Get to Know: Leo Grossman Jr.

Work Experience

I attended a vocational high school and was hired by Sears during my junior year. At Sears, I was trained to be a service tech to repair appliances. After graduating, I enlisted for a four year term in the service. I found myself working on the Phantom F4. After returning home, I went into the Sears’ management training program and stayed there for about seven years. During my time at Sears I also attended night college and obtained an Electrical Engineering Degree. With that experience and degree, Frigidaire hired me to handle training for all the Southeast Sears Service Centers, an area that covered 15 states. I remained with Frigidaire for 24 years. After leaving Frigidaire/Electrolux I went to work for the Mega Group. Since the merger with Nationwide, I now have a total of 12 years of experience as an MSM.

Education

Hillsborough Community College, Saint Leo’s College, University of Tampa, USF Electronical Engineering Degree

Awards/Certifications

Airman of the month 1973; Base Airman 1974; Summit Award (First time ever given out with 300 District Managers in the running) 1988; Circle of Pride (Five years in a row) 1989-1994; Jim Robertson Award 2015

Total years of experience with the independent channel/retail

35+ years working with dealers and helping them grow their business and compete with in their market with advertising, ordering, inventory, etc.

What motivates you to get up and go to work for the Independent retailer every day?

I love my job with Nationwide and I feel I am here to help both members and co-workers anyway I can. I enjoy being a part of the largest buying group in the United States.

Tell us about your role at NMG.

To provide and explain all the tools NMG offers to help our members thrive in their marketplace. I work with different size dealers, but they all have the same common thread. They must compete with the Box Stores. I consult with my members and make myself available when they need me.

Why did you want to come work at NMG?

I have been in the field for over 35 years as a rep and working with dealers of all sizes. I understood early on that, for a dealer to exist and survive in todays world, they needed the support of a buying group to compete in their marketplace. NMG provides all the services and benefits a member needs to keep their doors open.

Why do you think NMG is the best buying group for Independent retailers in today’s climate?

As a group, we have all the tools under one roof to keep our members in the game. (They can see all of this at our PrimeTime shows.) When members take advantage of our services such as Websites, Advertising, Financing, PPP, Vendor Programs, etc., they can compete with any Big Box Store.

What is the most important project you are working on right now, and why?

Making sure our members understand why digital advertising, the number one form of advertising, must be used in today’s times. With 95% of consumers are either looking or shopping online, they must get in the game and use their advertising budgets where it will bring in the most traffic to grow their business.

What is your favorite memory from your time at NMG?

I love the PrimeTime shows we have in different locations across the United States. This is the one place where our members and prospects can see all the services and benefits that we offer in one location. Our members leave PrimeTime with new knowledge and training to take back to grow their business.

What do you like most about your job?

I have a chance to meet and work alongside some great people, which keeps me constantly learning. Helping our members and being a part of their business.

What else do you want people to know about you and NMG?

I have to say I truly and strongly believe in the “Speed of Trust”. I have been a single dad for over 26 years and raised my three children under the same structure. I am very proud of all three (Leo III, Samuel, and Lisa) of my children. We are a tight knit family. Now I watch them raising their children and I know they must have been listening at one time or another.