Our monthly Employee Spotlight always showcases an amazing team member of the Abt family, but October’s pick is particularly exciting. We’re talking about Vito Colinelli, Abt’s executive trainer. A member of the company’s backbone, Vito has been training our specialists and more for nearly 25 years now. The number of installers, plumbers, and carpenters he has helped to train here at Abt is astronomical. We imagine that Vito Colinelli would be able to help with just about any home problem.
Don’t take our word for it: Vito’s certifications speak for themselves. He is simultaneously a journeyman plumber and carpenter, certified by the EPA for HVAC, certified for Wisconsin home inspection and has been trained in the OSHA 40-hour HAZWOPER course for health and safety topics for hazardous waste. In short, he can do it all, but he’d rather help teach others to do it, too. He loves “passing on…knowledge to our very young fleet. Watching them mature and gain confidence is what I love about my job.”
When asked for his favorite memory here, our employee spotlight recipient had a great answer. “The small group of men I started with committed to being Abt lifers. We have all given each other so much help over the years no matter where we are now within the company.”
A New Way To Train
Our executive trainer has revolutionized the training process at Abt and his hard work has paid off. Our program is nationally recognized, with new team members quickly and thoroughly learning “The Abt Way.” Vito and his other trainers make sure that new employees not only know the proper ways to deliver and install, but how to put the customer first every time. It’s one of the reasons why this Employee Spotlight honoree also won Employee of the Year in 2021.
When we spoke to him, we were able to see just how supportive Vito is to his team. We went to meet him in our new training kitchens. These are faux kitchens designed for new installers to play with. Here, they train the proper way to handle routines and emergencies that can occur when installing new appliances. A practice woodshop and HVAC section exist here as well, and Vito helps new hires learn their way through all of it. He wants these workers to be experts in their field and help them to gain skills for life.
“I truly believe we have built the perfect environment here at Abt to reintroduce the trades to a new generation of young adults who want a college alternative, but still offer same lifestyle possibilities “
The Abt Way
He was excited to give us a peek behind the curtain at our new on-site training facility, and every now and then, his phone rang. When problems arise out in the field, Vito is happy to talk with his installers and help them through a bind. He truly practices what he preaches.
Vito is always guiding new employees to learn on their own and to be the best versions of themselves. It’s that attitude that our Employee Spotlight fosters in everyone who reports to him and that he trains. If you notice some extra professionalism and expert-level care from your delivery and installers the next time you order an appliance, you have Vito (and of course, your actual Abt installer) to thank!
When asked what he loved to do outside of work, Vito mentioned his passions for “cooking, farm animals, gardening, soccer, and really good concerts.”
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