Reflecting on 46 Years in the Elevator Industry | Michael Ryan
Today’s guest is Michael Ryan, vice president of business development with the Peelle company. Mike is a long-time elevator industry leader whose career spans more than 46 years. From being hired over the phone into the wrong role to becoming one of the industry’s most recognized experts in freight elevator doors, Mike has seen decades of change across the elevator world. As he prepares for retirement, Mike joined me to reflect on the lessons, relationships, and experiences that have helped define his remarkable career.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Mike Ryan’s Journey
04:56 The Evolution of the Elevator Industry
07:36 Understanding the Collaborative Nature of Elevators
09:31 Challenges and Misconceptions in the Elevator Industry
12:13 Lessons Learned and Advice for the Next Generation
15:03 The Importance of Community and Relationships
17:56 Looking Back: Reflections on a Career
20:06 Preparing for the Future of the Elevator Industry
Resources:
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Transcript:
Matt Allred (00:00)
what do think you’re going to miss the most?
Mike Ryan (00:02)
100 % it’s the relationships, right? You know, the Peelle relationships, you know, when you work that close with a group to face all the crises that you face,
I mean, you have to put your heads together and figure out, hey, how do we solve this problem? And then you’re members of these trade groups like NAEC and CECA, and they have their own problems and their own challenges. I’ve been on both of those boards. And it’s nice to work through those problems with those people. That’s really been something I’m going to miss. And then I’ve really been blessed
working for Peelle and have had the freedom and the ability for Peelle to send me to really anywhere in the world that people were interested in Peelle.
You know, it’s nice to have been with a company that is that global and that well known that I was the face of that company. And I will miss being like that expert, you know, it was part of my brand. I will miss that opportunity to do that.
had a great run at Peelle and the elevator industry was good to me. And I hope nice things are said about me when I’m not around, but yeah, I will miss obviously engaging all you guys in all those events.
Matt Allred (01:09)
Sure.
Matt Allred (01:10)
Hello and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast brought to you by the Allred group. I’m your host, Matt Allred. When talent is mission critical, call the Allred group with industry expertise, top talent and exceptional customer service. You need the Allred group on your side. Your priority is our priority. Call now (404) 890-0445 Today’s guest is Michael Ryan, vice president of business development with the Peely company.
Mike is a long-time elevator industry leader whose career spans more than 46 years. From being hired over the phone into the wrong role to becoming one of the industry’s most recognized experts in freight elevator doors, Mike has seen decades of change across the elevator world. As he prepares for retirement, Mike joined me to reflect on the lessons, relationships, and experiences that have helped define his remarkable career.
Matt Allred (02:05)
Mike, welcome to the show.
Mike Ryan (02:07)
Hey Matt, thank you for the invite. It’s a great opportunity, thank you.
Matt Allred (02:10)
Yeah,
thank you. No, I’m honored. I really am. mean, when you mentioned that you’re going to be retiring and, you know, stepping away after having started 46 years ago, I’m like, that is an opportunity to at least a conversation. I mean, there’s no way to capture all 46 years, right? But yeah, well, I appreciate it. I’m looking forward to it.
Mike Ryan (02:27)
Haha.
You don’t have long enough, maybe.
Matt Allred (02:36)
I want you to just take us back to the beginning. Like how did you first get into the elevator industry and what kept you here?
Mike Ryan (02:43)
It was totally random. I was thinking about that. I was hired over the phone, if you can believe that. I had went to Peelle. I was interviewed for an engineering position with one guy. For whatever reason, I wasn’t the right guy for him. He told another guy, and that guy hired me on the phone. It was really a bad fit, actually. I did not excel well in that
role with that.
Matt Allred (03:08)
So you were hired into
an engineering role is what you’re telling me.
Mike Ryan (03:11)
I was the engineering guy for a salesperson who did very specialized New York City conversions. And they dumped me with this guy to be his layout guy. And I didn’t know anything about doors and he was gone most of the time, either traveling or in New York City. So I had no guidance. I was pretty sure that I was going to be out that door had it not been for the fact that somebody was transferred to Chicago in the sales department.
I think they just said, stick that kid up in the sales department. And that was really a better fit for me. And I had a good time. And right away, between all the customer engagement, with these elevator projects, I found it like a fun place to work. And interestingly, I think a lot of elevator people enjoy the fact that they can point to a building that they see, ⁓ hey, I was involved.
Matt Allred (03:45)
Interesting.
Mike Ryan (04:04)
in that thing and that was kind of cool. I think that’s what kept me. But I think if it hadn’t been for being transferred from that sales engineer guy to actually sales, I would have been gone.
Matt Allred (04:16)
Well, mean, you know the saying, right? The right person in the right seat, right? It sounds like you’re the right person, but had somebody not noticed that, he’s in the wrong seat, let’s give him this opportunity. You’d have been gone a long time ago, right? You wouldn’t have flourished, you wouldn’t have stayed. Like you said, either they’d have fired me or I’d have just fired myself because it wasn’t the right place to be, so.
Mike Ryan (04:26)
Yeah.
I would have been gone 46 years ago.
Yeah, it was
the wrong fit. Yeah, I’m glad I found the right fit.
Matt Allred (04:43)
Right, right. So you told me that at some point early on you left, you came back. What pulled you back in? And when did you realize that I am going to be an elevator person for the rest of my life?
Mike Ryan (04:56)
You know, ironically, I now see myself in those guys that I was looking at at Peelle saying, why am I staying here? Those guys were like my age and they were really having a good time and they just, weren’t leaving. So I left.
Matt Allred (05:10)
I’m never gonna
get promoted, right?
Mike Ryan (05:11)
I
am, I said, I’m going to go anywhere. So I left and I got a little bit more education. I wasn’t gone very long, like two and a half years I went for an electronic security system manufacturer also on Long Island. And I got some more education. And then those guys started to retire. And so I was recruited back by my then boss, who was the boss I left on.
Matt Allred (05:27)
wow.
Mike Ryan (05:35)
to fill in one of those spots for one of those retired guys. And so I’m hypersensitive to those younger people at Peelle looking at people my age. So I’ve decided like the timing is good. I don’t want to be like that guy that I used to talk about. And you know, it’s weird. I came back, I think I ended up at my desk and I think I ended up was pre computer, of course. I ended
my price book that I left like two and a half years earlier.
Matt Allred (06:03)
like they
saved a seat for you, right? That’s Mike’s spot. Nobody sit in it. He’ll be back.
Mike Ryan (06:06)
Yeah, it was perfect. And
I started working literally with the same people. and you know what? Freight elevators aren’t all that popular. So I think I probably spoke to people who had no idea that I had just been back and had been gone for two and half years. You know. some markets don’t see a freight elevator for a few years at a time. And the elevator community was so welcoming, either because they recognized that I came back or just in general that
It was a pretty easy thing to say, you know what, I left because those guys weren’t retiring. I’m back. This is really kind of fun. And I started to get more involved with the industry. So it obviously agreed with me because I stayed since I returned.
Matt Allred (06:46)
Yeah, yeah, yeah. And at some point you decided, hey, this is who I am. It’s what I’m going to do and been here ever since. That’s awesome.
Mike Ryan (06:54)
Yeah, it’s not uncommon,
right? I know a lot of coworkers and I know a lot of people in the elevator industry in general that leave for something and then they return. I know more than a couple dozen of those people.
Matt Allred (07:06)
Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, obviously you’ve seen over 40 years of change. What would you say is the biggest shift in the elevator industry that, I don’t know, maybe some others don’t fully appreciate it, but from your perspective, what would that be?
Mike Ryan (07:19)
You know,
I
talking about like back in the day, but you know, it’s sort of like back in the day, you know, the elevator industry, it’s still very homey, but back when I started, you know, a lot of the suppliers and even the contractor firms, it was very…
Matt Allred (07:23)
You
Mike Ryan (07:36)
much geared around family and those elevator conventions and those spring conferences, that was their vacation. So, you know, and it was common, that we don’t allow it on the show floor anymore, but you know you have to be 18, but man, we had kids running around. I mean, the first day of the show was like trick or treat where kids would pick up like all the giveaways. So I would say that’s the biggest change. The show floor,
Matt Allred (07:43)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Ryan (08:03)
was so much different than it is today. I I remember the first show I did was in the early 80s. I think it was the basement of the Diplomat Hotel in Miami Beach. And everybody, I mean everybody had a 10 by 10 booth. I many times was next to Herb and Walter from JAL. I had my little 10 by 10 and they had their little 10 by 10. So, you know, it was a much smaller group. It was more intimate. Now, of course, now today, it’s not
any better, it’s not any worse. It’s just different, right? You’ve got all of these VCs and you’ve got consolidation. But, you know, when I started, all of the major elevator companies were not only located in the States, they manufactured in the States, right? know, Westinghouse became Schindler and
Montgomery became Kone, Dover and everybody that Dover purchased became TK, right? So, you know, it’s a little bit different with the VCs and the consolidator, but I would say that the fabric of like what we were is just different. It’s not any worse, but you know, also on the other side is the trade shows and the education are way bigger
and more powerful than they were when I started.
that would be the big difference that I would say is how the makeup changed, but not in a bad way. I mean, it would have been unreasonable to think whatever we were in the 1980s would be the way we would be in the
Matt Allred (09:31)
Sure.
Mike Ryan (09:32)
right?
Matt Allred (09:33)
Yeah, So, and it sounds like, you’re speaking of the community, the connection, the families, all those things. How would you say the industry overall has changed? maybe, I don’t maybe it’s technology, maybe it’s, you know, all the, just curious what strikes you.
Mike Ryan (09:50)
I think it’s all of those things, right? We’ve gotten more technical.
I think, you know, code Drive, a lot of what the changes, I can see it where I travel that clearly when you go to elevator contractor offices, they are, you know, there’s many levels of people they report to, especially if you’re not an independent. And I think that’s changed the way, you know, business is done. You know, it’s a little bit more corporate.
Matt Allred (10:10)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Ryan (10:17)
But again, I don’t think that’s a bad thing. That’s just, you know, you just adapt to whatever the business culture is at the time. And of course, you know, the codes and the standards, I mean, it keeps everybody safe and you’ve got to make the right product, then you’ve got to sell the right product, you’ve got to install the right product. you know, think it’s a, you know, I think it’s a change for the better.
Matt Allred (10:37)
Yeah, yeah, agree. Agreed, right? I mean, it’s just there’s no reason to think it would have stayed the same. just curious what what kind of jumps out at you. And I’m curious, You know, most people, honestly, myself included, right? It’s easy to to ride an elevator, not think about anything except inside the box. What do you think would surprise most people about how an elevator actually works or what it
takes to make it work.
Mike Ryan (11:00)
I don’t know how many times in my ⁓ career with people not familiar with the elevator business, when they ask what you do.
And you tell them you’re in the elevator door business. And that could be true of any of my supplier friends. Hey, I’m in the elevator fixture business. I’m in the elevator lighting business. I make car enclosures, right? I don’t think the people who ride elevators have any idea that it’s really a collaborative effort. like, there are so many specialties driven by codes and standards and inspections. And even the big guys, even the major elevator companies, mean, they’re not braiding their own,
Matt Allred (11:27)
my, sure.
Mike Ryan (11:38)
rope and then they’re not extruding their own rails. I mean, there are so many specialty manufacturers that really have to come together to build an elevator that I think it’s really surprising to people because they joke. What do mean the elevator doesn’t come with the doors? And I’m like, no, the elevator sometimes does not come
Matt Allred (11:38)
Sure, right.
Mike Ryan (11:54)
the doors. The door could be.
Matt Allred (11:55)
What would they compare
it to? It’s almost like an automobile without doors. It’s like, why would you do that?
Mike Ryan (11:58)
Shoot it.
Right, right. So I think that’s surprising. I don’t think they realize…
that’s a collaborative effort, a bunch of specialty manufacturers, and they’re probably completely unaware that there’s yet a whole group of people in front of us, the suppliers, the consultants and the general contractors, like, what do you need? What are we going to specify? What’s the right solution? And then even after everything is installed and running, that you’ve got inspectors and AHJs behind the whole thing, making sure that, okay, I know what was specified. I know why you made what you made, why you installed what you
Matt Allred (12:13)
Sure, sure.
Mike Ryan (12:34)
We’re going to make sure that it’s okay for people to ride it now. So it really takes a lot of people to get that elevator up and running.
Matt Allred (12:42)
Well, I think,
yeah, I’m glad you brought that up because I think one of the maybe the big surprises is, know, I don’t know. Some people is like, what? thought buildings were born with elevators, right? It’s like zero consideration. But then there’s the other side, like automobiles or airplanes where it’s like, no, I just thought they were standard, right? I mean, they all come with the same parts, pieces, components. I mean, it’s just, it’s just an elevator. It’s a silver box and I climb in and how can it be that different? And yet every one of them.
pretty much different, right, depending on where they’re put. you know, certainly there’s some, some consistency and, you know, templates, but there’s a lot of, a lot more variation, I think, than, most people would consider.
Mike Ryan (13:13)
every one of them.
For
sure. And I think that would be something that people find interesting. They just didn’t know. You know, they don’t think about it. They walk in, they press the button, they get to where they’re going, they walk out and have no idea that there’s 30 different organizations make that happen, right?
Matt Allred (13:38)
Yeah, yeah. It’s mind boggling, especially to somebody that’s on the outside, right? So what would you say one thing the industry that maybe is a challenge or frustration or maybe we’re working on it, still haven’t quite got it right. What would that be?
Mike Ryan (13:53)
know, you had asked me about this and it bothers me still and I’ll just say it. The media characterizes responding to people stalled in an elevator as needing to be rescued.
I’m bothered so much that I wrote something that Elevator World printed and I put it on LinkedIn and it received the most hits I had gotten from anything. I think that as an elevator industry community, I don’t think that we should sit by and tolerate, if that’s the right word,
Matt Allred (14:20)
wow, yeah.
Mike Ryan (14:32)
people needing to be rescued from the thing that we produce. You know, you look at an elevator, it’s climate controlled, it has Wi-Fi, sometimes it’s TVs, there’s a phone, you know, just hang out for half an hour, someone’s gonna come and get you. You know, you don’t need to be rescued from it. And you know, I think when you talk about needing to be rescued from an elevator, and certainly the way Hollywood portrays elevators in some disaster movies, you know, this is the reason why people pry doors open and try to get out
Matt Allred (14:55)
for sure. Right.
Mike Ryan (15:00)
of the elevator before being rescued and they get hurt. And why? Because you need to be rescued from a stalled elevator and then you watch movies like Speed and The Towering Inferno and you know there’s actually a movie called Elevator. They don’t really portray the elevator in like the most positive light but you know that aside I wish that we could as a community get to the fire service and get to the media and say look you know.
Matt Allred (15:03)
yeah.
Mike Ryan (15:25)
Nobody needs to be rescued. Where’s the fire? It’s gonna be fine. Hang out for a few minutes. The elevator guy is gonna come and bring it to the next floor and then you can get out.
Matt Allred (15:35)
Right.
Well, it’s like saying, I need to be rescued from rush hour because my car can’t go as fast as I want it to There’s a car in front of me and I need to be rescued from the situation maybe. So obviously they love to play on sensationalism. They love to play on a little bit what we talked about a minute ago, which is not everybody understands this whole world of elevators. And so there’s a lot of assumptions and stories and, these are scary. well, let’s build on that.
Mike Ryan (15:41)
Yes.
Matt Allred (16:02)
to get clicks or likes or whatever it may be. It does remind me a little bit of a situation I heard of, don’t have any factual evidence, but I heard a story of a person who called it an entrapment. Apparently they got stuck on an escalator. It stopped and they stood there, they called 911 and insisted that they be rescued from this.
Mike Ryan (16:06)
Right.
they stood there.
Matt Allred (16:27)
escalator that had stopped.
Mike Ryan (16:28)
There is a YouTube video of a joke. I mean, that is a joke. Somebody did it on YouTube. The guys stood there and they just stood there waiting to be rescued from the escalator because it just happened.
Matt Allred (16:33)
Okay.
Okay, so maybe it was a
joke, but somebody told me about that and I was like, my gosh.
Mike Ryan (16:41)
Yeah.
Matt Allred (16:42)
That’s awesome. So after four decades, over four decades, what’s one lesson that really changed how you approach your work or even relationships in this industry?
Mike Ryan (16:54)
You know, I wish I had done it earlier, but I would say, you know, get involved, ⁓ stay involved, volunteer, join a committee, join a trade association. Look, there’s no shortage, right? We’ve got NAEC, there’s CECA there’s the Safety Foundation, there’s NEI, there’s every major city. I shouldn’t say that it’s different now, but there are a number of major cities that have local elevator associations. And I would get on that.
get that committee or that association, join that association and just get involved. Every company has a brand and then every person within the company has their own brand, right? And the sooner you establish yourself,
in that company, in that association as a resource, think, you know, things come to you, right? People call you for advice, they remember you, you’re somebody that they want to have involved, maybe you end up on their board. And I think that’s a good thing, because that until you’re really involved in those associations, especially on a national level, you really don’t understand the scope.
of every other association.
I think what I would suggest to people getting in is that you should get involved early and join a trade group or join an association.
and volunteer and try to understand, not only your local market, maybe do that first, but then if you join some of the national markets, that really broadens your horizons and you can collaborate with people in other markets because they probably have the same problem and are they handling it the same way or are doing something different?
Matt Allred (18:27)
Yeah. And you said, you know, maybe I should have done this sooner. How did things shift for you as you started getting more involved in some of the organizations?
Mike Ryan (18:37)
⁓ If I had gotten involved earlier, I just think my career would, you know, I think it would be in the same spot. I just, we’d be better, better informed. And I don’t, I don’t think that that’s a bad thing.
Matt Allred (18:45)
Mm-hmm.
No, not at all. I mean, and I’m guessing, you know, as people get to know you, then they’re more likely to call you for business, right? There is, benefit in just being known and being able to help answer questions or, you know, even if it’s not directly tied to sales, it’s, hey, he’s known, he’s trusted, you know, we can call him. Yeah.
Mike Ryan (19:07)
You became that resource, right? They know you,
they senior to the thing. And then, you know, before you know it, someone’s asking you to speak at an event and you’re imparting whatever knowledge you want to impart. And, you know, then somebody else says, Hey, could you help me out here? Then you just, it’s just part of the personal brand and the company brand. So I don’t think it’s a bad thing.
Matt Allred (19:23)
Yeah.
yeah, no, agreed, agreed. It’s way of really paying it forward and, you know, being there to help bring things along, if you will. And it speaks, I think, to the elevator industry’s unique culture, right? You talked about the families. We talked a little bit about, you know, how it brings so many people. It requires so many people to make it work. And what would you say that is that kind of, I guess, drives the collaborative nature
I mean, I hear it over and over on the podcast interviews I do, right? That even though we’re competitors, we still, you know, there’s healthy collaboration, right? And if somebody calls and needs help, what do you think it is that drives that?
Mike Ryan (20:06)
Well, I don’t know what drives it, but what should drive it is, you know, my opinion is that we all own the responsibility to ensure that the users of elevators have a positive experience.
Matt Allred (20:19)
Mm-hmm.
Mike Ryan (20:19)
And
if we’re to do that, then we have to work together. I think if you want to work together, I think you make it as easy for your customer or your customer’s customer to have a good experience. For ourselves, our company, we make databases and drawings and any information available to our customer and our competitor.
if that’s the way it needs to go. We’re not shy about somebody calling us and saying, hey, this is what I’ve got existing and this is my problem. I mean, if the right thing to do is to say, look, you really got to go back.
to the original manufacturer and have them solve your problem because you know the only solution for us is for you to rip that out and start from scratch. Sometimes that’s not a good solution. So I don’t think that that’s a bad thing because I know that we refer our competitors when we need to. I know that in each little elevator community if somebody is better suited or one contractor is too busy they refer somebody else. And I think that that says a lot about the community. And I would like to
think it leaves a positive impression on the ultimate user or customer that, I chose this guy, but for whatever reason, he referred me to his competitor because his competitor was available, better suited, had a better price, whatever. I think that makes us all look good because I think we own that responsibility to make sure that the people who use our products are left with a good impression of the elevator industry overall.
Matt Allred (21:48)
Yeah, no, absolutely. Yeah, I think it speaks to being a good citizen of the industry, right? And make sure that customers are taken care of even if I can’t maybe take care of you right now, but hey, there’s somebody who can. certainly kind of being the bigger person, right? Being willing to say, I’ll give this business to someone else. So in a previous conversation, you had mentioned becoming the expert in
Mike Ryan (22:06)
Thank
Matt Allred (22:13)
niche early. How important is it for someone to really own their lane? And what does that look like?
Mike Ryan (22:20)
Yeah, you know, you said that before and I said that there are so many specialties and I would not want to assume that I knew more about somebody else’s product than my own. because we are so unique and everybody’s a specialty, I think it’s important to establish yourself early as an expert. I don’t think that that takes much actually. I mean, cause really who knows?
about every aspect of what we do. I couldn’t tell you very much about fixtures, I couldn’t tell you very much about rails, but you know.
I own what we do, you know, and you know, when you do that, you become the answer man, if you will, you know, the consultants reach out or, you know, contractors reach out. We talked about those trade groups every once in a while, you know, somebody needs to fill in a speaking slot or you go to some contractor and there’s a lunch and learn. I think the more niche you are, ironically, the more there is a need for you to actually
speak at events because let’s face it, you know, we make a very unique product that isn’t seen every day, right? So if you don’t see our product, but every two or three years, you’re not really, you know, you’re not really up to up to date with what you thought you may have known.
Matt Allred (23:36)
Well, and even if you see
it, seeing it doesn’t equal understanding it. And if I go to buy one, that doesn’t mean I understand why would I buy this door over that door and what are the benefits of the, you know, that’s.
Mike Ryan (23:48)
Yeah, so
I think it’s good for your personal brand. let’s face it, mean, sure, I’ve been doing this a long time, but when I have to speak somewhere and I have to throw together a PowerPoint, I got to do some research and I got to check it internally. Hey, is this thing still true? And you got to put it together and then you get a chance to deliver it. It keeps you refreshed.
Matt Allred (24:09)
Absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. So ⁓ I’ve got about four more questions for you and three kind of looking at the retirement and then maybe one to the rising generation. ⁓ So I’m curious, looking back, is there anything you wish you had done differently or pursued more aggressively or anything like that?
Mike Ryan (24:20)
Mm.
Oh yeah,
of course I was super, super young. I was a teenager when I started. If I had to make a request of the people that I reported to at the time, I would have liked to have gotten started visiting customers.
sooner. And I did start pretty quick. And in fact, I just told us at some NAEC podcast that I think for the first five years of my career, maybe even more, I really I wasn’t old enough to rent a car. So they had, they had to rent cars for me because I don’t think you could rent a car at least in New York where I am until you were 25. So they had to rent cars for me. And
Matt Allred (24:57)
wow. Yeah.
That’s better than the
bicycle. Just saying.
Mike Ryan (25:07)
Yeah, exactly.
I would have liked to have gotten out more because I probably learned more looking at our stuff and seeing people than I learned any other way, certainly more than I learned internally. And along those lines, I wish that I spent probably more time in places that I personally avoided just because they weren’t big markets for us at some point.
I was doing a majority of the travel and then at a later point in my career, I ended up managing people who traveled. And, you know, I kind of tended to keep them on the coasts and we didn’t spend a lot of time by no fault other than my own.
We didn’t spend enough time in the middle of the country, Dallas and Chicago, of course. But so I would wish that we would have gotten out more. And then the other thing I wished I would have done is we actually have quite a few options of our products because I went and visited the user.
and got feedback, you know, you only know what you know, right? So we, we, knows, you know, I would make this and we make this for this reason. But, you know, it wasn’t until I actually got a phone call from a guy at a Target department store complaining about something. And I saw the problem. I said, geez, I wonder if we could fix that. We did fix it. had a similar experience over at Boeing and Anheuser-Busch. So yeah, probably if I had had to do it again, I would have modified where I went and how early I went.
Matt Allred (26:09)
Sure, sure.
Yeah, no, I love that. love that. Well, you know, and as you step away, what’s the message or mindset you hope the next generation carries forward?
Mike Ryan (26:44)
You know, I would tell them, help everybody, your competitors, your coworkers, you know, the people that, use your product, you know, it’s gonna pay off, it’s not always about, selling something and making some money, you know, make yourself a resource. I would tell the younger generation, which I had to learn older in my life, is that you cannot underestimate the importance of social media.
I said, not only is it good for the company’s brand, it’s good for your personal brand, you know, put up like where you are, what you did, what was successful, you know, impart as much knowledge as you can. Because if you operate in your own vacuum, I mean, that’s exactly what you’re going to get. And you know, the elevator industry is still so homey that it’s super scary when you go into any, any event. I mean, you could go to a local New York event or Chicago event or a trade show or a spring conference. We just saw you at the spring conference in LA, right? If you are
brand new and you were dumped into that environment. I mean, it looks like a family reunion.
is enjoying everybody’s company, right? Everybody seems to know everybody and it’s got to be terrifying. And I would just say, look, just jump into a group, jump into a conversation, you know, and this guy’s going to introduce you to that girl and she’s going to introduce you to that guy. Cause you know, the elevator people in general are pretty, pretty friendly and very inviting.
Matt Allred (27:59)
Yeah, yeah, it can be a little intimidating having done that myself, right? But I found that, just like you say jumping into a group, shake hands, say hi, you know, ⁓ never once been chased away. Always been welcome to the conversation. Yep, awesome. When you when you think about walking away after all these years, what do think you’re going to miss the most?
Mike Ryan (28:07)
Yeah.
Right, right, just another thing mate. Yeah.
You know, 100 % it’s the relationships, right? So I’ve been with these Peelle folks and the people that have left and the new people. You know, the Peelle relationships, you know, when you work that close with a group to face all the crises that you face, you know, supply chain and material increases and recessions and…
tariffs, I mean, you have to put your heads together and figure out, hey, how do we solve this problem? And then you’re members of these trade groups like NAEC and CECA, and they have their own problems and their own challenges. And you end up on those boards. I’ve been on both of those boards. And it’s nice to work through those problems with those people. That’s really been something I’m going to miss. And then in addition to the trade people I’m going to miss that I worked with, I’ve really been blessed
working for Peelle and have had the freedom and the ability for Peelle to send me to really anywhere in the world that people were interested in Peelle. to attend a trade show or speak or to visit customers. I’ve had the…
Matt Allred (29:21)
Nice.
Mike Ryan (29:29)
the pleasure of doing that in China and Germany and Dubai and India and England and all across North America. You know, it’s nice to have been with a company that is that global and that well known that I was the face of that company. And I will miss being like that expert, you know, it was part of my brand. It will be, I will miss that opportunity to do that. But, I don’t. ⁓
I have no misgivings. had a great run at Peelle and the elevator industry was good to me. And I hope nice things are said about me when I’m not around, but yeah, I will miss obviously engaging all you guys in all those events.
Matt Allred (30:09)
Sure.
Yeah, yeah, you’ll be missed as well. So final question for you. If someone’s getting into the industry today, what should they focus on to succeed?
Mike Ryan (30:22)
I would say, you know, there are so many opportunities. mean, pick something that you’re going to be good at and just, you know, over learn that and, make it your own. mean, and I tell this to young elevator hires I see all the time, you know, you think about this industry, you know, if you’re halfway decent at your job, whether you’re a project managing or you’re an engineering or you’re coordinating or you’re in sales,
You know, you’ll do great. You’ll do great where you are. If you don’t like that particular organization, you can go to somebody down the street that’s in the same business. If you don’t like the town, you can go to another city. You can go to another state. You can work your whole career here. And then after you’re done with working for elevator companies, you can become an elevator consultant. So if you enjoy the elevator trade,
or you can be running podcasts like you, right? Literally, I mean, find the thing. If you like this industry, there,
Matt Allred (31:14)
Sure.
Mike Ryan (31:18)
are plenty of opportunities, figure out what you’re good at, excel at that. And then I think the opportunities are literally endless for every city’s got an elevator company right? So you could really be anywhere and just become that expert. And that becomes then your brand no matter where you end up in the elevator industry.
Matt Allred (31:41)
So true, yeah. Mike, it’s been a privilege. I appreciate it. And thank you for being with me today.
Mike Ryan (31:46)
It was my pleasure, Matt. Thanks.
Matt Allred (31:48)
Thank you and wish you the very best as you ride off into the sunset.
Mike Ryan (31:52)
You’ll see me around. I’m not gone until the end of the year. All right, We’ll see ya. Bye.
Matt Allred (31:54)
Interesting.
Matt Allred (31:59)
Thank you for listening to the Elevator Careers Podcast sponsored by the Allred Group, a leader in elevator industry recruiting. Please visit our YouTube channel @ElevatorCareers or check us out online at elevatorcareers.net. Please like and subscribe and until next time, stay safe.