Rod Karsnak Joins Edelman as Millwork Manager

Rod Karsnak joined Edelman in March 2015 and was instantly a well-liked and valued member of the team. As the Company’s Millwork Manager, Rod brings a wealth of experience in the industry, as well as a customer-oriented, can-do attitude.

We sat down with Rod to discover first-hand what drives him always to improve professionally, along with what he sees for the future of Edelman’s door business.

Erica: What made you decide Edelman was the right fit for you?

Rod: It was a combination of many things: I felt the company culture, the extraordinary people and the opportunity were all in-line with what I was searching for.  I also took notice of the fact that many of the staff had been with Edelman for many, many years – a rare occurrence in this day and age.  As a small business owner, I spent a lot of time working in my business and not on my business. With a network of office staff and a team of talented sales people, I would have an opportunity to work “on” the business, the tasks I really enjoy doing:  supporting sales staff, marketing and bringing new and exciting products to market.

E: You've been in the door business for years. Tell me about your experience.

R: My experience starts a good bit before being in the door business. In high school and throughout college I worked in small hardware stores, and what I really enjoyed was the interaction with people. Someone would come in with a problem, not knowing exactly what they needed, and I got to be the one to send them home with a solution. We’re all in customer service at the end of the day.

Millwork and door business came out of necessity. I was in the dot-com industry and wanted something that would be stable and steady for years to come…and I knew people would always be building homes. I took a position at Lowe’s in the millwork department and eventually left for a position at Aspen River. I was in charge of builder sales there, though I have experience working with both builders and homeowners. I especially appreciate working with builders because I get to know them on a more personal level. Over the years and through all the jobs, we have the chance to build trust and rapport and maintain a strong, mutually beneficial working relationship.

E: What's your favorite part of your job?

R: I wake up in the morning excited by what I’m doing. I enjoy the design aspect, the technical side of it, even the research for the best construction techniques. I enjoy visiting architects and builders who push the design envelop and want to do something that’s new to the market; these challenges drive product development.  If I had to choose, my favorite part of a job is the initial design phase where [the homeowner and I] sit down with pictures or blueprints of the house and brainstorm ideas. However, that may be rivaled by the first time we walk to the curb and experience the full effect of the enhancement the front entry makes on the home.

E: What's on the horizon for Edelman's custom entry door line, Aspencraft?

R:  We are excited about a number of product and process improvements, including a new LVL stile and a new threshold system called Hydrosill that will be used on all of our exterior doors. We’re also in development of a pivot door system, which will utilize some cool German-engineered hardware. Finally, we’re looking into a line of ultra-modern/contemporary all stainless steel doors…the details of which will follow at some point!

E: Tell me about your professional philosophy on customer service. What is most important? How do you plan to maintain exceptional working relationships with clients?

R: My philosophy on customer service is pretty simple: I have found that a straightforward approach based on honesty, and truly caring about the experience a customer is having are the two tenets of providing GREAT customer service.  I guess you could say we’re going to follow the golden rule and treat clients the same way we would want to be treated.

This interview is thoroughly representative of Rod’s personality and dedication to his career. We expect your experience with him to be nothing less than outstanding and feel confident that he will give 110% to ensure that is the case!

To contact Rod, visit our Bedford Heights showroom, call him at 216-591-0150 x138 or email him at rod@edelmanhome.com.

Post Written by: Erica Templeton