Bill Fonti - Furniture and ApplianceMart

On this episode of Profile, Todd and I visit with Bill Fonti, CEO of Furniture and ApplianceMart.

Hold on, because Bill is a whirlwind.  He has a relentless commitment to work and life.  He started learning at an early age, first by watching his father operate an appliance store in Madison and later by picking up whatever work he could find as a teenager.  This work ethic has carried him through life and helped to propel Furniture and ApplianceMart to its current successful peak as one of the top retailers in the state. Bill also shares with us how his father, Vince Sr., had the vision to bring a store to Stevens Point and how this family business has grown throughout Wisconsin.  You’ll hear a story of hard work, commitment to family and community, and how these efforts can really yield results. But you’ll also hear that it’s not always about effort, but also intent. Bill share’s how they have set employee personal development as a benefit and how it has helped them to grow.  

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www.portagecountybiz.com
www.furnitureappliancemart.com

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Transcript

Transcript

00:00:00 Bill Fonti

Yeah, at 18 I would work actually both jobs. You know that's when I put in my longest day 22 hours.

00:00:10 Bill Fonti

Not too many people are like proud of 22 hour day, but I had a 22 hour day.

00:00:18 Ben Nusz

Welcome to Profile Central Wisconsin.

00:00:21 Ben Nusz

A podcast about the origins of the organizations that make our community thrive.

00:00:26 Ben Nusz

I'm Benjamin Nusz, your co-host in the campus Dean of Mid-State Technical Colleges, Stevens Point campus and I'll be joined by Todd Kuckkahn on this episode of Profile.

00:00:35 Ben Nusz

Todd and I visit with Bill Fonti, CEO of Furniture and Appliance Mart in Wisconsin, hold on.

00:00:41 Ben Nusz

Because Bill is a.

00:00:42 Ben Nusz

Whirlwind, he has a relentless commitment to work.

00:00:45 Ben Nusz

And life.

00:00:47 Ben Nusz

He started learning at an early age, first by watching his father operate an appliance store in Madison and later by picking up whatever work he could find as a teenager.

00:00:56 Ben Nusz

This work ethic has carried him through life and helped to propel Furniture and Appliance.

00:01:00 Ben Nusz

Mart to its current successful peak as one of the top retailers in the state.

00:01:05 Ben Nusz

Bill also shares with us how his father, Vince Senior, had the vision to bring a store to Stevens Point and how this family business has grown throughout Wisconsin.

00:01:14 Ben Nusz

You'll hear a story of hard work, commitment to family and community, and how these efforts can really yield results.

00:01:21 Ben Nusz

But you'll also hear that it's not always just about effort, but also intent.

00:01:25 Ben Nusz

Bill shares how they have set employee personal development as a benefit and how it's helped them to grow.

00:01:32 Ben Nusz

To hear the story for Furniture and Appliance Mart, here's Bill.

00:01:41 Bill Fonti

I started working at 9 and, uh, full time at 12 at a Country Club down in Sun Prairie.

00:01:49 Bill Fonti

Six years of.

00:01:50 Bill Fonti

Doing that at 15, the place went bankrupt, and they could only afford me to run it for the final month. At $1.95 an hour.

00:02:01 Bill Fonti

So, I I learned a lot!

00:02:02 Bill Fonti

Y'know in in that year of being 15 and then turning into 16 and then a new owner.

00:02:09 Bill Fonti

I came in.

00:02:10 Ben Nusz

You're, so, just to be.

00:02:11 Ben Nusz

Clear you're running the whole show at 15?

00:02:13 Bill Fonti

Yeah yeah, yeah.

00:02:15 Bill Fonti

Yeah, I ran the Pro Shop and in between I was painting and doing all kinds of detail work.

00:02:21 Bill Fonti

I worked the Greens Crew.

00:02:24 Bill Fonti

I broke every child labor law that there was because I wanted to because I really enjoyed work.

00:02:31 Bill Fonti

And I enjoyed learning, and so that's where it all started at 16.

00:02:36 Bill Fonti

Then I begged a new owner who had never owned a golf course in his life.

00:02:42 Bill Fonti

You have to be persistent, right?

00:02:43 Bill Fonti

If you want.

00:02:44 Bill Fonti

If you want to get somewhere and so.

00:02:47 Bill Fonti

Well, you know of course 16 year old kid shows up and the 50 year old guys looking at me and saying, “Hey man, I could run this Country Club.”  And he's like yeah go away kid.

00:02:56 Bill Fonti

And so, I kept on coming back every two days.

00:02:59 Bill Fonti

Come back in a month or every two days every two days until he finally got tired of me and said you got the job.

00:03:04 Bill Fonti

You got the job, so you know I worked from.

00:03:07 Bill Fonti

4:30 in the morning mowing greens to running his pro shop and buying all the clothes and the clubs and all of those things.

00:03:16 Bill Fonti

Cooked, waited on tables, busts, tables.

00:03:19 Ben Nusz

Was this just in

00:03:20 Ben Nusz

The summer or how did you go

00:03:21 Ben Nusz

To school?

00:03:23 Bill Fonti

Well, I went to I was in golf as well, so yeah, I was mainly in the summer and then part time during school and then they closed over the wintertime.

00:03:32 Bill Fonti

So yeah, it was a.

00:03:33 Todd Kuckkahn

Where do you think?

00:03:34 Todd Kuckkahn

Where do you think you got these skills of persistence and you know, for a 15 year old and 16 year old to do what you're doing that?

00:03:40 Todd Kuckkahn

It's not a common thing.  Where, where did that come from?

00:03:43 Bill Fonti

Number one, it was a hunger to be successful at an early age.

00:03:47 Bill Fonti

I'm an artist, so I would draw.

00:03:51 Bill Fonti

My life out really. I'm I'm a huge visualizer, so I would draw, you know, cars, and in fact I still have the car I drew back when I was like 16, 15! 

00:04:03 Ben Nusz

What was it? What car?

00:04:06 Bill Fonti

It's a Trans Am.  Pontiac Trans am! I bought it when I was 19 and paid for it. 

You know, that's another thing I made sure that I always.

00:04:14 Bill Fonti

Saved my money.

00:04:15 Bill Fonti

I don't know, I watched as a kid my my dad.

00:04:20 Bill Fonti

You know if you wanted to see your dad you had to go to work with him.

00:04:23 Bill Fonti

So, every Sunday I would go to work with my dad at his first store, down in Madison.

00:04:29 Bill Fonti

And so, it really started as a young kid, watching, and seeing, and and just developing the mindset and.

00:04:37 Bill Fonti

I now know that your conscious mind is built in your first seven years.

00:04:41 Bill Fonti

Of life.  So, if you were around whatever it may be, chances are you will become that, and that's what I did every Sunday and it I took the tour down this hallway.

00:04:54 Bill Fonti

Between Neils Famous Footwear, which is now The Famous Footwear and I got my Orange Shasta soda.

00:05:02 Bill Fonti

And sat in front of the Zenith Allegro TV set and watched TV and watched.

00:05:07 Bill Fonti

What was going.

00:05:07 Bill Fonti

On and the whole selling process.

00:05:10 Bill Fonti

And yeah, that's where it all started.

00:05:12 Bill Fonti

So, by the time I was 12.

00:05:15 Bill Fonti

Well, I had worked a little bit with my dad 'cause he really didn't want anyone working in the company until you were 16 or 18.

00:05:22 Bill Fonti

So that's where I went to the Country Club and started working and just developing my work habits and skills because it's it's one that you have to create and I think if you create it at a younger age.

00:05:36 Bill Fonti

You're way better off. I see too many young folks getting out of college, and they could be 24 years old and they've never worked anywhere.

00:05:45 Bill Fonti

So, they have no work habits whatsoever.

00:05:48 Bill Fonti

So, then we have to teach that and develop that, and that's not necessarily easy.

00:05:53 Bill Fonti

So, I think as a kid and I have a daughter, she's 15 and she's working her tail off at the Dunkin Donut and pull over and doing a great job!

00:06:03 Bill Fonti

So she's picked it up.

00:06:05 Todd Kuckkahn

Is there.

00:06:05 Todd Kuckkahn

Is there anything you tell your younger self you know where you are now looking back?

00:06:10 Todd Kuckkahn

Anything you tell your younger self you you do a lot of personal development things.  Anything you’d tell yourself?

00:06:13 Bill Fonti

You know, people ask me that a lot, man, you missed out on your childhood and I said, did I?

00:06:21 Bill Fonti

Did I?  You know for me I worked around George Martin.

00:06:26 Bill Fonti

A lot of elderly folks that learned a lot from.  I was buying stocks at 16 because of George.

00:06:34 Bill Fonti

You don't get that just hanging around kids and messing around and drinking and doing nasty things.

00:06:40 Bill Fonti

Naughty things I I don't know.

00:06:43 Bill Fonti

I I I had a great childhood.

00:06:45 Bill Fonti

Yeah, honestly, I don't know if I could.

00:06:49 Bill Fonti

Say I wouldn't.

00:06:50 Bill Fonti

Do exactly what I did because I learned so much as a child working and and saving money and earning money because let's face it, we all need to do that.

00:07:01 Ben Nusz

So, let's turn actually to the origin story of Furniture and Appliance Mart. Let's go back to 1969. Your father, Vince Fonti senior.

00:07:09 Ben Nusz

And his partner Pete Gambino.

00:07:11 Ben Nusz

They worked together at a place called American TV.

00:07:14 Ben Nusz

Is that correct?

00:07:15 Bill Fonti

Correct.  Yeah yeah, they.

00:07:16 Bill Fonti

Worked in the 60s at American TV.

00:07:19 Bill Fonti

And, uh, in the very beginning it was just TV's my dad was a service tech and would fix TV's and he would end up selling more TV's than he was fixing.

00:07:30 Bill Fonti

So Ferd Matteoli only at the time said “Man, I gotta get you on the floor!” And Pete Gambino was a, was a salesman on the floor.

00:07:39 Bill Fonti

So, they had worked together for six years.

00:07:42 Bill Fonti

Ferd Matteoli ended up with cancer and was very sick and.

00:07:47 Bill Fonti

Had a choice.

00:07:48 Bill Fonti

Do I sell the company to my dad Vince and then Pete Gambino or do I bring in my brother Lenny?

00:07:56 Bill Fonti

And of course, he chose family and Lenny was a.

00:08:01 Bill Fonti

He was an engineer at Kodak and he moved in from Philly and if you know anything about American TV the rest is history with the great TV Lenny.

00:08:13 Ben Nusz

I don't *laughs* I...

00:08:14 Todd Kuckkahn

I grew up in Madison, so well, yeah, and and didn't Ferni have a show like a night show or something?

00:08:17 Bill Fonti

Ferni’s Inferno

00:08:18 Bill Fonti

Yeah yeah yeah Ferni’s Inferno yeah yeah absolutely.

00:08:23 Ben Nusz

OK, for those that are in Central Wisconsin, you.

00:08:26 Ben Nusz

Gotta tell us a little.

00:08:27 Ben Nusz

Bit about the great Lenny from American.

00:08:29 Bill Fonti

Yeah yeah, the great TV Lenny!

00:08:31 Bill Fonti

I mean he was the showstopper of retail.

00:08:34 Bill Fonti

He really, really was, you know, and we're still friends to this day.

00:08:38 Bill Fonti

My dad is and.

00:08:40 Bill Fonti

He's a he was.

00:08:41 Bill Fonti

A absolutely fantastic promoter and he was the one that developed.

00:08:47 Bill Fonti

You know the 10 speed bike with every purchase and he would draw, you know the we actually own.

00:08:54 Bill Fonti

His building now, OK, and I used to compete against that building as a kid, but this building that he put together 155,000 square feet.

00:09:04 Bill Fonti

Was unheard of!

00:09:06 Bill Fonti

In the time, and he was known for his stereos.

00:09:08 Bill Fonti

I mean, almost anybody our age taught.

00:09:11 Bill Fonti

Has bought a stereo from the Great TV Lenny down in Madison!

00:09:15 Bill Fonti

They would bus people down from Central Wisconsin to the store!

00:09:21 Bill Fonti

OK?  It was incredible what he did.

00:09:24 Bill Fonti

You had to.

00:09:25 Bill Fonti

You know it was.

00:09:27 Bill Fonti

You got to admit.

00:09:28 Bill Fonti

I mean, I was so intimidated as a kid trying to compete.

00:09:33 Bill Fonti

With American TV, you'd go there and take a number!

00:09:36 Todd Kuckkahn

That's right.

00:09:37 Todd Kuckkahn

It’d be.

00:09:37 Todd Kuckkahn

Like Saturday morning at the grocery store, just packed.

00:09:40 Bill Fonti

Take a number!

00:09:41 Bill Fonti

I mean you had to take a number just to get a sales person.

00:09:44 Bill Fonti

They had a big huge machine.

00:09:45 Bill Fonti

You had to take a number! So, it was wild and so TV Lenny continued to grow and we, my dad, you know, competed against him and TV Lenny to this day would tell you that.

00:09:59 Bill Fonti

His toughest competitor of all time was my dad and Pete Gambino and couldn't wait to get him out of town, and they did!

00:10:08 Bill Fonti

In 1985 they bought my dad and Pete out.  Well, Peter actually passed away in ‘85 and then Dad had a decision. We were already up here in Stevens Point in ‘84.

00:10:20 Bill Fonti

And then Dad decided to close down the store and sell it to Lenny.

00:10:23 Ben Nusz

So, let's just talk about that that that first store.

00:10:26 Ben Nusz

So, Vince Fonti Senior and Pete Gambino

00:10:28 Ben Nusz

they they decide to start their own business, why

00:10:33 Ben Nusz

Why break away from Lenny who seemed to to be such a charismatic fella?

00:10:38 Ben Nusz

Why did why did they create their own store?

00:10:40 Bill Fonti

Well, you know it's a decision.

00:10:42 Bill Fonti

We all have decisions.

00:10:43 Bill Fonti

To make and sometimes they're good, and sometimes they're bad.  At the time they.

00:10:47 Bill Fonti

Didn't know Lenny.

00:10:49 Bill Fonti

They knew.

00:10:49 Bill Fonti

Ferd and Lenny was the hotshot.

00:10:52 Bill Fonti

You know that came in and he wanted to run the show and Pete and Dad, you know, could have certainly been partners with Lenny.

00:11:01 Bill Fonti

But it's the uncertainty and they chose to go off on their own and compete against the American TV, the one that they had.

00:11:09 Bill Fonti

Worked for for six years.

00:11:11 Bill Fonti

And you know the rest is history, so they they competed and did well.

00:11:17 Ben Nusz

So so they they.

00:11:18 Ben Nusz

Started their own store in in Madison and what year was it that they?

00:11:21 Ben Nusz

Started their own?

00:11:22 Bill Fonti

1969 

00:11:23  Ben Nusz

1969. So, so, they they had that for 15 years before they decided to start a branch here in Central Wisconsin.

00:11:33 Bill Fonti

Correct.  Yeah, and Pete had a lot of health problems. He was one of the first in the US.

00:11:38 Bill Fonti

To have a.

00:11:39 Bill Fonti

Pig valve put in and now it's like a routine surgery but back then it was unbelievable and he suffered greatly a year and a half recovery and.

00:11:49 Bill Fonti

It's ten years later, they wanted to redo the surgery and he just obviously remembered the hell he went through and there was just no way he was going to do it, and unfortunately he passed away in ‘85 in his sleep.

00:12:01 Bill Fonti

It was a great run for Dad and Pete down in the Madison area.  And then in Stevens Point so that was ‘84.

00:12:09 Bill Fonti

And Dad, and myself, and Ralph Pfeiffer.

00:12:13 Bill Fonti

We came up here and started The Furniture and Appliance Mart.

00:12:17 Bill Fonti

So down there was known as The Appliance Mart.  

00:12:21 Ben Nusz

And so this is The furniture and Appliance Mart they started here.

00:12:23 Ben Nusz

Why Stevens Point?

00:12:25 Ben Nusz

Why did you pick this region and what was the draw here?

00:12:28 Bill Fonti

Test marketing.  So, we went to La Crosse, Eau Claire and Stevens Point test.

00:12:35 Bill Fonti

Marketed at the old Holiday Inn, which is now where the brand new Sentry building lies.

00:12:40 Bill Fonti

Yeah, so Dad had a real huge brought truckloads of.

00:12:46 Bill Fonti

Appliances and electronics up here.

00:12:49 Bill Fonti

And it was just incredible.

00:12:51 Ben Nusz

Just, you you camped out in the Holiday Inn and just said “We've got furniture.

00:12:56 Ben Nusz

Do you put a billboard up or something?

00:12:57 Bill Fonti

Yeah, it was so yeah, you advertise three day sale Friday, Saturday, Sunday sold out everything and the demand was so incredible that I told Dad at the time we need to be here in Stevens Point.

00:13:10 Bill Fonti

And we bought out Boston Furniture. Boston Furniture is a 140 year old company now and it used to be back in the late 1800s. Boston Furniture and Funeral Home; the Boston Funeral Home is still in existence, obviously, and.

00:13:27 Ben Nusz

Sure, sure.

00:13:29 Bill Fonti

That's… most furniture stores were funeral homes and furniture stores all in one back in the 1800s. Yeah, our incorporated name is actually Boston Inc and that's where it came from. People always wondered where the heck is this Boston Inc name come from?

00:13:43 Ben Nusz

Yes yes yeah yeah.

00:13:45 Todd Kuckkahn

You had such great success. What sort of competition was there at that time in terms of furniture to buy in Central Wisconsin?

00:13:51 Bill Fonti

Furniture was… there wasn't much, and there were a couple small electronics stores that was it.

00:13:58 Bill Fonti

You know, there were no best buys their Walmarts of the world.

00:14:03 Bill Fonti

Never sold electronics.  So we were a hit.

00:14:05 Bill Fonti

You know, we had stereos, computers.

00:14:08 Bill Fonti

TV's as appliances and lots of furniture. And, uh, yeah, we were the new game. We were the first retailer to open on Sundays up here.

00:14:17 Bill Fonti

So, we brought, you know, the influence of a city retailer to the, uh, to the market.

00:14:24 Ben Nusz

So, I I see in in the history these are referred to as superstores.

00:14:28 Ben Nusz

I think big box stores are so commonplace now.

00:14:30 Ben Nusz

Was that different than other stores?

00:14:32 Ben Nusz

And how is that kind of unconventional?

00:14:35 Bill Fonti

Well, superstore, you know, just came from the fact that it was a much larger store.

00:14:40 Bill Fonti

You know, back in the 80s there were smaller retail stores.

00:14:44 Bill Fonti

You were either electronics store or stereo store or furniture store.

00:14:48 Bill Fonti

There was no such thing other than American TV in the state of Wisconsin that had all three categories.

00:14:55 Bill Fonti

So, we developed the furniture and Appliance Mart superstore, you know?

00:15:00 Todd Kuckkahn

Where was your first building?

00:15:02 Todd Kuckkahn

First here, in Point?

00:15:04 Bill Fonti

Yeah, on church St, OK.

00:15:05 Bill Fonti

Yeah, we still own the building next.

00:15:07 Bill Fonti

To the Walgreens.

00:15:09 Bill Fonti

Yeah, yeah.

00:15:10 Ben Nusz

Incluse is in there right now, is that corect?

00:15:12 Ben Nusz

Yeah correct, yeah.

00:15:14 Ben Nusz

So, 1986 the Madison store was sold to American TV and what precipitated that decision? Why did they.

00:15:21 Ben Nusz

Decide to.

00:15:22 Ben Nusz

Sell out?

00:15:23 Bill Fonti

Things were going so well in Stevens Point and I think it was just a lot of memories and, you know, Dad had to sell out and pay off.

00:15:34 Bill Fonti

His wife as well.

00:15:35 Bill Fonti

So, you know there was a, it.

00:15:37 Bill Fonti

Was a tough decision for.

00:15:38 Bill Fonti

Him, to say the least, but that's what he decided to do.

00:15:43 Bill Fonti

And of course, Lenny, really.

00:15:44 Bill Fonti

Wanted him out.

00:15:46 Bill Fonti

So, and we made it up, I made a pact back then, you know, hey, I won't go into your area.

00:15:51 Bill Fonti

You don't come into mine and it was a handshake agreement and that stayed.

00:15:56 Bill Fonti

Right up until the time that they left the market and then we went back into Madison, just five and a half years ago.

00:16:03 Ben Nusz

From 1986 to 2000, the emphasis is really in Stevens Point area. Tell us a little bit about your journey.

00:16:11 Ben Nusz

You worked in the Country Club early on.

00:16:13 Ben Nusz

At what point did you start to work for your father?

00:16:15 Bill Fonti

At 18.

00:16:16 Ben Nusz

At 18?

00:16:17 Bill Fonti

Yeah yeah yeah.

00:16:18 Bill Fonti

At 18 I would work.

00:16:20 Bill Fonti

Actually, both jobs.

00:16:21 Bill Fonti

You know that's when I put in my longest day.

00:16:23 Bill Fonti

22 hours.

00:16:28 Bill Fonti

Not too many people are, like, proud of 22 hour day, but I had a 22 hour day. You know I worked until 2:00 o'clock. It's Country Club from 4:30 to 2:00 and then drove to Madison and.

00:16:40 Bill Fonti

And worked until 2:30 in the morning, setting up for our tent.

00:16:43 Bill Fonti

Sale and then back.

00:16:44 Bill Fonti

To work at 4:30 mowing greens.

00:16:47 Bill Fonti

So yeah, that so I started there and that was in warehouse delivery, so I did that.

00:16:53 Bill Fonti

Went to college for a short period and it just wasn't for me.

00:16:58 Bill Fonti

I had.

00:17:00 Bill Fonti

So many years of work and knowing exactly what I wanted to do, and that's a huge benefit for a kid to know what you want to do. And I just always wanted to follow in my dad's footsteps and.

00:17:11 Ben Nusz

That was that was always.

00:17:13 Ben Nusz

Part of your dream?

00:17:14 Bill Fonti

Always, always.

00:17:16 Bill Fonti

Since I was six.

00:17:18 Bill Fonti

Yeah, it's rare it's.

00:17:20 Bill Fonti

Really rare to be a just a little kid.

00:17:22 Ben Nusz

Yeah, what?

00:17:23 Bill Fonti

And know exactly what you wanted to do.

00:17:24 Ben Nusz

Yeah, what what?

00:17:25 Ben Nusz

Drew you to working.

00:17:27 Ben Nusz

For your father?  I mean, a lot of people want to rebel and what?

00:17:31 Ben Nusz

What was the magnet there?

00:17:32 Bill Fonti

Just a lot of respect for my dad.

00:17:35 Bill Fonti

You know, he worked really, really hard.

00:17:39 Bill Fonti

In the very beginning years, it was tough.

00:17:41 Bill Fonti

You know?  Dad worked three different jobs and it was very, very difficult.

00:17:46 Bill Fonti

We, you know, there was times that he didn't have enough money to even buy food for for the family and he had friends that helped out and he never forgot that.

00:17:56 Bill Fonti

So just a pure respect.

00:17:59 Bill Fonti

And my grandmother also lived with us.

00:18:02 Bill Fonti

Italian traditional family.

00:18:05 Bill Fonti

You know?  Grandfather had passed away.

00:18:07 Bill Fonti

Grandma moves in and just the work ethic and understanding and learning and respect.

00:18:12 Bill Fonti

Really, uh.

00:18:15 Bill Fonti

I just enjoyed it.

00:18:17 Bill Fonti

I enjoyed the.

00:18:19 Bill Fonti

Just the interactions with customers and he was wonderful.

*break*

00:18:26 Ben Nusz

Hello listener, we'll get back to Todd and my interview with Bill in a moment.

00:18:30 Ben Nusz

I just wanted to take a second to thank Bill Fonti, and the rest of his family and organization for their significant contribution to build an advanced manufacturing, engineering, technology and apprenticeship center.

00:18:42 Ben Nusz

As many of you know, we are currently fund raising to develop this training center in Central Wisconsin, and you may be asking why would a furniture retailer donate to an advanced manufacturing center?

00:18:54 Ben Nusz

Well, one reason is surely that their leadership has a long track record of being incredibly generous in this community.

00:19:01 Ben Nusz

But another is that they understand.

00:19:03 Ben Nusz

That this center is a key piece in allowing this community to continue to grow.

00:19:08 Ben Nusz

Manufacturing jobs of the future will need training of the future.

00:19:12 Ben Nusz

And we need a place where this can all happen.

00:19:15 Ben Nusz

So again, I'm asking for your help.  If you could just take a moment to check out our partner page, you'll see all the details about the project; status updates, and of course, ways for you to contribute.

00:19:25 Ben Nusz

I'll put the web link in the show notes.  If you can contribute, we would all really appreciate it, but if you can't, we understand as well, but do me just one favor and share with someone.

00:19:35 Ben Nusz

You think might be interested.

00:19:37 Ben Nusz

Once again, thanks for listening.

00:19:39 Ben Nusz

We can now get back to the story of Furniture and Appliance Mart.

*resumes* 

00:19:44 Ben Nusz

So, you started in the warehouse doing deliveries and then maybe service or things like that.

00:19:51 Ben Nusz

What what other kind of stages did you go through? Cause you're currently and have been for a number of years.

00:19:57 Ben Nusz

The president and CEO.

00:19:58 Bill Fonti

Yeah, well, you know.

00:20:00 Bill Fonti

When I went to school it was UW Whitewater and I finished up my first year and went in my second year.

00:20:06 Bill Fonti

My dad was really convincing me to go back and four weeks into it.

00:20:11 Bill Fonti

Something just told me on a Thursday that, that was it.

00:20:17 Todd Kuckkahn

How do remember it so vividly: on a Thursday.

00:20:19 Bill Fonti

Yeah!  Well it was a Thursday because it was exactly I remember because it was exactly the four week period of time for me to be able to get.

00:20:26 Bill Fonti

60% of my tuition back.

00:20:28 Bill Fonti

I had approved that I didn't go to.

00:20:30 Bill Fonti

School that.

00:20:30 Bill Fonti

Friday!  OK? that's why I remember it so vividly. And I remember packing I was actually painting a picture.

00:20:38 Bill Fonti

I I do.

00:20:39 Bill Fonti

Wildlife art.

00:20:40 Bill Fonti

And I was painting a duck painting and.

00:20:45 Bill Fonti

And I looked at my roommate and I said “I'm done.”

00:20:49 Bill Fonti

He was “what?” “I'm done.”

00:20:51 Bill Fonti

I packed up my art supplies.

00:20:53 Bill Fonti

I drove directly to my dad’s store and I said “I'm done.”

00:20:56 Bill Fonti

School just is not for me and he goes “fine.”

00:21:00 Bill Fonti

He was really upset and he said you start tomorrow on the sales floor.

00:21:06 Bill Fonti

He, we're open seven days a week, 9 to 9 all but Saturday and Sunday, OK, reduced hours by two he worked me every hour we were open for seven straight months.  Hoping.

00:21:24 Bill Fonti

That he would break me to go back to school!

00:21:27 Todd Kuckkahn

Like a wild horse you’re trying to.

00:21:28 Todd Kuckkahn

Break out.

00:21:30 Bill Fonti

Yeah!  And all it did was teach me so much.

00:21:34 Bill Fonti

Within two weeks I was the number one salesperson on the floor, 'cause I had more opportunities.

00:21:39 Bill Fonti

It's like if you're a batter and you have more ups at bat.

00:21:42 Bill Fonti

You're going to have more chances.

00:21:43 Bill Fonti

To get a.

00:21:44 Bill Fonti

Single or a Homer, and for me I had a.

00:21:46 Bill Fonti

Lot more chances to.

00:21:47 Bill Fonti

Sell, because I worked every minute.

00:21:49 Bill Fonti

Of the store being open.

00:21:51 Bill Fonti

So, it was a crash course and it was really really good in looking back because a year and a half of that.

00:21:59 Bill Fonti

Next thing you know.

00:22:00 Bill Fonti

We're in Stevens Point.

00:22:02 Bill Fonti

And next thing you know Dad has to leave and go back to Madison to close up the store.

00:22:08 Bill Fonti

So, it was a crash course, a year and a half crash course of managing, buying, and everything else.

00:22:14 Bill Fonti

So, I was the buyer.

00:22:15 Bill Fonti

I was the salesperson, I was the manager.

00:22:17 Bill Fonti

And yeah, I had to do it without dad.

00:22:21 Bill Fonti

So there again.

00:22:22 Bill Fonti

A lot of learning and so that's that's really.

00:22:26 Bill Fonti

You know, sometimes you just pushed into it too.

00:22:29 Todd Kuckkahn

Experience works.

00:22:30 Bill Fonti

It does, yeah.

00:22:31 Ben Nusz

Yeah, Malcolm Gladwell in his book, Outliers, talks about this 10,000 hour rule that it takes.

00:22:37 Ben Nusz

10,000 hours of of intentional concerted practice to become an expert, and normally that takes five years.

00:22:45 Ben Nusz

You've probably got that done in in half that time.

00:22:48 Bill Fonti

Well, you know, let's face it, you can learn a subject real quick if that's all you do!

00:22:53 Ben Nusz

Yeah, yeah.

00:22:53 Bill Fonti

So, you know there was no time to play and there was certainly no time to spend any money. Yeah, so there again you, you just saved every penny, which was very helpful because at 21 I was able to buy a home.

00:23:10 Ben Nusz

Yeah, yeah.  So up until 2000, really the emphasis really was entirely in the the Stevens Point area. But then shortly after that, I think a couple things happen.

00:23:22 Ben Nusz

One, in 2000 your father, Vince, retired and you became the President and CEO. So tell us a little bit about that decision.

00:23:29 Bill Fonti

Yeah, that was a that was a tough.

00:23:33 Bill Fonti

Period of time.

00:23:34 Bill Fonti

Number one, you know, I I had the vision of always wanting to be the CEO.

00:23:40 Bill Fonti

My two brothers were involved at the time.

00:23:43 Bill Fonti

There were three others that also wanted the position of CEO and Dad had to make a decision and it was a tough decision for him to make so.

00:23:54 Bill Fonti

A friend of his suggested that he hire this professor out of UW Madison.

00:24:02 Bill Fonti

That would help him in the transition.

00:24:07 Bill Fonti

So, he interviewed all six of us.

00:24:11 Ben Nusz

This outside person, yeah?

00:24:14 Bill Fonti

Correct.  Which was really a great idea, and, uh, so he he interviewed all of us.

00:24:19 Bill Fonti

Same questions, took about three months, and he came up with his decision.

00:24:27 Bill Fonti

And uh, and that was obviously me and.

00:24:30 Ben Nusz

This is clever for so for so many reasons!  Right?

00:24:34 Ben Nusz

Because one you you have all this family and if all the pressure is on your father, maybe there's some resentment, but you bring in this outside party to assist kind of in in making that decision.

00:24:47 Ben Nusz

Takes a little.

00:24:48 Ben Nusz

Bit of the burden off of there, but I think it maybe validates you being in that role.

00:24:51 Bill Fonti

It does in one of the questions that I'll never forget that LOL.

00:24:58 Bill Fonti

Made it very clear to me that one of the major reasons why he said he knew I was “the guy” is they asked the question, who would you fear the most if they became CEO?

00:25:11 Bill Fonti

And 100% of all five said me.

00:25:15 Bill Fonti

And he said, that's when I knew, because he he knew I was about change.

00:25:20 Bill Fonti

He knew I was about growth.

00:25:21 Bill Fonti

He knew that I was going to take this company to the next level and 2002 is actually the time in which I took over.

00:25:31 Bill Fonti

And then we started to just go. And in 2003 we built our distribution center here in Stevens Point it was only 70,000 square feet at the time.

00:25:41 Bill Fonti

Now it's 180,000 and actually I just called Dallas Stone the other day 'cause we were thinking about another big expansion.

00:25:49 Bill Fonti

Uh, 2004 we then went to Rhinelander. It was the first store from scratch that I built, picked out a piece of land and it's been phenomenal. It's been a fantastic store.

00:26:04 Bill Fonti

And I then after that it was the Ashley Home Store brand that came in.

00:26:09 Todd Kuckkahn

Let's let's go back real quick 'cause I want to talk more about you talked about your brother.

00:26:13 Todd Kuckkahn

Your brother is being involved in the CEO.

00:26:15 Todd Kuckkahn

Search, some other people.

00:26:16 Todd Kuckkahn

So, talk a little bit about the how that all…

00:26:19 Todd Kuckkahn

How did how did you get through all that as a family and friends and a business.

00:26:23 Todd Kuckkahn

And how did that process go?

00:26:25 Bill Fonti

That was a really tough period because I had to really.

00:26:29 Bill Fonti

Prove myself.  Ralph Pfeiffer, which was a dear friend and partner at the time.

00:26:37 Bill Fonti

He you know, grew up working for Dad.

00:26:41 Bill Fonti

Not for me, and he thought he was going to be the guy and unfortunately he left.

00:26:47 Bill Fonti

And then my two brothers and the other two fellas that wanted the opportunity.

00:26:53 Bill Fonti

You know they were resentful.

00:26:56 Bill Fonti

And understandably so.

00:26:58 Bill Fonti

So, I knew I had to prove myself, which again was a great test.

00:27:03 Bill Fonti

So, I had to stay, stay my ground and prove to them that I was the right choice.

00:27:10 Bill Fonti

And after a year it started to come around and eventually you know, it made it easy on all of them because when tough decisions came around they just looked at me and said:  what are you going to do?

*break in interview*

00:27:30 Ben Nusz

More from Bill in a moment, just a quick break to share some brief announcements.

00:27:33 Ben Nusz

The fall term at Mid-State is well underway, but we have two upcoming semesters with class registrations available now.

00:27:41 Ben Nusz

A winterim and a spring term, so it's actually a great time to apply.

00:27:45 Ben Nusz

We have online classes, small in person classes, and everything in between.

00:27:49 Ben Nusz

Visit mstc.edu/apply to complete your application today.

00:27:54 Ben Nusz

Or check out.

00:27:55 Ben Nusz

Winterim and Spring start classes coming up at.

00:27:59 Ben Nusz

mstc.edu/register today. In addition to connecting businesses, the Portage County Business Council provides networking opportunities for the next generation of community leaders through Ignite Young Professionals to learn about Ignite, visit portagecountybiz.com that's “biz” with a “z.”  Now let's hear more of the story of Furniture and Appliance Mart with Bill.

*interview resumes*

00:28:23 Ben Nusz

2004.

00:28:24 Ben Nusz

You purchase and build an Ashley Furniture Home store in Appleton 2006 an Ashley in Green Bay.

00:28:30 Ben Nusz

2007 a location in Oshkosh; 2007 a new location in Stevens Point that's also a joint Ashley furniture. 2011 a furniture location in Marshfield.

00:28:43 Ben Nusz

2015 you go back to Madison, you you also buy the American TV location. 2017 Greenfield, Richfield, Pewaukee.

00:28:54 Ben Nusz

2019, Kenosha and Janesville.

00:28:57 Ben Nusz

*Laughs* I'm out of breath, but you know you, you mentioned you had this growth mindset, right?

00:29:02 Ben Nusz

So, talk us through building that growth mindset and and what your vision was for Furniture and Appliance Mart.

00:29:11 Bill Fonti

Well, definitely wanted to to expand as you just mentioned.

00:29:16 Bill Fonti

But outside of the Central Wisconsin area, I was aware that branding was going to be more difficult.

00:29:23 Bill Fonti

It was pretty easy back in the 70’s,60’s, 70’s, 80’s to create a brand because you didn't have the Internet.

00:29:32 Bill Fonti

You didn't have thousands of TV stations to choose from.

00:29:36 Bill Fonti

You had a few, you had a few radio stations, so you had a captured audience for advertising and as.

00:29:43 Bill Fonti

Things changed and you go into the 2000 period. It started to get more difficult to get a brand out there.

00:29:53 Bill Fonti

So, the Ashley Home Store brand was only about 10 years old.

00:29:57 Bill Fonti

At the time.

00:29:58 Bill Fonti

And I just knew that that was the future.

00:30:02 Bill Fonti

And so that's why we went with Ashley, and it was brand recognition instantly. 2004 was our first Ashley Home store and then just for an example.

00:30:16 Bill Fonti

On branding; 2005, we still believed in our “Furniture and Appliance Mart” brand, so we actually added a store in De Pere.  And nine years later, you know, I remember running into a few people at a, uh, Packer.

00:30:32 Bill Fonti

Game and they would say.

00:30:33 Bill Fonti

So, what do you do?

00:30:34 Bill Fonti

And they're from Green Bay market.

00:30:36 Bill Fonti

And I said “Furniture and Appliance Mart!”

00:30:41 Bill Fonti

“Uhh?”  You know, they're like 9 years.

00:30:44 Bill Fonti

Right off the highway!  They had no idea who we were and I said, “how about Ashley home store?”

00:30:49 Bill Fonti

“Oh yeah!  The one on Uecker and Gray?”

00:30:52 Bill Fonti

Instantly they knew it.

00:30:53 Bill Fonti

So, it's tough to build a brand, so that's why Ashley has been a a powerful brand for us and it continues to grow. It's over 800.

00:31:03 Bill Fonti

Stores strong right now, and the Furniture and Appliance Mart brand is super huge here.

00:31:09 Bill Fonti

We do have a branch in Madison as well.

00:31:12 Bill Fonti

On the West side, we're adding one on the east side, but it's an enhancer to what we have for an Ashley Home Store.

00:31:20 Ben Nusz

So, let's talk just a little bit about Ashley Furniture.

00:31:24 Ben Nusz

You know it's a brand that people have recognition.

00:31:26 Ben Nusz

I was surprised to learn.

00:31:28 Ben Nusz

That it’s the world's largest manufacturer of furniture.

00:31:31 Bill Fonti

Yes.

00:31:33 Ben Nusz

So, it's not just a brand and a retailer, although they're also the top furniture retailer in the United States.

00:31:40 Ben Nusz

Number one in the United States, largest furniture manufacturer in the world, and they also have strong ties to the Midwest and Wisconsin.

00:31:47 Ben Nusz

How do you think they rose to the top?

00:31:50 Bill Fonti

Hard work.  I mean Todd Wanek and Ron Wanek. They're really close to us. In fact, my dad was the first retailer in Wisconsin to buy a bedroom set from Ron Wanek in 1978.  Yeah.

00:32:06 Bill Fonti

Can you believe it?

00:32:06 Bill Fonti

So we've gone back a long, long ways.

00:32:10 Bill Fonti

Todd Wanek is a personal friend of mine.

00:32:13 Bill Fonti

I mean a real close personal friend of mine.

00:32:15 Bill Fonti

He was just up by the house last weekend.

00:32:18 Bill Fonti

And he came to our huge summit last week as well.

00:32:22 Bill Fonti

Because you know we’re, he's always trying to learn from me and I'm trying to learn from him.

00:32:27 Bill Fonti

And why not try to learn from a billionaire, right?

00:32:31 Bill Fonti

So yeah, they they have a work ethic that is just crazy good and Todd.

00:32:38 Bill Fonti

Is a visionary and always wants to know where the puck is going.

00:32:42 Bill Fonti

He was a lover of Wayne Gretzky.

00:32:45 Bill Fonti

He was the 1st.

00:32:46 Bill Fonti

To go across seas for manufacturing, because he saw what was happening environmentally and just very difficult on the manufacturing side workforce wise.

00:32:58 Bill Fonti

So he decided to go overseas and start there and really was the pioneer of the furniture.

00:33:06 Bill Fonti

Industry.  They are still.

00:33:08 Bill Fonti

The largest manufacturer of furniture in the US, 68% of their product that we sell is made right here in America.

00:33:18 Bill Fonti

They wish it could be 100%, but again, it's a textile industry and sewing and things like that just not too many people that want to sew. So, in Vietnam.

00:33:29 Bill Fonti

They have a a big huge plant of folks that do all the sewing.

00:33:34 Todd Kuckkahn

So, your your business has strong core values, excuse me strong core values.

00:33:39 Ben Nusz

You have a.

00:33:40 Todd Kuckkahn

Pillars of your business.

00:33:41 Todd Kuckkahn

Did they align well with Ashley?

00:33:43 Todd Kuckkahn

Was that part?

00:33:43 Todd Kuckkahn

Of it as well.

00:33:44 Todd Kuckkahn

Out of knowing them well?

00:33:45 Bill Fonti

They they do, and yet we're separating it because we have turned into a personal development company.

00:33:54 Bill Fonti

We, in doing a lot of personal development myself.

00:34:00 Bill Fonti

Going to Tony Robbins events all over the US and the world and continuously learning. It's it's not something that you do whenever you feel like it.

00:34:11 Bill Fonti

It is everyday, no days off.

00:34:15 Bill Fonti

It's like showering.

00:34:17 Bill Fonti

It's like brushing your teeth.

00:34:19 Bill Fonti

There are certain things that you do every single day.

00:34:22 Bill Fonti

And one thing that I do is personal development; and I spend at least three hours a day doing it and.

00:34:32 Bill Fonti

Todd himself coming to our summit knows.

00:34:36 Bill Fonti

And we're a pioneer at this.

00:34:38 Bill Fonti

I don't know of any other company that believes that the dreams, desires, and goals of their employees comes first before the bottom line, so.

00:34:51 Bill Fonti

It lights our employees up when I say what's your dream?

00:34:57 Bill Fonti

What's your goal?

00:34:58 Bill Fonti

We have your dream matter boards everywhere.

00:35:02 Bill Fonti

Handwritten goals. We have 100% of our employees now that have written goals. Unheard of. Only 3% of the nation has a written goal, and as we know from data, 50% of those written goals.

00:35:22 Bill Fonti

Come true just by writing them down and looking at them. If you have a mentor, it increases to 80% and that's what we do.

00:35:32 Bill Fonti

We mentor and we care for our employees and the Millennials and Z's of of today, the generation.

00:35:41 Bill Fonti

They, really everybody, I mean, but they absolutely love our culture and Todd has seen it. He has seen a transformation like nobody's ever never seen in a business and our culture is so driven on personal.

00:36:00 Bill Fonti

Development and caring about our employees.

00:36:03 Bill Fonti

That people want to come to work for us. We have folks moving from California, Utah, North Carolina, Illinois all over the country. When people say they can't find people, we just hired 120 people in two months.

00:36:23 Bill Fonti

Two months!  Our number one benefit:  personal development.

00:36:28 Bill Fonti

Nobody offers personal development as a benefit.

00:36:32 Ben Nusz

So maybe be specific like what?

00:36:35 Ben Nusz

Do you mean that you offer personal develop?

00:36:38 Bill Fonti

We offer personal development which covers all aspects of your life from your health we.

00:36:44 Bill Fonti

Have a 30 day challenge.

00:36:45 Bill Fonti

Going right now in August.

00:36:46 Bill Fonti

No sugar, no alcohol and you must workout 30 minutes a day.

00:36:51 Bill Fonti

Must.  OK?  And those are the things that we do.

00:36:54 Bill Fonti

It's health, it's eating habits.

00:36:58 Bill Fonti

It's all about your.

00:37:00 Bill Fonti

Mental health, I've gone through depression.

00:37:04 Bill Fonti

I've gone through anxiety.

00:37:05 Bill Fonti

I've gone through all of those things I've lived a negative life.

00:37:10 Bill Fonti

Most of my life and I've turned that around to a positive life so I know what it's like to live in a negative world and I choose to be positive.

00:37:20 Bill Fonti

I choose to be in a growth mindset, but it also goes into financial relationships, spiritual.

00:37:28 Bill Fonti

We cover all aspects of.

00:37:30 Bill Fonti

Personal development for our whole family.

00:37:34 Ben Nusz

So, do you feel that this?

00:37:36 Ben Nusz

Benefits you from the kind of retention and an attraction perspective.

00:37:42 Ben Nusz

Or do you think that it also helps just them perform better at their jobs?

00:37:46 Bill Fonti

Both, both.

00:37:48 Bill Fonti

For example, something I started back in April of 2018.

00:37:54 Bill Fonti

And, uh.

00:37:56 Bill Fonti

It's a labor.

00:37:57 Bill Fonti

Of love, but I started it, made a commitment that I will write to our employees every single day for the rest of my life and include a video that enhances the message.

00:38:12 Bill Fonti

For the day, so it's all about personal development.

00:38:15 Bill Fonti

And other than a few trips to India or Abu Dhabi, those are the only days I've missed so I haven't missed for over a year straight and it's every single day.

00:38:28 Bill Fonti

I also send out a quote of the day I get up around 3:00.

00:38:32 Bill Fonti

3:30 in the morning and I start working, and I think about our employees.  My my whole life is about our employees and our customers and in helping others my, you know and because of it, I've found my purpose.

00:38:48 Bill Fonti

And very few people know what their purpose is, and my purpose is to help as many people as possible find their infinite potential.

00:38:57 Bill Fonti

That's what I live for, and I see it in their eyes and sometimes they don't even see it.

00:39:02 Bill Fonti

But I see their soul and I know what they're capable of doing and becoming.

00:39:08 Bill Fonti

And so that's one thing that I do is the the everyday emails which take at least an hour.

00:39:15 Bill Fonti

And a half every day.

00:39:16 Bill Fonti

And then I also mentor personal one on one mentorship.

00:39:22 Bill Fonti

I've got one coming up here shortly to actually two, and I help these kids to see where they want to go in life and getting their head straight.

00:39:33 Bill Fonti

And it's always focused about gratitude.

00:39:36 Bill Fonti

In fact, every one of these kids and in half of them are recovering Alcoholics or drug.

00:39:43 Bill Fonti

Addicts; and I turn them around, and I give them hope, and I allow them to see the future being bright, and I care on him.

00:39:53 Bill Fonti

I love on him, and like nobody has ever loved em, and it's not easy.

00:40:00 Bill Fonti

But I love it.

00:40:01 Bill Fonti

You know, I get emotional about it, and because I care it that much about these kids.

00:40:07 Todd Kuckkahn

Leadership development.

00:40:08 Todd Kuckkahn

Has a benefit.

00:40:09 Todd Kuckkahn

I mean, that's incredible and how.

00:40:11 Todd Kuckkahn

It's you just.

00:40:12 Todd Kuckkahn

You separated yourself from 95% of the businesses.

00:40:16 Todd Kuckkahn

If more businesses would see that as an opportunity, talent, attraction, talent retention, or just being a good person I, I mean, that's that's what it's that's really, really about.

00:40:24 Todd Kuckkahn

And the people that people can't see.

00:40:27 Todd Kuckkahn

The intensity and passion in you right now, but it's clear that you care about your employees and so I have congratulations on that. So, you, you're a family and employee owned talking about your employees, but in 2019.

00:40:41 Todd Kuckkahn

You gifted 40% of the shares of the company to the employees, so talk a little about a little bit about that. Why? What's been the benefit?

00:40:49 Bill Fonti

Well, again it's it's all part of the personal development.

00:40:52 Bill Fonti

The financial end of it.

00:40:53 Bill Fonti

Most people don't save for the future, so it's a way to help them save and and it's a wonderful program.

00:41:02 Bill Fonti

We're a 40% ESOP and and.

00:41:06 Ben Nusz

Can you define that for us?

00:41:06 Bill Fonti

Yeah.  It's an employee stock.

00:41:09 Bill Fonti

Ownership program and and it's really a beautiful program for.

00:41:17 Bill Fonti

Owners that want to do it for the right reason and the right reason is.

00:41:21 Bill Fonti

For your employees.

00:41:23 Bill Fonti

There's certain employers and you know I.

00:41:25 Bill Fonti

I'm not here to judge that sell the company 100% get get out, cash out. It's an easy way to cash out, but then you know the burdens left on the employees.

00:41:37 Bill Fonti

And a lot of them don't make it, if that is the course, but for the ESOP's that are in it for the right.

00:41:43 Bill Fonti

Reason which is the employees.

00:41:46 Bill Fonti

They flourish and when you add personal development to it.

00:41:51 Bill Fonti

I would tell you that you could walk in and talk to 18, 20 year old kid and they'll tell you I will never leave this company.

00:42:01 Bill Fonti

And that is amazing. Amazing.  To hear a 20, 21, 25 year old say I will never leave this company.

00:42:14 Bill Fonti

That just gives me goosebumps, you know.

00:42:18 Bill Fonti

Yeah, it's it's.

00:42:19 Bill Fonti

It's really.

00:42:19 Bill Fonti

It's cool, so ESOP is not for everybody but for us it's been a great transition to show the employees how much we care about them and how much we care about their future.

00:42:31 Bill Fonti

It's not about living.

00:42:32 Bill Fonti

For now, it's living for the future.

00:42:34 Bill Fonti

It's about you know, saving for the future so that.

00:42:38 Bill Fonti

Who knows what happens with Social Security and some of the other benefits that are out there.

00:42:43 Bill Fonti

This is one that we all work together to improve upon all of us so that we can be here another 50 years.

00:42:53 Ben Nusz

So, what's next.

00:42:54 Ben Nusz

For Furniture and Appliance Mart?

00:42:55 Bill Fonti

Continue to grow, uh, continue to you know, just give back to our communities, give back to our employees, do the best we possibly can for our clients.

00:43:07 Bill Fonti

You know that's what it's all about.

00:43:11 Bill Fonti

I mean, I, I, I love what I do.

00:43:13 Bill Fonti

When someone brings up retirement, I'm like:  Retirement?

00:43:16 Bill Fonti

It's not even a word for me, I mean.

00:43:19 Bill Fonti

No!  There's no such thing as retirement for me.

00:43:22 Bill Fonti

I love what I do.

00:43:23 Bill Fonti

It's not even a job.

00:43:25 Bill Fonti

So absolutely no retirement for me.

00:43:29 Bill Fonti

I plan on living to 120, you know when I get to my 60th birthday, I'm going to have a halfway party.

00:43:37 Bill Fonti

And and I'm going to have a really great time, but but other than that, we're going to continue to grow.

00:43:44 Bill Fonti

I have a vision of someday.

00:43:49 Bill Fonti

Taking over the majority of the Ashley Home stores in America.

00:43:54 Bill Fonti

Coast to coast.

00:43:56 Bill Fonti

That's a big dream, and Todd knows it's a big dream of mine and I've told him more than once and that's Todd Wanek, the owner of Ashley.

00:44:06 Bill Fonti

So, it's a huge dream because I want to expand what we're doing and give back to more people than I possibly could ever dream of with our personal development and caring on people.

00:44:18 Bill Fonti

And knowing and wanting their dreams to matter.

00:44:23 Bill Fonti

And that's why I want to do it.

00:44:25 Bill Fonti

I don't want to do it because I want to look.

00:44:27 Bill Fonti

I'm looking for more work!

00:44:29 Bill Fonti

I already work every single day, but I want to do it to help more people.

00:44:33 Bill Fonti

That's why I want to expand this from coast to coast.

*break in interview*

00:44:43 Ben Nusz

Thank you for listening to.

00:44:44 Ben Nusz

Profile Central Wisconsin special thanks to Bill Fonti from Furniture and Appliance Mart and Todd Kuckkahn for joining me in this conversation.

00:44:53 Ben Nusz

Profile is a production of Mid-State Technical College out of the Stevens Point Campus.

00:44:58 Ben Nusz

You heard Bill talk about the value of personal development, of individual growth, and a commitment for continuous improvement.

00:45:06 Ben Nusz

Not everyone can work for a company that prizes these values, and sometimes you need to take matters into your own hands.

00:45:13 Ben Nusz

Our leadership development associate degree is geared toward working professionals.

00:45:18 Ben Nusz

With many courses online and at night, this degree is designed to fit your schedule and help you to gain professional advancement and success.

00:45:25 Ben Nusz

Visit mstc.edu to learn more.

00:45:28 Ben Nusz

If you're interested in discovering how you can join Bill and Mid-State in our efforts to build an advanced manufacturing engineering technology and apprenticeship center in Central Wisconsin, visit mstc.edu/partner.

00:45:40 Ben Nusz

There you'll find out more information about the project and ways to contribute.

00:45:45 Ben Nusz

To learn more about the Portage County Business Council, and.

00:45:48 Ben Nusz

Everything they're doing to connect and grow our.

00:45:50 Ben Nusz

Business community visit portagecountybiz.com.  That’s “biz” with a “z.”  As you may know, Todd has recently decided to pass on his role of the executive director of the Portage County Business Council.

00:46:01 Ben Nusz

He is off to follow his dreams and to start the next chapter in his life.

00:46:04 Ben Nusz

For this podcast.

00:46:06 Ben Nusz

We will be evaluating our next steps, so stay tuned for future episodes and further updates.

00:46:11 Ben Nusz

We will continue to provide great content and thoughtful conversations with local leaders.

00:46:17 Ben Nusz

Be sure to subscribe to this podcast on Stitcher, Apple Podcast, Spotify or wherever you consume your audio.

00:46:24 Ben Nusz

It's the mission of Mid-State Technical College to transform lives through the power of teaching and learning.

00:46:30 Ben Nusz

Help us work toward that goal by sharing this story.

00:46:33 Ben Nusz

Thanks for listening.

*Interview resumes and concludes*

00:46:43 Ben Nusz

Do you? Are you still working 22 hour days?

00:46:45 Bill Fonti

Absolutely!

00:46:47 Bill Fonti

Like yesterday I was up at 3:56.

00:46:50 Bill Fonti

So, it all depends when God says wake up, I wake up and I get going and to be honest with you I have more energy today than ever before.

00:47:00 Bill Fonti

Do I look tired?

00:47:01 Todd Kuckkahn

You got a little energy, Bill.

00:47:02 Todd Kuckkahn

I've noticed that.

00:47:03 Bill Fonti

I'm not tired at all and I go all day!