Meet Mike Frobosilo, Technical Sales Specialist for Gumersell Cashdan, a seasoned agency with over 90 years in the electrical industry serving Long Island, New York, and New Jersey. Mike brings an enthusiastic and customer-focused approach to his work, contributing to Gumersell Cashdan’s successful partnership with Champion Fiberglass® in projects throughout the northeastern U.S. We spoke with Mike to learn about his experience selling Champion Fiberglass conduit.
Tell us a bit about your background and how you got into sales?
I started my sales career at 18 when I joined our family commercial printing business. I’ve always enjoyed meeting people and learning about their businesses, and feel selling is much easier when you really believe in the product. Customers can sense this. And Champion Fiberglass is a product that I believe in because it provides so many solutions to customer challenges.
How do you position Champion Fiberglass products as solutions for customers? Can you share a specific feature or benefit that customers find particularly valuable?
I lead with the fact that Champion Fiberglass products are lightweight and easy to install. Project teams can physically carry these products to the job site instead of needing a forklift, and the fiberglass conduit ends easily connect and stay together. The low coefficient of friction supports long conduit runs without a pull box. All of this really helps reduce installation costs, saving significant time and money.
Additionally, no burn-through elbows are a huge advantage over PVC. And unlike PVC, there are big safety benefits to Champion Fiberglass. Nonmetallic, low smoke and zero halogen material in the event of a fire is critical to safety. Also in the northeast, we have huge temperature fluctuations going from 0 to 60 ℉ within days. I’ve seen firsthand how Champion Fiberglass conduit withstands these changes very well.
Can you share a project or sale you’re especially proud of, including any challenges overcome? How has Champion Fiberglass helped customers achieve their goals or solve problems?
I’ve had several large utility upgrade customers using Champion Fiberglass large radius elbows. For one project, Champion Fiberglass created a custom design for 30+ foot elbows, sent a sample to our customer for approval, then manufactured them for a successful installation. Gumersell Cashdan also supplies the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey, including JFK and Newark airports. These teams tried Champion Fiberglass products then decided it’s what was needed for all projects.
One of the bigger projects I’m particularly proud of is 270 Park Avenue in New York City. We had some engineering challenges getting product to the site and tying to existing systems, but we worked closely with the Champion Fiberglass engineering team to define specs and custom PVC ends, so it will be exciting to see this project come together soon.
What do you enjoy most about representing Champion Fiberglass?
I love that Champion Fiberglass products are coming from Texas and made in the USA. Not only is the product readily available for tight deadlines, we support buying in America. The Champion Fiberglass engineering team also provides great support to answer questions and customize design, making it easy to turn quotes around quickly. And finally, the people at Champion Fiberglass are awesome. Every person I’ve worked with has been responsive, proactive and willing to do whatever it takes to get the job done.