Next Gen All Star: Matt Durtsche

By Natalie Forster, Editorial Director, Nicole Krawcke

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Matt Durtsche

AGE: 38

COMPANY: FIRST SUPPLY

TITLE: COO, GERHARDS KITCHEN & BATH LIGHTING STORES

How long have you been in the PHCP-PVF industry?

Seven years.

What drew you into the industry?

Simply put, First Supply and the family behind it. Prior to joining the company in 2016, my professional experience had been in public accounting and corporate finance. This industry had not been on my radar. That changed quickly after talking with the 4th and 5th generation of family ownership and learning about First Supply’s impact in the communities they operate within, their passion to support this industry, their commitment to invest in their employees, and their plans for strategic growth! While the company and the family drew me in, it has been the relationships with my colleagues, vendors and customers that keeps me engaged.

What is the most rewarding aspect of working in the industry?

This industry is filled with endless complexities and challenges big and small that create daily opportunities for growth and development – in the seven years I have worked in this industry, I have never felt content or complacent – there is always a problem to be solved, a relationship to strengthen, or a process that could be improved. This industry is competitive and to be the best it takes a team that is willing to focus on supporting each other through continuous improvement and collaboration, rather than perfection.

What motivates you every day?

To make a positive impact.

What is one thing you wish more people knew/understood about the PHCP-PVF industry?

Innovation – This industry continues to innovate and evolve in so many areas including e-commerce, automation, artificial intelligence, logistics, etc. There are great career opportunities for individuals with diverse backgrounds in these fields in addition to the career industry PHCP-PVF experts, and when these different perspectives converge and collaborate the possibilities are endless.

What has been your proudest moment in your career so far?

I won’t get into any specifics here, as I am already uncomfortable being recognized in this list. Generally speaking, the proudest moments in my career have come from the relationships I have built and the foundation on which they are built.

What is one thing most people don’t know about you?

I took a 2000 mile motorcycle trip to California from Wisconsin after dropping out of college in 2003 – I later discovered my interest in accounting, finance and business and returned to school to earn my degrees am grateful for all of the lessons along the way and those that are still to come.

“What truly makes Matt Durtsche invaluable is not actually his breadth of knowledge or his pedigree in our industry. Shocking way to start a nomination, right? Matt is a dynamic leader with a drive to understand and a highly analytical mind. He truly listens to the people he interacts with.

As a leader, we think it’s rare to find someone as empathetic as Matt. You always feel like he cares and is truly invested in your wellbeing and success. He is an active listener with every person he talks to whether it is our vendor partners, our leadership team or our newest employee. He asks all the questions and is not content to just have a surface comprehension of every aspect of our business. He is always encouraging a new way of thinking and adds a fresh perspective.

Matt joined First Companies seven years ago as an analyst. He worked on financial predictions, budgeting and developing the right metrics for our store teams. Part of the job was to be on financial calls with our store managers-and he dug in to understand how each manager was different and how each market needed to be developed.

Fast forward-he is now our Chief Operating Officer-Kitchen, Bath & Lighting. Matt is respectful, honest and genuine in all his interactions-from his responsibilities to our ownership, to our vendors, our customers and every employee. He has immersed himself in our operating systems and our products to ensure that he can be a reliable resource to everyone he works with.

Relationships are important, and the respect he gives is returned from our manufacturers. By being strategic in his approach to our displays and our stocking programs, we continue to build on strong foundations with our partners.

With as many talents as he has-and remember he comes from a financial background-his strongest is truly how he relates to people. During his time as our COO, he has led our store teams to record sales months through his integrity and leadership style. Even with the challenges of the last few years, our turnover rate is low and employee engagement continues to be at a high level.

In the words of Daniel Meyer…

‘Business, as in life, is about how you make people feel. It’s that simple, and it’s that hard.’”

— Seth DePuy, Chief Strategy Officer, First Supply, Laura Orlando, KSS Operations Manager, First Supply, Connie Hall, South District Manager, Gerhard's Kitchen & Bath, and Amanda Kunst North District Manager, Gerhard's Kitchen & Bath

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Natalie Forster is the director of communications for the American Supply Association (ASA), where she leads the association's public and media relations strategy, social media efforts, and member-focused online and print communications. Prior to joining ASA, she was the Editorial Director of Plumbing & Mechanical and Supply House Times. Before that, she served as an editor and digital content director for Southern Trade Publications, a publishing company focused on the PHCP trades and real estate industries. Natalie holds a bachelor's degree in communication studies from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro.

Nicole Krawcke is the former Chief Editor of Plumbing & Mechanical. She joined BNP Media in 2014 and served as Web Editor and Business Management Editor of The ACHR NEWS. Prior to joining BNP, she worked at Patch.com, a hyper-local news platform focused on community journalism. She has 10 plus years of writing and editing experience and holds a bachelor’s degree in Journalism from Michigan State University.