Mark Stapperfenne

Green Forest Cabinetry

Chesapeake, Va.

VIrginia State Chapter

 

“If you believe you are awesome, awesome things happen.”

That’s one of Mark Stapperfenne’s mantras, and apparently, it’s paying off. Stapperfenne, Director of Sales and Customer Success at Green Forest Cabinetry in Chesapeake, Va., has made a serious impact at his company by increasing revenue (15 percent in his first year), decreasing workplace accidents by 85 percent, ramping up production by 25 percent and making the facility OSHA-compliant.

As with many people in K&B, getting into the industry isn’t always a direct path. Despite his NKBA pedigree —mom Maria, CMKBD, was NKBA’s national president in 2015 — Mark never thought he’d be in this business. He was working in audio/video in the early 2010s, occasionally helping NKBA’s Northern New Jersey chapter with technical services. In 2014, a member company recruited him as a sales rep and he joined the association,  thus starting  his K&B journey.

“Like my mom, I wanted to forge my own path,” he says. “Growing within the kitchen and bath industry was not what I had originally planned, but with all the opportunity available, it became my main option very fast.” 

Stapperfenne served on the executive board and as Communications Chair of the NNJ Chapter, and was inducted into the Thirty Under 30 Class of 2020. “I call, text and DM my Thirty Under 30 friends ALL. THE. TIME,” he says. “Their unique views on business and customer interaction have pushed me to do better within our sector of the industry.”

He joined GFC in 2018 and was promoted to his current position after a year. So far, he has three main takeaways from his experience. “First, always get the facts. If you don’t know, give yourself time, and ask someone who does. There’s too much information out there — there really isn’t a need to guess,” he notes. “Second, there are two characteristics of a good customer: they pay their bills on time, and they allow you to make money. And third, it’s OK to be wrong. What matters is that we are right when it’s showtime.” 

Positivity plays a big role in his daily life. “My one piece of life advice is to wake up and high-five yourself every day,” he adds. “Even on the bad days, especially the ones where you make mistakes and think ‘that could have gone way better if I had done…’ If you believe you are awesome, awesome things happen.”

In his downtime, the self-professed Trekkie loves skateboarding and longboarding. Does the native New Jerseyan miss his home state? “Absolutely. The diners, the delis, being close to Philly and NYC, my family, access to snowboarding up north, and just the high-speed energy of everyone you meet,” he says. “I will say, however, my access to barbecue and not having to pay to go on the beach down here has not left me disappointed!”