We are thrilled to announce the latest addition to the Trim-Tex family — we’ve just welcomed Matt Totsch as our new CFO! There’s a lot to be excited about in the time ahead, especially if you’re a Trim-Tex fan, and Matt is going to be a huge part of everything we’ve got coming up.
Matt aspired to a career in accounting from a young age, eventually getting his accounting degree and CPA certificate from University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana.
“I like math,” says Matt, “and it seemed like I could make a living from it. Fortunate that the University of Illinois is a top accounting school and right here in my backyard, so I applied, and the rest is history!”
Matt did shorter stints in public accounting and education before connecting the dots to manufacturing — “I just love watching product come off the lines,” he told us. Matt’s career came into focus at Precision Plating (located, ironically enough, one mile from Trim-Tex HQ in Lincolnwood, Ill.), where he found himself for the past eight years, first as Assistant Controller, and finally as Financial Director. When the time came to move on, the opening for Trim-Tex’s new CFO happened to fit like a glove.
Matt is also the Treasurer for Union Ridge Cemetery, Chicago’s oldest. He’s an Eagle Scout and an Elder at Northminster Church. He and his wife Kelle have been married for nine years. They live in Evanston, Ill., with their two boys, where the family is making its life in the second home Matt has remodeled himself. We didn’t ask him if Trim-Tex beads were used in the latest reno: some things should be left shrouded in mystery!
‘If it makes your job easier, that makes me happy’
Matt likes to question assumptions. He likes to get away from “doing things because that’s how it’s always been done,” and think instead from an investment standpoint: “Why are we doing this? What is the return on investment?”
To illustrate his point, Matt tells the story of a man in Precision’s Maintenance Department. Angel was able to work with Matt to largely automate what used to be a painful manual process. Now, Angel swipes a bar code, is able to review pricing on replacement parts, select a vendor and generate a purchase order.
“He’s my poster child,” says Matt, who got a nice card from Angel upon his departure. “I’m so proud of him — he just took the project and ran with it!”
He took the same approach to convert Precision’s paperwork-intensive customer service, sales and accounting process to a paperless environment. This allows 
employees — and, thanks to a client portal he spearheaded, customers — to access vital documents anywhere, anytime.
And that kind of outside-the-box thinking is a big reason why we’re so excited to have Matt on board. The work he does won’t just impact life around our offices; expect them to positively affect your experience with Trim-Tex, too. That’s because Matt’s big on collaboration — and that includes collaborating with our customers, the contractors and drywall supply dealers, as well. Without your voice in the mix, says Matt, how else can we make the best possible solutions with the best possible service?
“I love working with everybody and love working with the customers,” said Matt. “I just want to add value to them. You want them to keep coming back and buying your product, and so you always got to find what is it that they need: what can I do to make your job easier? Not to get too corny, but we're all in it together. If it makes your job easier, that makes me happy.”
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