Uncover what happens when a leader completely flips the corporate hierarchy to focus entirely on the people loading the trucks and running the welding lines. Robert Griggs, Founder and Chairman of Trinity Products, joins the conversation to reveal how he scaled a business from nothing into a massive manufacturing leader. He dives deep into the ultimate power of financial transparency, the critical role of taking calculated risks, and how a devastating early-career betrayal shaped his unbreakable commitment to radical honesty and corporate integrity. If you want to learn how going the extra mile for your workforce can automatically transform your customer satisfaction and take the pressure off your shoulders, this episode provides the definitive roadmap.
Episode 389: Radically Honest Leadership with Robert Griggs
Bio: A lifelong Missourian, Robert is a 1977 graduate of the University of Missouri–Columbia, where he earned a degree in Agricultural Economics. In 1979, he co-founded Trinity Products with two partners and went on to acquire full ownership of the company in 1993.
Robert and his wife, Shelly, reside in St. Charles, Missouri. Their two sons are also graduates of the University of Missouri–Columbia. A.J. serves as Vice President of Sales and Operations for Trinity’s Pipe & Fabrication Division, while his son Bo is a part owner, founder, and President of National Flatbed Solutions, a freight-logistics company founded in 2018 that now generates more than $20 million in annual revenue. Robert is also proud of his daughters-in-law, Jill and Amanda, and cherishes time with his six grandchildren: Parker, Avery, Roman, Malcolm, and twins Brooks and Harrison.
Throughout his career, Robert has been deeply engaged in industry leadership. He has served as both President and Treasurer of the National Association of Steel Pipe Distributors (NASPD), an international organization representing more than 300 steel distributors. He is also actively involved with the Committee on Pipe & Tube Imports (CPTI), which works with Congress on pipe and steel-related trade issues.
Robert has dedicated his entire professional life to the steel and fabrication industry. Under his leadership, Trinity Products grew from a small fabrication shop with $2.2 million in annual sales in 1993 to a national leader in structural pipe manufacturing, surpassing $300 million in sales by 2023.
In 2023, Robert authored Foundational Leadership, a book chronicling his journey from growing up in Charleston, Missouri, through his education at Mizzou, and ultimately to building Trinity into one of America’s premier structural pipe manufacturers.
A passionate supporter of the University of Missouri, Robert has remained actively involved across campus and helped establish the Griggs Innovator Nexus (GIN), an initiative dedicated to supporting and empowering young entrepreneurs throughout the university.
In 2021, Robert transitioned Trinity Products to an Employee Stock Ownership Plan (ESOP), ensuring the company’s future while rewarding the employees whose dedication and hard work helped build Trinity into what it is today.
His induction into the Missouri Manufacturing Hall of Fame represents a crowning achievement in a long and distinguished career, honoring a lifetime of leadership, innovation, and commitment to manufacturing excellence.
A true son of Missouri.
Something Extra: “We went the extra mile…and do good things for people.”
