LIVE from FRSA with Mule-Hide - PODCAST TRANSCRIPT

Editor's note: The following is the transcript of a live interview with John Pantesco of Mule-Hide. You can read the interview below or listen to the podcast.

Intro: Hello. And we are back at the sound stage of the FRSA show here in Kissimmee, Florida. Hopefully, I said that right, Kissimmee. Let's try that one more time. Kissimmee, Florida. And we are on the sound stage sponsored by Beacon. I am so excited to be here with John from Mule-Hide.

John Pantesco: Yes, ma'am.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Last night, as you all know, Tim Ellsworth is at the show setting up the booth, working the booth and stuff like that. Well, him and John met up last night, best friends now. So it's been pretty fun to...

John Pantesco: Yes, ma'am. It was great meeting him.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Let's start with some introductions. Can you introduce yourself and tell us a little bit about what you do?

John Pantesco: Absolutely. My name is John Pantesco. I'm the Southeast region director for Mule-Hide Products. So we've been coming here for many years. We're a division of ABC Supply, so we support ABC, but we're here really for the contractors. It's a service mentality. We're servant leaders and we just want to make this industry better.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I love that. I love that. So tell me how the floor is. I mean, it seemed a bit of a buzz.

John Pantesco: Well, there are guys and ladies coming from the learning portion of their business. So they're coming in here little by little and we'll get busier this afternoon, but there is a buzz on the floor. I think that everybody's happy to be here and it's so comfortable here. It's a great facility. The FRSA does a great job.

Heidi J Ellsworth: They do.

John Pantesco: They really do.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I think Lisa Pate and her team, they just rock it.

John Pantesco: She's been doing this a long time.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I know. I know. She is so good. So, okay, when the contractors are coming into your booth, what are you talking about?

John Pantesco: Well, a myriad of things. Obviously, we supply low slope products, TPO and PVC and EPDM, as well as liquid applied and asphalts. And for the most part, products are products. People buy from people. And what we do is we try to make our contractors better. And really, we're focusing on our training facility, which is here in Orlando, Florida. We bring in hundreds of people, not only contractors, but ABC Supply people, our people and train them on the newest things that are going on in the industry and it's hands on.

Heidi J Ellsworth: That's really part of your core values, isn't it, the training?

John Pantesco: It absolutely is. We do a lot of training nationwide more formally at these training facilities. Orlando is one of five that will have regionally throughout the United States.

Heidi J Ellsworth: That's right. We've been talking about this on the coffee shop and on the podcast. We love it that the commitment to training, I think, is so important.

John Pantesco: Without a doubt.

Heidi J Ellsworth: And especially when you're talking about all the different types of systems you have. You offer an opportunity for everyone to find the right roof, right product for the right roof.

John Pantesco: Absolutely. There's no one stop, one solution, and we can provide just about every one of them. So it's great to be able to tell the contractors what we can provide and then show them and help them put their hands on the products. So we're proud of that.

Heidi J Ellsworth: And I know that you were also... Really, Mule-Hide and ABC Supply, so committed to giving back. And we just-

John Pantesco: Without a doubt.

Heidi J Ellsworth: ... finished May with the Home for Our Troops. Tell us how that went.

John Pantesco: Oh my gosh, it was fantastic. So one of our core values is give back, like you said. American Pride is one of those. And we provided, with ABC Supply and Memorial Day weekend for the Indianapolis 500. We raised $5.2 million for Homes for Our Troops. And I'm more proud of that than just about anything.

Heidi J Ellsworth: That's amazing. And I think the goal was 4 million, right?

John Pantesco: Yes. Yep. We blew it away. And it's a testament not only to our associates, but the industry and the contractors that support us.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I have to tell you, we've been visiting with some of the veterans who are getting homes from Home...

John Pantesco: Yeah, Homes for Our Troops.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Home for Our Troops. And it makes me just emotional and even thinking about it. It's just so amazing. Such a great program.

John Pantesco: We're a great cause. And today is the 80th anniversary of D-Day. So it's a Day of Remembrance and there's about 150 guys left and they were there in D-Day. And again, one of our core values is American Pride. That just fills my heart. And we hire hundreds and thousands of veterans every year, and we put our money where our mouth is. That's one of the core values that sticks out for us.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I love it. I love it. Well, okay, so booth number?

John Pantesco: 503.

Heidi J Ellsworth: 503, you're going to see it. If you're watching this, when you go in, you're going to see the big ABC Supply and right there you'll see Mule-Hide. I have to tell you, I am so happy to have Mule-Hide on both the CoatingsCoffeeShop and RoofersCoffeeShop. You can check out their full directory and see all their products and what you're doing for the veterans and everything else.

John Pantesco: Come by and see us. I mean, we just love to talk to folks. Our company was started by a roofing contractor, and that's what we do.

Heidi J Ellsworth: Yeah, that is so great. John, thank you.

John Pantesco: Oh, thank you for having us on here.

Heidi J Ellsworth: And thank you for being my friends with Tim.

John Pantesco: Oh, absolutely. That's easy.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I love it.

John Pantesco: That's easy.

Heidi J Ellsworth: I love it. Thank you all so much. We will be back. We have more interviews coming. This is a great show. Stay tuned. Perfect.

John Pantesco: Okay?

Outro: Oh, it's great.