dropping off. And our weekends are scheduled around which soccer tournaments or gymnastics events the kids are doing.
What skill would you most like to have that you don’t have now?
I’d love to be able to speak Spanish, because my wife’s family is Colombian, so that would be a big help whenever we visit her relatives. As far as a business skill, though, I’m still learning how to delegate. That’s something I need to work on on a daily basis.
Why do you think someone should be a member
of GAWDA?
Number one, networking. When you attend the SMCs or the Annual Convention, you get the opportunity to meet with distributors from all over and learn best practices that you can take back to your business. You also get a chance to meet with all the suppliers you’re doing business with. Creating those relationships is very important. And number two, safety. I don’t believe there’s another resource out there that helps you run a safe business like GAWDA does. With our consultants and our Web site, I think we give our membership great tools for running safe companies.
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| Learn more about Metro Welding Supply Corp. in the Member Profile that originally appeared in the Summer 2006 issue of Welding & Gases Today. |
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What is going to be your top priority as GAWDA President?
We want to make sure that we’re giving our membership the best bang for their buck, so we will be looking at our revenues and expenses. It’s our fiduciary responsibility to the membership to make sure we’re spending their money wisely. Another priority that I think will be an excellent benefit for members is the GAWDA University online training tool we’re developing.
What else can GAWDA members look forward to this year?
One of the most important things the president and the Board of Directors do is provide good meetings that help members learn how to run their businesses better, coupled with nice locations and a social, networking atmosphere. So this year we have two SMCs, in Chicago and Miami, and the Annual Convention at the Atlantis resort in the Bahamas. I also want to continue the emphasis on regional meetings that Bob Ames started in 2007. And obviously the Young Executives program will continue to be important, but I also want to emphasize to the older generations of executives that we’re relying on them and their values and experience. This association is built on executives of all ages, and we’re all going to be working hand-in-hand to help GAWDA move forward.
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