As general manager of Industrial Alloy Fabrication (IAF), Ray Granda sees big things on the horizon for his company. BIC Magazine recently visited with Granda to learn more about his experience and management philosophy.
Q: What led to your position at IAF?
A: As a former engineering and fabrication advisor to IAF, I had the pleasure of working with the staff for many years, creating engineering drawings and consulting on various systems and processes. As we continued to work together on a contract basis, we both started seeing additional areas where I could use my experience to make improvements. I was asked to come on board full-time in February 2017, and I took the opportunity because I saw it as an exciting challenge to play a greater role in a company positioned for growth. We have accomplished a lot in the past year, and even bigger things are on the horizon.
Q: What are your goals for your position?
A: I don’t want to micromanage, and we’ve been fortunate to build a strong core team that doesn’t require a great deal of oversight. My goal is to continue on that path as we grow and maintain a team of self-starters that feels empowered to ask for direction when needed and then to take the ball and run. Having this in place means I can focus on other aspects of the company’s growth, including implementing systems that keep us efficient as we work through the challenges that rapid growth sometimes brings.
I also want to continue our trend of training fabricators to meet the growing needs of our customers. It is rewarding to find candidates we can hire for their enthusiasm and willingness to learn, and train them in a valuable skill. This is a good career field that enables our people to earn a good living for themselves and their families. We have numerous stories of employees here who started low on the totem pole and worked their way up. Of course, part of that is on them; it’s their character. But I hope it’s also due to our company’s willingness to train and then get out of the way to let our people do what they were trained to do.
Q: What is your biggest lesson learned?
A: I have realized finding good partners in business can be a key driver to a company’s success and growth in this industry, as well as many others. That said, we have been fortunate enough to find a number of mutually beneficial partnerships with vendors and customers alike, which has allowed IAF to become a bonified competitor in our marketplace.
Q: If you could have any other job or work in any other industry, what would it be?
A: I always wanted to be an FBI agent when I was young. I like investigating things and solving problems. I guess I’m fortunate I get to do a bit of that in my own way here at IAF.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: I enjoy my work, but when it’s time for my son and my wife, it’s their time and I make them my priority. I will admit that if I have a long day at work, sometimes I bring them up here. My son is almost 4, and he loves the machinery. His favorite thing is to wear a helmet and watch the welding.
At home, I put the phone away and am present during meals with my family. One day I’ll blink and my son will be grown. I work hard to catch all the great moments with him that I can. I also believe in taking time off once in a while. It’s not good for your family if a point of pride is that you never take any of the vacation time you’re given.
Another way I maintain the work/life balance is by making sure I carve out time for the other ladies in my life: a 2015 Ford Mustang and a 2008 Harley Road King.
For more information, visit www.iaftx.com or call (713) 937-3223.