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Hear From The President Of KD Kanopy: Matt Kayser

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So far in our behind the scenes interview with KD Kanopy employees, we have heard from Ian, VP of Sales and Marketing, and Chuck who is KD Kanopy’s longest standing employee. Now we hear from the President of the Company, Matt Kayser.

Check out Ian’s Q&A here where he shares what is most proud of with the company.

And also Chuck’s, where he talks more about how KD Kanopy originated all because of a windy storm. Now it’s leading the company in innovation and new ideas.

Below, we talk with Matt who talks challenges, rewards and what makes KD Kanopy different than competitors.

1.    How did you get started with KD Kanopy?

In October of 2010, KD Kanopy was acquired by Aeroturbine Energy Corporation, the parent company of KD Kanopy, Inc.  My background for the 14 previous years was in manufacturing watersports products in China.  I was well versed in importing products from the Orient and have extensive knowledge of nylon and polyester materials.  The transition to making and marketing canopies was great for my skill set.

2.    What are you most proud of with the business?

I am most proud that as a team we were able to change the culture of KD Kanopy to reflect the needs of our customer.  KD Kanopy has always had the reputation of always providing the best canopies on the market. But they lacked in a few areas when it came to competitive pricing, customer service and attention to detail.  Because of that, I made it the mission statement of KD Kanopy that we will: WOW our customers with the best product, best designs, best pricing and the BEST customer service in the canopy industry.

3.    What is the biggest challenge of running a business? And Biggest reward?

The biggest challenge of running a business is anticipating year to year how to handle the growth.  Increasing employees to handle the demand and maintaining the same lead times that have made us so successful.

The biggest reward in running a business is receiving feedback from the customers saying that they love their canopy and should have bought from us earlier.  Many customers have gone through 100’s of canopies that were not at the quality of ours.  They found us and will continue to buy from us.

4. What makes KD Kanopy different than competitors?

We aren’t afraid to tackle new items or ideas.  Our philosophy is never say no because we will figure it out.  Whether that is large quantities, special projects, a different look or tight deadlines for the customer, we always handle it. Give KD Kanopy the opportunity and we WILL “WOW” you.

5. What is something people would be surprised to know about you or KD Kanopy?

At KD Kanopy I have wanted to create a culture of fun and family.  Families that laugh together stay together.  Every lunch everyone is at one table sharing stories about their lives and families.  We laugh hard everyday at lunch because everyone feels comfortable and we are “off the clock”.  We do an annual ugly Christmas or outfit contest and at Halloween there is a best custom contest.

We know that our customers expect the best and we provide that.  We may be loose around the office and a bit crazy most of the time but the customer always comes first and taking care of them is the most important thing.