Dare to Disrupt Episode 24: Windows of Opportunity: Navigating Growth with MITER Brands CEO Matt DeSoto

Be sure to come to our upcoming LIVE podcast episode recording with honeygrow CEO & founder, Justin Rosenberg!

Matt DeSoto is the President and CEO of Harrisburg-based MITER Brands, a family of leading window and door brands designed for residential projects in the new construction and remodeling markets. Under Matt’s leadership, MITER Brands has become one of North America’s largest fabricators of vinyl, aluminum, and fiberglass windows and patio doors. 

In this episode, Matt talks about his experience working for Student Painters as a student at Penn State, enduring the Great Recession of 2008, how he and his team maintain top-quality products and service, as well as how he prioritizes giving back to the communities they work in through the MITER Foundation.

At the end of the episode, current Penn State student Ryn Rizer. Ryn is a junior studying mechanical engineering. He works as a technician at OriginLabs, Invent Penn State’s newest prototyping and fabrication space in downtown State College. Ryn talks to Matt about how MITER has implemented robotics and AI to make jobs safer and production and sales more efficient.

Episode Chapters

00:00 Come to our live recording March 20

01:13 Intro

2:31 Matt DeSoto: Growing Up in Central PA

5:20 Matt’s Penn State Experience with Student Painters

9:29 The Family Window and Door Business

14:11 Impact of the Great Recession

20:13 Focus on the Environmental, Social & Governance (ESG)

24:09 Updating Branding to Connect the Team

26:39 Partnership with West Shore Home

29:52 Thinking about Supply Chain

32:53 Commitment to the Community

37:46 Impact of Robotics and Automation

40:53 Impact of AI on Manufacturing and Marketing

43:51 What is Rewarding about CEO Position

About Matt DeSoto

Matt DeSoto is the President and CEO of MITER Brands. He studied marketing at Penn State.

Download full episode transcript

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Dare to Disrupt is a podcast about Penn State alumni who are innovators, entrepreneurs and leaders, and the stories behind their success. Learn more.