Editor’s note: The Fort Smith Metro Daily News Executive Summary series is focused on looking under the title, so to speak, of a business, government, and non-profit executive in the Fort Smith metro.
Mike Barr has been president of Fort Smith-based WeatherBarr Windows and Doors, a third-generation family business, since 2011. He has more than 26 years of experience in the window and door industry.
Barr is chair of the Board of Trustees for the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education, a director for the Arkansas Military Affairs Council, and a director for the Federal Reserve Bank in Little Rock.
His other contributions have included leadership roles in Fort Smith with the Fort Smith Regional Chamber of Commerce, the Mercy Hospital, the United Way, and the University of Arkansas Fort Smith.
Barr holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration and an master’s degree in business administration from the University of Arkansas in Fayetteville. He enjoys playing tennis and spending family time with his wife Greta, and his daughters, Emily and Ellie.
• What was your first job and what did it teach you?
My first job was right here at WeatherBarr. My summers were spent learning the business the hard way. I loaded trucks, built products, scrubbed floors, and many others of what I would come to discover were vital tasks to company success, even if it did not seem that way at the time. Those experiences showed that hard work does pay off and every business needs commitment at every level to achieve success.
• What is a principle or value on which you never compromise?
There is no replacement for effort. Hard work has value even if the desired outcome is not met. It is important to evaluate those outcomes and to learn from the experience. There is a tremendous amount of learning in that effort and that can be the foundation of future success.
• What’s one belief you held strongly 10+ years ago that you’ve changed your mind about?
When I was younger, I felt that I needed to work all the time. Now being in a family business does mean that there are times when priorities will not align and you must take care of those responsibilities. The important shift in my perspective was to be intentional about the choices that lie in front of us. Projects will often dictate that a certain month or quarter will be demanding. When we encounter those headwinds, it is especially important to make time for family, friends, and rest and relaxation. It will never be an ideal balance, but we need to be intentional in our choices.
• If you could change one thing about the Fort Smith metro, what would it be?
I feel like we spend an inordinate amount of time discussing our challenges. All regions have challenges and we are no different, but there are a lot of good things that are happening across our hometowns and those need sunlight. We have won more than our fair share of job announcements in recent years, to say nothing of the impact of the Arkansas Colleges of Health Education and the FMS pilot training which are doing a great deal to help our cities evolve and grow.
• What’s a lesson you’ve learned the hard way?
Conflict must be dealt with and not ignored. No one wants to look for conflict, but it is a necessary part of relationships, both personal and business. So many times, early in my career, I would procrastinate with difficult situations only to get on the other side after dealing with it and realizing it was clearly better on the other side.
• What keeps you up at night professionally?
Family business has been a wonderful experience for me. There is a bit of additional gravity because of the legacy of the first and second generations. This is our family name. We are working every day for the benefit of our customers and employees, but also the legacy of our family members that have come before us.
• What methods have you found most effective in engaging with and incorporating feedback from your community or team?
We have been purposeful about leadership development at all levels of our organization. We have done hard skill training, soft skill development through book study and coaching, and other activities. Making these activities a priority has yielded excellent results with our communication and relationships within our teams. Equipping leaders with these skills creates a flywheel for improvement and accelerates our capacity to serve our customers.
• What historical period do you find the most fascinating, and why?
I am fascinated by World War II. The commitment to winning the war was incredible. From the battlefield to the factories, the American people had to rise up with efforts rarely seen in history to protect our way of life.
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY SUBJECTS
Following are the links to previous posts in the Executive Summary series.
ArcBest Chair and CEO Judy McReynolds
Fort Smith Mayor George McGill
BHC President and CEO Marty Clark
Maryl Koeth Purvis, director of the Van Buren Advertising and Promotion Commission
University of Arkansas at Fort Smith Chancellor Dr. Terisa Riley
Fort Smith Public Library Director Jennifer Goodson
Bill Hanna, president, CEO, board chairman, Hanna Oil & Gas
Rodney Shepard, regional executive for Arvest Bank’s southwest region
Fort Smith Police Chief Danny Baker
Dr. Sandy Johnson, co-founder of Johnson Dermatology
Kyle Parker, president and CEO, Arkansas Colleges of Health Education
Melissa Curry, CEO, Methodist Village Senior Living
