John M. Marrinucci’s career took off when he graduated from the U.S. Naval Academy and was commissioned as an officer in the U.S. Navy. He qualified and served on a nuclear power fast attack submarine. The Nuclear Navy set the highest standards for his personal integrity, performance, and leadership. His began his pathway to success early in his career after he was promoted to the Operations Officer position on the U.S.S. Dallas based on excellent performance in several critical operational situations at sea. He then went on to attend Wharton Business School and has been managing companies ever since.
Elite X: A paradigm shift we must say from the sea to the land. What are the factors that have contributed to your success?
J.M.M: My mother and father instilled in us a sense of pride in challenging ourselves to use our God-given talents and make a difference in the world. Being a leader and being accountable is a way of life. I’ve always been a natural leader whether on the sports field or in a business environment. RKMC is not my first rodeo. All the experiences I have ever had have led me to this position of leadership at RK Mission Critical. I’ve found there is always a material reason for my being at particular companies I have led because of the special needs of a company or a special experience I can bring to make it successful. Sometimes the reason is only completely understood after I leave the company.
EX: It has been challenging switching careers. How have you overcome these challenges?
J.M.M: Well I believe that you learn more from the challenges than you do when things are going great. I use a term for the wrestling with and experiencing the challenges regardless of the outcome as “scars”. Each scar you get prepares you for the challenges you have ahead of you. You learn to embrace the challenge and conflict to learn and hone your business skills and decision-making.
One of the fundamental lessons I learned in my career is that a highly technical person who is one-sided in any field is only as valuable as he can relate to others and be a highly functioning member of a team. Team before self trumps all things. If you have the right people and they can gel and work as a team, they are unstoppable.
– J.M.M
EX: How is your leadership style unique from the leadership of other leaders?
J.M.M: Motivating my people comes naturally to me. I consider my employees as an extension of my family. I care about their business and their problems. Caring for people and creating an environment to grow and develop is all people need to do their best and many times exceed expectations. I’m proud of my people and I let them know that every day.
EX: What makes your company stand out from the rest of the companies?
J.M.M: RK Industries (RKI) is an innovator and leader in Construction, Manufacturing and Service utilizing the last technologies and strategies available. RK Mission Critical is a risk business focused solely on the implementation of offsite manufacturing techniques to reduce project risk and increase our customers’ competitive advantage. RK Mission Critical is a single source provider with the experience and knowledge required to conceive, design, engineer, manufacture, and integrate the right products and solutions for industries addressing challenges in a constantly evolving Mission Critical marketplace. The products and solutions are designed in collaboration with our customers utilizing our library of reference designs, built off-site and integrated into our quality-controlled manufacturing facility and then deployed and seamlessly integrated on-site.
RKMC has old fashion values prioritizing accountability, close customer relationships and a sense of urgency. Our customers become our family and we collaborate extensively with them on all levels. Our goal is to become both a trusted advisor and a partner to our customers. Our team is driven to continuously improve. Utilizing the ISO 9001 and Lean Six Sigma principles, we adhere to the highest quality standards. We are vendor and technology neutral and our attention to detail is second to none. Using our knowledge and experience with a wide range of cooling, power and manufacturing strategies, our technical solution engineers provide our customers with value-added, innovative solutions. We take on a more holistic and organic approach with our customers. We develop a relationship with our customers that encourages a partnership that will enhance both companies, while we work together to become complementary to one another. This promotes transparency, honesty and teamwork.
Today’s speed-to-market requirements and rapidly changing technologies require companies to design, build, integrate, deploy and operate more complex Mission Critical infrastructure than ever before.
– J.M.M
EX: Can you please throw light on your recent achievements?
J.M.M: The DISRUPTOR™ 2000 is a game-changer in the cryptocurrency data mining industry. RK Mission Critical has not only elevated processes and efficiencies but also the infrastructure of the modular data centres themselves. By repurposing shipping cargo containers and transforming them into high-tech cryptocurrency mining containers, RKMC has proven its resourcefulness, knowledge, and experience amongst its competitors nationwide.
In 2019, I saw the need for a safe, code-compliant and engineered solution to cryptocurrency containers that could be mass-produced and cost-efficient. I introduced the concept to my team and they ran with it. In less than two years, we developed an efficient, cost-effective and flexible product line designed to house current and future data miners through its collaboration with innovative companies in cryptocurrency, Bitcoin mining and GPU (Graphics Processing Unit) space. These collaborations helped us create our star product, the DISRUPTOR ™ 2000, which is the nation’s first 2MW container that is fully designed and built in the United States.
My plans for RK Mission Critical and its employees are continued growth and prosperity. We will continue to be an innovator and leader in the markets we serve. We will win. As for me, I’ve been blessed with opportunities to grow businesses, I hope that I will continue to be blessed with the opportunity to lead and develop high-performance teams.
– J.M.M
EX: What makes J.M.M an efficient & effective leader?
J.M.M.: I’m a hands-on leader. We have a large business with a small entrepreneurial feel to it. My day is made up of a mixture of phone calls, meetings, walking around my facilities, and helping my direct reports solve problems. Each day might be a little different and the areas of concern may also be different. I spend a lot of my time on the front end of the business getting work, talking to customers, and developing future projects or products.
As a qualified Navy Nuclear Engineer, who served in the United States Navy on a fast-attack nuclear submarine, I develop my teams to have values, much like my team on the nuclear submarine: Respect for all individuals and their input equally, well-trained, team before self, mission-focused, full transparency, work hard and play hard. I truly believe that my team is an extension of my family and my ideal team is happy, dedicated and hardworking. Each individual is familiar with their roles and responsibilities, strives for excellence and makes every effort to grow and learn. With all that said, I strive to create a safe and stress-free environment so each individual on the team is content, productive and has the opportunity for advancement and the ability to meet their personal goals. When a team is respected and encouraged to grow and succeed, they will perform at high standards and develop a competitive edge that exceeds all expectations.
I have recently made extremely challenging decisions to reduce the size of our team. With variable market factors, complicated supply chain hurdles, and client-driven work, I needed to realign our team to a core group of individuals that could focus on quality service to our clients. Layoffs always have a significant impact on the business. Morale takes a hit and folks are wary of the path forward. But I am confident this temporary reduction will help us weather the economic storms and get us back on a path to high growth, and high success.
– J.M.M
The J.M.M Five Step Rule to ASPIRING ENTREPRENEURS OR BUSINESS LEADERS:
J.M.M encourages Aspiring Entrepreneurs or Business Leaders to follow some simple rules:
– Live with honour and integrity in your personal and professional life. The two cannot be separated
– Care about and have faith in your employees and acknowledge their accomplishments
– Act justly
– Be humble
– Show compassion
The J.M.M Three Step Rule to Maintain a HEALTHY WORK-LIFE BALANCE:
– Hire the best people and delegate. It’s hard to let go.
– Set daily limits for time in the office. (My Dad calls me daily to get me out of the office)
– Don’t take work home.
We are measuring success by meeting or exceeding the financial goals we set for the Company while establishing a sustainable competitive advantage and also by creating an environment which allows all my employees to develop and reach their personal goals.
We celebrate new business by ringing a giant bronze bell in my office, but generally, I try to celebrate my people every day by engaging with them and finding opportunities for their success.
– J.M.M
