Jerry Kaizer, Owner of Murray Kaizer, Inc., once had to kick John Finn out of the lab. "It was late and he said 'I'm not leaving until you leave,' but I wouldn't because I wanted to finish what I was working on," recalls Finn with a laugh. "He finally made me leave with him, but I had a key, so I went back. Now he knows he can't stop me."
Probably no one could. Since joining the lab 18 years ago, Finn fell in love with the removable field and hasn't looked back. "I sat down next to Jerry and I haven't moved since," he says. "It's like being in art class all day; who can complain about playing with wax and teeth and plaster? The more I learn, the more I want to know and not a day goes by that I don't want to come to work."
Today he manages the full denture department, plans to earn his certification in implants—his passion is high-end hybrid cases—and credits Kaizer with teaching him everything he knows. Finn is striving to mentor other technicians just as Kaizer mentored him. "Jerry never just gave me something and said 'do this.' He always explained the whys and the hows of it," he says. "If someone comes to me with a problem, I try to do the same: explain what went wrong and how to fix it. We work on it together."
Client communication
Finn has also stepped up to take on more responsibility when it comes to communicating with dentist-clients. For instance, he now inspects all incoming work and spends most mornings communicating with dentist-clients on the phone to discuss cases and potential issues—something Kaizer used to handle. "I want to handle the manufacturing end so Jerry can focus on other things—like growing the business or just having more free time," says Finn.
It's clear the respect goes both ways. "John is one of the most enthusiastic employees I've ever had, a great team leader and a phenomenal trainer," says Kaizer. "He's the hardest working guy I've ever met."
