Always Learning Always Teaching with Don Richardson E3
Kyle McIntosh (Mac) and Scott McIntosh welcome Don Richardson, Founder of Arizona Fireplaces and AF Steel Distributors, as he discusses his greater purpose for his businesses: passion and striving for excellence. And how tough love is the foundation of success.
From a garage business to over 300 employees, Arizona Fireplaces is creating long-term win-wins across the Valley, New Mexico, and Southern California. Don discusses his business philosophy of earning money as a result of doing good things.
Arizona Fireplaces/AF distributors and AF Steel Fabricators are a Phoenix based, locally owned family business started over 40 years ago. They still use the original Corporate name of Arizona Fasteners Corp, but are currently known more by these two distinct Divisions.
Debbie and Don started Arizona Fasteners Corp out of their garage in May of 1980. It has now grown to over 300 employees and ranked #15 Largest Family Owned business in 2020 by the Phoenix Business Journal.
Arizona Fireplaces supplies and installs fireplaces, fire features and BBQ equipment to the local home builders and consumers. AF Distributors is the 2-step wholesale division that supplies other fireplace companies throughout the Southwest U.S
AF Steel Fabricators is a completely separate business that fabricates and installs structural steel for the commercial construction market specializing in the large distribution warehouses being built throughout the valley of the Sun. They recently built and moved into a new manufacturing facility off of the I-10 and Wild Horse Pass on the Gila River Indian Reservation. You might notice this building as you come into Phoenix from the south by seeing an LED lit large 10″ X 20″ American Flag up high, attached to the south end on their building.
Don Richardson, 66, has been married to Debbie for 42 years and they have two sons, Keith 36 and Kris, 35, who both run separate parts of the business.
Don is a 1977 Graduate of California Lutheran College in Thousand Oaks, California with a Bachelor of Science in Business.
Follow Arizona Fireplaces on Facebook.
About Always Learning / Always Teaching
How do you successfully combine the heart of a non-profit with the horsepower of a for-profit, while building a long-term financially-successful business that positively benefits the lives of each of your many stakeholders?
Join Kyle & Scott McIntosh the third Wednesday of each month at 1pm as they do a deeper dive into one of the MAC6 company values, “Always Learning / Always Teaching” and how that manifests in stories of Business As A Force For Good, In Action.
In each episode, we interview business leaders with a unique approach to business that incorporates long term win-wins for all of their various stakeholders.
In the telling of their stories, we invite the audience to learn from these pillars of our communities and create actionable plans to then incorporate into your own lives and businesses.
About Your Co-Hosts
With a background in marketing, in various for profit and not for profit companies, Kyle McIntosh wondered, “How can I pair the passion and commitment to community progress of a non-profit with the sustainability and reach of a for profit company?” From this question and perspective a mission evolved to tear down the false distinction between the two sectors and to promote companies with Conscious Capitalism® business models through MAC6.
Kyle is the President and Creative Excitant of MAC6. Day to day, his main operational role is on the “spaces” side of the business, focusing on creating thriving communities in the commercial office buildings, the co-working space, and the co-manufacturing space. The other role that he plays is that of EOS implementer, working with clients to bring the Entrepreneurial Operating System, from the book Traction® to their businesses. Additionally, he sits on the boards of Conscious Capitalism Arizona, telling the stories of good businesses in Arizona, and The Tempe Chamber of Commerce, sustaining Tempe’s quality of life and keeping our community and economy vibrant.
Kyle loves Arizona and wants to see us all collectively find great success based on the awesome things that are happening here every day.
Scott McIntosh Co-Founded MAC6 with his son Kyle in 2011 after he grew and sold a $50M (annual revenue) mining engineering business.
After six years of working operationally in the business, Scott now sits on the ownership team and works strategically with the invested company portfolio, utilizing EOS® to strengthen the leadership teams.
To learn more about MAC6 Communities, call 480-293-4075 or find them on Facebook and Twitter.
About Our Sponsor
MAC6 offers flexible spaces and programs to help your team grow, and a community of thriving businesses, just like yours. Advocating Capitalism as a Force for Good, MAC6 is Accelerating the shift to Conscious Capitalism (where Purpose and Profit Unite) through Creativity, Collaboration, Community and Change.
