CHARLOTTE, N.C. – Greg Pilotti brings his own perspective to the issue of finding and retaining good employees.

At Wood Pro Expo in Lancaster in October, Pilotti provided many interesting details about his company, and fielded a variety of questions from his audience ranging from employee experience to their length of commuting time.

Pilotti has been running a successful custom furniture and casegood business in Parkesburg, Pennsylvania, for his entire career, and he’s only 28.

He was a winner of the 2017 Wood Industry 40 Under 40 program, which honors the next generation of people likely make an impact on the wood products manufacturing industry in North America.

Pilotti's award recognized his successful entrepreneurship in launching a successful custom furniture and cabinetry business that he built from the ground up. His vision of running his own furniture shop, creating timeless pieces of furniture using the finest techniques has been successful.

At Lancaster, Pilotti spoke about the importance of informing employees about company decisions.

He asked his own employees why they have stayed at the company.

He recognized what the company doesn’t do well, according to employees.

He spoke about how his company.

He said leadership has to be positive – everyone is watching.

And he said that companies have to be able to put time into training and education.

Trained in his field through the commercial woodworking program at Lancaster's Thaddeus Stevens State College, Pilotti is already a seasoned manager who has carefully charted a plan for aggressively growing his business.

Young enough to be in touch with the mind-set and expectations of the incoming generation of workers, at Wood Pro Expo Charlotte, Pilotti will share his insights and the techniques he uses to attract and hold young workers in the field - including outreach through social media.

Pilotti's passion for the industry, and his conviction that it is a great career path, is also conveyed by his continued relationship with his alma mater, where he is also teaching some classes.

Pilotti's presentation is on February 14, as part of the Business Operations track at the Charlotte WoodPro Expo. Charlotte is also home to Piedmont College, which offers educational programs tailored to woodworking and to general manufacturing. The school has also developed an award-winning Apprenticeship 2000 program with area manufacturers, including hardware maker Blum. Following Pilotti's presentation, attendees will board buses to visit Blum in nearby Stanley, North Carolina, where they will see the manufacturing center, including the apprenticeship program. 

Pilotti's award recognized his successful entrepreneurship in launching a successful custom furniture and cabinetry business that he built from the ground up. His vision of running his own furniture shop, creating timeless pieces of furniture using the finest techniques has come to fruition.

For more information, see https://www.woodworkingnetwork.com/events-contests/wood-pro-expo-charlotte