IN THE SPOTLIGHT
Posted by sachin on
Special thanks to Americraft for featuring our very own Keenan White in their quarterly Rep Spotlight!
Here’s the excerpt from their newsletter for you to get to know a bit about Keenan:
“We plan to have at least one article every issue that introduces and highlights one of our extraordinary partners and reps. We can think of no one better to launch this feature than to share with everyone our very own, extraordinary, Keenan White.
Keenan was born in South Carolina and raised in Wisconsin. He attended college at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, where he secured his degree in Business and Entrepreneurship. After initially ‘dabbling’ in the fan industry, he soon found himself working for the fan company his brother helped start. After seven years with them he moved back to his birthplace, South Carolina, to work as a manufacturer’s representative for another company. After another 2 years, his entrepreneurial spirit emerged, so he started Indventech in 2009. According to Keenan, initially he was only involved in selling fans, but soon he found himself immersed in the wider ‘air movement’ industry. He decided that, in order to satisfy customer needs, he need to become the ‘go to’ subject matter expert; supplying products AND services related to industrial air movement.
Today, Indventech supplies fans, blowers, dust collectors; basically anything and everything that involves air movement. He found his niche by filling a need for a dependable, knowledgeable resource to his customers. To quote Keenan, he ‘doesn’t come from the angle that all of his customers need fans, they need a consultant that may come in and diagnose their problem and find the best solution for them.’ He builds relationships with his clients knowing he may not sell a fan to them initially, but when they do need something in the future, they call him and at some point it may develop into a sale. When asked what contributes to his success, Keenan stated ‘I do what I say I’m going to do. I ask questions and listen. If you do that, particularly listen, then you can provide the right solutions.’
Another key to Keenan’s success is to limit the scope and target of his client base. He won’t try to ‘compete with the poultry fans or the Grainger fans.’ He goes after the people that want the ‘big guns’ like Twin Cities fans. Keenan stated, ‘I am not talking about customers who want cheap sheet metal fans where there are no pressure capabilities; just blowing air around like Shaeffer or J&D. There are always cheaper ways to move air around than Americraft fans. But what I show the customer is how they are going to get a bigger bang for their buck. I am thinking heavier duties. I push the envelope with performance and can do different things with props that can do different performance. If there is a performance condition the Americraft catalog doesn’t meet, I call Americraft and we discuss what we can do. That’s where working with a small company is beneficial. Initially it’s easy to think of Americraft of what’s in the catalog, but if you think differently and outside the box, you will find you can satisfy customers needs better.’
Keenan also further attributes his success to accessing the decision maker. He says if you are really concerned about solving problems, get to the plant or the maintenance engineer. Keenan went onto say ‘You have to be in the mindset that you are a problem solver.’ He says he gets on the company’s website and looks to see who the plant or maintenance engineer is. If he can’t find it, he calls and asks who these people are. He said if he can’t find it through a phone call, he sometimes will go to the property and will start looking and asking around. He stated, ‘You may have to go to the facility, find the names, and let them know you solve air movement issues. If they won’t talk to me then, I leave my card and my information with them and then follow up with phone calls.’ Keenan says when he is out driving around, he always looks at the potential client’s facilities. ‘If I see pipes and smoke, I stop!’
In his personal life, Keenan has been married for 18 years and has two daughters. He works very hard to have work/
life balance. He went onto say, ‘I spend all my free time with immediate family. I am currently coaching my daughter in volleyball to help her with her collegiate aspirations. Once my girls are out of the house, I will revert to golf and fishing. I love the outdoors… and various brews of Scotch Ale!’
Thanks Keenan, and keep doing what you are doing!”
And thank you, Americraft, for all you do to build great products and trustworthy relationships with air movement suppliers!