Thank You Mr. Marshall!
For many of our partners, Jay Marshall is synonymous with Mapes Panels. You seemingly can’t have one without the other.
It’s for that reason that it’s with both disappointment and pride to announce that after over 28 years, Jay retired from Mapes on January 1, 2021.
It’s hard to overstate the void his absence will leave. And while our team is up for any challenge, we all realize that it won’t be a small task to replace the grace, leadership, positivity, and knowledge that Jay provided us during his tenure.
Jay joined the Mapes Industries team in May 1992 as a Sales Representative, bringing us a wealth of industry knowledge from his previous employment with Kawneer. He was instrumental in the company’s growth over the next decade and became Sales Manager in 2001. During this time, Jay was directly involved in the development of many of our products and never wavered in his commitment to serving his customers.
He was named President of Mapes Panels in October of 2005 and served in that role for more than 10 years, a period of unprecedented growth for our company. During this time, Jay was instrumental in guiding us through a period of change where Mapes Industries was split into 2 divisions (Panels and Canopies). His guidance and expertise made the transition as seamless as possible, for our team as well as our partners.
Always up for a challenge, his commitment to the needs of our customers was Unrivaled. He rarely said “no” and consistently went the extra mile to find solutions to unique problems. His modus operandi was to treat a customer’s problem as if it were his. This approach became the centerpiece of Mapes culture and his example has become the template for how we approach relationships with our partners. His legacy at Mapes includes many tangible evolutions and improvements to our product and services, but it’s the intangible example he set for us that will be the most impactful going forward.
Be honest, be kind, and be present.
It sounds simple, but watching it in practice has been inspiring and those of us that remain here at Mapes are better people for having this example to emulate.
Jay…from all of us here at Mapes, thank you for your commitment to our success and shared goals. Your contributions will be felt here for years and years to come.
With the utmost gratitude,
Your Team at Mapes Panels and Mapes Canopies