“Excellent salespeople are not imposing or intruding if they’re teaching someone or showing them a tool or material that will make their job better,” said Rich Cort, recently retired Mass Transit Market Business Manager at SEKISUI SPI. With the company since 1990, Cort has always taken a servant leadership approach in his professional and personal life.
From mentoring regional business managers to participating in Midnight Run, an organization where volunteers distribute food, clothing, blankets, and personal care items to the homeless on the streets of New York City, Cort enjoys helping others in any way possible.
Cort’s service-minded approach doesn’t stop there. His work with (and for) SEKISUI SPI’s customers for over 25 years has been a touchstone for those looking to improve the customer experience.
“It’s about being a part of a group of people who turned into family, and making things better for our customers and planet through that group,” explained Cort.
Stepping into the industry 35 years ago, Cort began his plastics career at a Plexiglas® manufacturer. He moved to Ohio for a sales job, determined to share his knowledge with customers to help them solve their problems. This is also where Cort first learned about the sheet extrusion process, now a key facet at SEKISUI SPI. As the only dual salesman in Plexiglas® and ABS, his plastics knowledge expanded even more.
Joining SEKISUI SPI (formerly named Kleerdex) in the 90s, Cort became a wall covering and building products sales representative focused on providing the best possible experience for customers. This led to the creation of a new customer service department and a more centralized location in Central Pennsylvania.
Cort’s influence at the KYDEX® Thermoplastics manufacturer led to the development of SEKISUI SPI’s appLab™, a collaboration space that provides inspiration and helps customers develop game-changing solutions at any point in the product development process.
His vision for helping customers has always been top of mind. “We don’t succeed unless our customers succeed. I always reach out with the intent of helping them achieve their goals and be more successful. I go in to learn about what they want to do and see if I can help them do that,” said Cort.
At SEKISUI SPI, improving customer satisfaction while enhancing the passenger and user experience is the goal.
Moving on to become Vice President of Sales and Marketing in 2004 and then Mass Transit Market Business Manager in 2007, Cort has formed an extraordinary path in the plastics industry. A conductor of change focused on truly serving the customer, Rich Cort’s name is almost synonymous with the mass transit plastics industry.
Stepping into Cort’s shoes is Ruben Bake. Born into a German-speaking household in Venezuela, and having lived in The Netherlands, Germany, Brazil, and the U.S., Ruben possesses a varied background and cultural understanding that will advance the company’s international reach. As Mass Transit Market Business Manager, Ruben will iterate SPI’s strategy for the growing Rail and Bus markets in Asia, Europe, and the Americas to meet the needs of the growing global middle class.
About SEKISUI SPI
SEKISUI SPI is a global thermoplastics leader that is changing manufacturing for the 21st century by challenging how to think, design, and create as a master supplier. Fueled by a team of over 300 dedicated professionals, SEKISUI SPI serves customers in 34 countries across a diverse spectrum of major industries including aviation, transportation, medical, agriculture and heavy equipment, and industrial equipment housings. With the collective power of KYDEX® and ALLEN® Thermoplastics product brands, we provide a unique understanding that is built on deeper perspectives resulting in better solutions for all. SEKISUI SPI is part of SEKISUI Chemical Company, an $11 billion global leader in plastics and chemicals. Visit www.sekisui-spi.com for more information.