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21 W W W. M A I N E B I Z . B I Z M A R C H 1 8 , 2 0 1 9 J oyce Galea, co-owner of F3 Manufacturing in Waterville, has been instrumental in the com- pany's explosive growth. F3, maker of aluminum bodies and accessories for trucks and vans, was founded in 2016. e privately held company doubled its sales from 2018 to 2019, to $34 million. Employment skyrocketed from 14 employees in 2016 to 230 today. Facility size has gone from 5,000 square feet to 180,000 square feet. In 2018, F3 was ranked in the Inc. 5000 as Maine's third-fastest growing company. Galea says the company was able to find customers in a market that otherwise relies on steel. "First and foremost, we put together a tremendous sales team," she says. "Literally, we would go to outfitters and dealers and knock on doors. ey would see our products and start with a small order. From there, we gained market share. Going out and knock- ing on doors in areas where they've never heard of aluminum truck bodies — it was unheard of." Operating out of the former Wyandotte Mill on Trafton Road, F3 has been under the radar in Waterville. But Garvan Donegan, Central Maine Growth Council's senior economic development specialist, took notice. "While F3's success and their staggering growth had been quiet, many were paying attention to the impact they were having locally," Donegan says. "It's making signifi- cant contributions to employment and GDP growth in Maine. Joyce's role is as a collaborator, convener and true leader. It's all about put- ting together a great team. ey're thinking creatively, they're re-skilling people, they're training folks, they're identifying new market segments and new labor segments." A banker switches careers F3 stands for "final 3"— for the three owners who, with 85 years of collective manufacturing experience, consider F3 to be their final endeavor. Galea handles sales and human resources, Bill Cleaves is an engineer and Tom Sturtevant handles finances. Galea came to manufacturing from a career in bank finance. "I felt I needed to make a career change to better myself and to try to make a difference," she says. In 2007, she joined Alcom USA, then a small Winslow manufacturer of aluminum trailers, as an inside sales representative. She subsequently became vice president of finance and grew alongside the company. Alcom, which was founded in 2006, now has more than 500 employees and has a dealer network in the U.S., China, India and Kuwait. She loved the hustle-bustle of manufacturing. "My colleagues and friends thought I was crazy," she says. "Maybe I was. But it felt right. e excitement of seeing actual produc- tion was invigorating." One of her F3 co-founders, Cleaves, was running a small com- pany, Magnum Manufacturing, a Liberty-based maker of aluminum truck equipment. Cleaves brought in Galea and Sturtevant. "I'd known her personally, and when I had the opportunity to be in business with her, I jumped right on it," Cleaves says. "She has communi- cation skills like nobody else I know. And she can sell anything." Sell she did. "I went to the Northwest on a six-day trip," she recalls. "In three days, I came home with $250,000 in signed orders." She did her homework before she called on potential customers. "One thing I tell my salespeople is that the biggest part of sales isn't talk- ing about your product. It's listening to your customers," she says. "It's the ability to have the person trust you in the first minute or two of a conversa- tion. I do my homework on customers or vendors before visiting them. I do my homework on our product. I put two and two together." Aluminum revolution Joyce Galea drives new markets for truck-body manufacturer B y L a u r i e S c h r e i B e r CN Brown has a variety of rate plans that are suitable for the smallest businesses to the largest en es. Choose a plan based on your business's size and unique needs. Comprehensive hea ng fuel op ons for your business cnbrownenergy.com/commercial-fuel/commercial-business-rate-plans/ Backed by superior service and reliability! > Hea ng Oil > Kerosene > Propane > Natural Gas > Gasoline > Ultra-low Sulfur Diesel > Off-road Diesel > Electricity Visit Patrons.com to find an independent Maine agent near you. Business Property and Liability Insurance Products Cyber and Data Breach Liability Insurance Employment Prac ces Liability Insurance, EPLI & Equipment and Mechanical Breakdown I N S U R I N G M A I N E B U S I N E S S — I N S U R I N G M A I N E P E O P L E Innova ve solutions for today's business challenges. We've been in business more than 140 years, and continue to innovate by providing you a portfolio that offers the kind of protection your business needs — today. C O N T I N U E D O N F O L L OW I N G PA G E »

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