DSF: Tell us about yourself, your hometown, and family.
MG: I was born and raised in the Charlotte, NC area, and still reside here. I have been married for six years to my wife Andrea, and we have two children, a 4 year old son named Alex, and a 1 year old daughter names Carrie.
DSF: What made you go to UNC-Chapel Hill and what was your major while there?
MG: I knew I wanted to go into business as a career, and UNC Chapel Hill has a great business school. Also, growing up, I was a huge Tar Heel fan, and during my junior and senior years of high school, I worked hard to get the grades to go to UNC.
I studied accounting while there, and when I was a junior, I thought I wanted to go to work for one of the big firms. I was also involved in a business fraternity on campus, and had a great time during my years while there.
DSF: So what made you join the Alpha Delta chapter, and what was your experience like?
MG: As I said, I was in a business fraternity, but it wasn’t providing me with the type of social opportunities that I wanted. I joined the Fraternity because (former staff member) Bill Hooker was on campus recruiting men to re-charter the Alpha Delta Chapter of Delta Sigma Phi, and he got me and 39 others to do just that.
My experience at school was good prior to Delta Sig. It was great after I joined. Once I joined the Fraternity and saw how it was run, I fell in love with working for a small business upon graduation, instead of one of the big firms. My Dad had a small business, and I decided to help him grow that upon my graduation. I am convinced that I would not be as successful today if I went the other route that I had been planning throughout college.
DSF: Tell us about the family business – Griffin Brothers Companies – that you own.
MG: Well, as I said it was a family business that was started by my Dad back in 1961 as a tire and automotive repair business. Now, we are a four legged business. We have seven tire and automotive repair stores in the Charlotte area. We also do landfill work. We own six landfills in North and South Carolina. We own the Pine Island Country Club in Charlotte, and we also do property development and management. We currently own 300,000 sq. ft. of commercial and residential space that we rent, and are working on developing more property as we speak.
The business has seen as tremendous amount of growth over the past twenty years, going from revenue of less than $2 million to now where we have revenue of over $30 million per year. We now have 250 employees, and myself, my Dad, and my brother serve as the Board of Directors.
DSF: What are your specific roles within the company?
MG: As an owner, there isn’t much we don’t do. Myself, my brother and my Dad meet weekly to discuss where we need to go to move forward, and what issues have taken place that we need to handle as we move forward.
My specific roles include really handling the financial aspect of the business, as well as working on the landfill business. I do PR and political work to help make sure we are able to keep our landfills open, and that we’re doing the best we can be doing with them.
DSF: Your company is involved in a variety of businesses. How did you decide to diversify in these businesses as opposed to others?
MG: At the core, we are entrepreneurs, and when you see new opportunities to keep your business successful, you have to seize on those opportunities.
In 1961, my Dad started the first tire and automotive repair company, and he was able to grow a great reputation in the city. Our company has really grown with thecity of Charlotte in that we are able to take advantage of new opportunities that present themselves because of the reputation that my Dad built in the early days of the business.
DSF: What are your company’s goals for the future, as well as your own personal goals for the future?
MG: The company’s goals are to continue hiring the right people, so the business is sustained when we’re no longer able to run it. In addition, we are looking to continue to outstanding growth path that we’ve had over the last twenty years. In addition, we’re looking to expand our businesses beyond the Carolinas, with our landfill business being our top priority, our property development and management being second, and our tire and automotive repair business being the third.
My personal goals are to continue to work hard while also delegating and mentoring some of the younger employees. In addition, I want to be able to spend more time on the local and national causes that I hold dear, including Delta Sigma Phi.
DSF: What has made you stay involved in the Fraternity on a national level, since you currently serve as the Delta Sigma Phi Foundation President?
MG: Over the years, I have had an interest in helping high school and college kids through mentoring. The Fraternity really gave me the direction that I needed to fulfill my entrepreneurial need, and it is a great tool to help mentor college kids to become better leaders in the future. That’s really why I give of my time and money to support the Fraternity.
DSF: What are the Foundation’s goals, and your goals as the President?
MG: Well, the Foundation’s goals include increasing the grant that is given to the Fraternity on a yearly basis for the leadership development programs that are being done. The goals also include increasing the endowment, striving to get more alumni involved in making these first two goals a success, and working closer with ACBs to help them become more viable in terms of the way they are able to help the guys on their campuses.
My personal goal as president of the Foundation is to essentially make sure that we are able to meet the above goals, but also to just help keep Fraternities as a viable organization on campuses across the country. To do this, we need to continue withthe leadership training that we’ve developed, and continue providing opportunities for learning through guys’ Fraternity experiences.
DSF: As a successful alumnus, both personally and professionally, what advice would you give to undergraduates and other alumni to be successful?
MG: I like the old adage, “You get as much out as you put into something.” Sometimes, the benefits are not instantly seen, but much of what you learn in the Fraternity will be translatable to your work life. If you work hard, and put 100% of your heart and soul into it, that is usually a good indication of future success.
Brother Griffin has served in numerous volunteer roles within the Fraternity, including as an ACB member of his home chapter at UNC-Chapel Hill. He currently serves as the Delta Sigma Phi Foundation President, and recently hosted the Charlotte Area Alumni Association Kickoff event at his country club.
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