Paul Eppolito

Years of Experience: 20

What do you do? What do you interact with clients about? How do you try to make them feel when they’re working with you?

I develop relationships with companies who need metal component solutions. I work directly with engineers and buyers to identify components Switzer can produce and work to solve problems they may be experiencing with the current supply chain. The health of our business depends on our customers’ success, so I help to make sure Switzer does everything possible to help our customers succeed.

What do you like about working at Switzer?

I love working with people to help solve problems. Every day is brings new challenges, which requires us to be creative and forward-thinking. What worked yesterday rarely works tomorrow and I love developing new solutions.

What is something people in your industry/niche have to deal with that you want to fix?

My customers are experts in their fields and have incredible insight into how they can improve their corner of the world. What they often find challenging is how to bring their concept to reality. That is what I find to be the most exciting part of my job – helping a customer develop a concept and bring it to reality. Producing a component is only a small part of what we do – we spend as much time and energy with upfront and post-delivery customer service as we do actually producing the component.

Your top 3 favorite Podcasts/Books?

Acquired (Podcast) — I listen for the deep-dive business history. It is like an MBA case study wrapped in a great story. Incredible research and delivered in an entertaining way.

60 Songs that Explain the 90s (Podcast) — Equal parts music nostalgia and cultural history, it always sends me down a music rabbit hole.

"East of Eden" by John Steinbeck (Book) — The best exploration of choice and human nature I have ever read, I think about the "timshel" concept frequently.