During this episode of North GA Business Radio, Cole Porter, President and CEO at Porter Steel, joins host Phil Bonelli for a conversation about building lasting partnerships while navigating the challenges of succession planning and generational leadership in the family business.
Cole is the driving force behind Porter Steel Inc., a family-owned business specializing in architectural and miscellaneous metals.
With a strong focus on “Changing Lives and Leading by Example,” Cole’s leadership has propelled the company’s growth beyond Atlanta into the southeast region.
He actively participates in legislative committees, advocating for the construction industry and representing the community’s interests.
Cole’s vision and commitment to excellence have elevated the company and fostered a culture of empowerment and impact within the team.
His passion for inspiring greatness and creating long-term partnerships has solidified Porter Steel Inc.’s reputation as a trusted and influential player in the construction sector.
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00:00:07 – Introducing Porter Steel Company
Phil Bonelli introduces Cole Porter, owner of Porter Steel Inc., and sets the stage for a discussion about the company and its operations.
00:03:22 – The Work of Porter Steel
Cole Porter explains the types of projects Porter Steel works on, from construction to architectural metals, and discusses the process of fabricating and installing steel structures.
00:05:54 – Passion for Leading People
Cole shares his passion for leading and developing people, and how he aims to change lives and lead by example through the work of Porter Steel Inc.
00:08:24 – Mission and Values
Cole talks about the mission of Porter Steel Inc., which is to change lives and lead by example, and how they aim to achieve this through their work and community involvement.
00:13:25 – Impact of Company Culture
Phil and Cole discuss the positive impact of capitalism and a strong company culture on employees and their families, emphasizing the importance of investing in people and showing them the significance of their work.
00:15:26 – Importance of Industry Engagement
Cole and Phil discuss the importance of being engaged in the overall industry to help set the right standards and laws in place. They emphasize the need for experts to be at the table to advise legislators and business leaders.
00:16:20 – Legislative Engagement
Cole highlights the importance of being involved in legislative decision-making to represent Porter Steel and the families they serve. He stresses the significance of being at the table to advocate for industry and business decisions.
00:17:02 – Community Involvement
Cole shares his involvement in various boards and nonprofit organizations, emphasizing the importance of leaving job sites and communities better than they found them. He discusses the positive impact this has on employees’ sense of purpose.
00:21:44 – Second Generation Leadership
Cole reflects on taking over Porter Steel from his father, emphasizing the importance of recognizing individual strengths and differences in leadership styles. He discusses the need for a vision and process-driven balance in a multi-generational business.
00:28:28 – Core Values
Cole discusses the significance of core values such as integrity, partnership, and the value of failing forward. He emphasizes the focus on reputation and relational approaches in business.
00:29:08 – The Importance of Vision and Mission
Phil and Cole discuss the importance of having a vision and mission in business. They emphasize the need for a clear direction and purpose to drive the company forward.
00:30:12 – Building a Culture of Accountability
Cole talks about the core values of integrity, partnership, fail forward, and owning mistakes. He highlights the importance of transparency and accountability in the workplace, encouraging employees to learn from failures.
00:31:27 – Fostering Relational Partnerships
Cole explains the significance of building relationships with employees, vendors, customers, and the community. He emphasizes the focus on teamwork and finding partners who share the same philosophy of mutual success.
00:34:05 – Transitioning into Leadership
Cole shares the unique challenges of leading a company with employees older than him. He emphasizes the importance of earning respect through experience and understanding different aspects of the business.
00:38:46 – Strategic Growth and Expansion
Cole expresses excitement about the company’s strategic growth and expansion, particularly with the addition of new shop space. He looks forward to the opportunities for the Porter Steel team in the coming year.
Hosts Brad Beisbier & Amanda Pearch are joined in Studio by:
Colleen Japuntich President of NEMA Inc. & Cole Porter President of Porter Steel Inc.
Colleen Japuntich is currently serving as the President of NEMA, Inc., an asset-based Logistics Company located in Duluth, GA. Colleen has been with the company for 16 years and she began her career with NEMA as the Administrative Assistant to the Owner and Executive VP. When the President announced her retirement, Colleen was honored to be named President and took over in June of 2019. Colleen has a degree in Accounting and is currently pursing a degree in Business Management with a Supply Chain/Logistics concentration to be able to bring even more of herself and her knowledge to her current role at NEMA. Colleen strives to be a servant leader and to always do what is best for the company she runs and the people who work there.
Cole Porter is the President of Porter Steel Inc. For nearly 40 years, Porter Steel has been transforming the most widely used metal in the world into impressive creations for our clients. We’ve also built a reputation for doing the job right and conducting business with the utmost integrity and honesty. Family and Community are very important to Cole. Porter Steel is “Powered by Principle”. In business since 1983, Porter Steel is one of Atlanta’s premier providers of structural steel, miscellaneous metals, and architectural metals to General Contractors and other fabricators in the area. Additionally, they have a custom manufacturing division where they partner with other manufacturers in completing the steel portion of their product.
This episode is presented by our #CommunityPartners at:
Co-Host of this episode, Brad Beisbier is the GA Area Executive at First Citizens Bank
Brad serves a high performing team of bankers and branch-based employees across the northern metro Atlanta markets.
A note from Brad: “We are so grateful to our many clients who reward us with their relationships and testimonial referrals to their friends and family who are also business owners. Additionally, we thank our broad network of professional partners who trust us with referrals to their most important clients. It is truly an honor to represent First Citizens Bank in this capacity.”
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SPECIAL THANKS to our #ForsythBRX Studio Print Partner:
Broadcasted LIVE from the Forsyth Business RadioX Studio in Cumming, Georgia
Produced by Amanda Pearch
Special Thanks to Mike Sammond for letting us record in the Gwinnett Business RadioX Studio
In the second part of a 2-part episode, host Randy Brunson discusses the benefits and challenges of transitioning a family business from one generation to another with second-generation business owners Drew Gilbreath of Sutter, McLellan & Gilbreath and Cole Porter of Porter Steel.
Drew Gilbreath/Sutter, Mclellan & Gilbreath
Sutter, McLellan & Gilbreath prides itself on being an independent agency and its ability to create a strategic business partnership between their client, their carrier and their community. Through mutually beneficial alliances, Sutter, McLellan & Gilbreath provide tailored services and products compatible with your expectations. SMG will communicate clearly and keep the program design concise. Brady is the only broker at the agency that focuses solely on employee benefits.
Cole Porter/Porter Steel
In business since 1983, Porter Steel is one of Atlanta’s premier providers of structural steel, miscellaneous metals, and architectural metals to General Contractors and other fabricators in the area. Additionally, they have a custom manufacturing division where they partner with other manufacturers in completing the steel portion of their product.
Randy Brunson/Centurion Advisory Group
Randy Brunson is the founding shareholder of Centurion Advisory Group. Randy has invested most of his forty-year career in financial services. He spent several years on the institutional side and had the opportunity to start a successful financial planning firm in 1991. Centurion Advisory Group serves individual and corporate clients, both in Georgia and throughout the country, offering personal and business financial planning, retirement plan design and management, and investment management services.
Randy studied engineering and marketing at UT Chattanooga. Randy currently holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and CKA designation and makes it a priority to stay on top of his knowledge in the financial industry through continuing professional educational opportunities and reading. In addition, Randy has completed studies in qualified plan design, estate planning and business transition planning and he enjoys speaking and writing regularly on these topics.
Stewarding Family Wealth is presented by
In the first part of a 2-part episode, host Randy Brunson discusses the benefits and challenges of transitioning a family business from one generation to another with second-generation business owners Drew Gilbreath of Sutter, McLellan & Gilbreath and Cole Porter of Porter Steel.
Drew Gilbreath/Sutter, Mclellan & Gilbreath
Sutter, McLellan & Gilbreath prides itself on being an independent agency and its ability to create a strategic business partnership between their client, their carrier and their community. Through mutually beneficial alliances, Sutter, McLellan & Gilbreath provide tailored services and products compatible with your expectations. SMG will communicate clearly and keep the program design concise. Brady is the only broker at the agency that focuses solely on employee benefits.
Cole Porter/Porter Steel
In business since 1983, Porter Steel is one of Atlanta’s premier providers of structural steel, miscellaneous metals, and architectural metals to General Contractors and other fabricators in the area. Additionally, they have a custom manufacturing division where they partner with other manufacturers in completing the steel portion of their product.
Randy Brunson/Centurion Advisory Group
Randy Brunson is the founding shareholder of Centurion Advisory Group. Randy has invested most of his forty-year career in financial services. He spent several years on the institutional side and had the opportunity to start a successful financial planning firm in 1991. Centurion Advisory Group serves individual and corporate clients, both in Georgia and throughout the country, offering personal and business financial planning, retirement plan design and management, and investment management services.
Randy studied engineering and marketing at UT Chattanooga. Randy currently holds the Accredited Investment Fiduciary (AIF®) and CKA designation and makes it a priority to stay on top of his knowledge in the financial industry through continuing professional educational opportunities and reading. In addition, Randy has completed studies in qualified plan design, estate planning and business transition planning and he enjoys speaking and writing regularly on these topics.
Stewarding Family Wealth is presented by
Less than a week after the Gwinnett Chamber of Commerce hosted it’s inaugural Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DE&I) Summit, Gwinnett Young Professionals (GYP) hosted it’s very own “Continuing the Conversation” Summit on May 26, 2021 to dive deeper into the diverse experiences of young professionals in the workplace.
The event began with a guided exercise to allow attendees to get to know each other. That was followed by a panel discussion which offered honest, positive, respectful, open-minded and productive dialogue about diversity, equity and inclusion in today’s society and workplace from a young professionals’ point of view.
PANELISTS:
Nury Castro | Administrator, Georgia Gwinnett College
Nury Lizeth Castro is a dynamic and forward thinker, intentional community builder, and healing agent. Her practice is guided by scholarship, theory, intersectionality, critical consciousness, and principles that center community and social equity. Her natural talent, unwavering tenacity, and ability to center theory-to-practice have allowed Nury to serve in various roles as a university and college administrator. Nury is currently a doctoral student at the University of Dayton and she received a Master of Public Administration and Bachelor of Science from North Carolina State University.
Janelle King | Founder, Excel Leadership
Janelle King is an I/O Consultant and Certified Life & Leadership Coach. It is her mission to help organizations, teams, professionals, and people reimagine and redesign the way they do life and work through the power of purpose and the science and practice of industrial-organizational psychology. She is currently living out this mission as an I-O Consultant to organizations through her company Excel Leadership, where she creates purpose-driven and engaging cultures for organizations, teams, and professionals to excel and thrive in the workplace. She also serves as a Certified Life & Leadership Coach through her personal and professional development company, Life Designer University, where she coaches women to design a life and career they love.
Cole Porter | Vice President, Porter Steel
Cole Porter is the current Vice President of Porter Steel and past owner of multiple small business ventures. A graduate of the University of Georgia and a lifelong Atlanta native, Cole focuses most of his energy today on facilitating growth, development, and efficiency in his employees, work processes, and business relationships. Additionally, he places a large emphasis on community involvement and integrity in business.
Kam Phillips | Founder, The Kam Phillips Group
Kam Phillips is a certified Life & Leadership Coach and Inspirational Speaker who specializes in developing teens, students, and early career professionals into emerging leaders. After graduating with a Bachelor’s in Economics from Emory University and excelling in the corporate world with firms such as ETRADE, AllianceBernstein, and JPMorgan Private Bank, Kam decided to walk away from his career in finance. Kam now uses his gifts to help students and young adults navigate through difficult transitions by providing speaking engagements that positively impact their personal development, emotional well-being, and career trajectory.
MODERATORS:
Jasmine Billings | Community Development Manager, City of Lawrenceville
Jasmine Billings is a vibrant, intentional community builder, passionate about growth in the community through building relationships, developing partnerships, supporting youth advocacy, and strategic civic engagement/awareness. Serving as the Community Development Manager for the City of Lawrenceville, Jasmine is experienced in Event Management and Community Outreach, with a passion for Sport Management. Through connectivity and shared experiences, her drive is to educate and engage with youth and create awareness through workforce development.
Tommy Easley | Ticket Sales Director, Atlanta Gladiators
Tommy Easley is the Ticket Sales Director with the Atlanta Gladiators Professional Hockey Club. He is entering his 5th season with the club where his focus is on business development through season tickets and premium hospitality. Tommy is a current member of the Gwinnett County Young Professionals Board. Prior to joining the Gladiators, Tommy has worked with the Chicago Bulls and Cincinnati Reds.
Cole Porter/Porter Steel
In business since 1983, Porter Steel is one of Atlanta’s premier providers of structural steel, miscellaneous metals, and architectural metals to General Contractors and other fabricators in the area. Additionally, they have a custom manufacturing division where they partner with other manufacturers in completing the steel portion of their product.
Cathy Smith/Cachet Corporate Gift Services
Cachet Corporate Gift Services is a custom gift and marketing design company that works exclusively with businesses to help them express gratitude, and build better relationships with their customers, clients, and employees, in an authentic and thoughtful way.
