Falcon Focus – Clare McGarrey
by: Joseph Rodriguez
For the November edition of the Wonderful World of Wiring, I sat down with the InterConnect’s Vice President Clare McGarrey to pick her brain on her experiences with the company and how the company coined its new “Why”: Connections Matter.
Clare, how did you start working with InterConnect Wiring?
InterConnect’s President, John Ashour, is my older brother. We started InterConnect together. It was his idea to start a company after he had been working for General Dynamics, which is now Lockheed Martin. I just asked to get in on the ground floor for whatever it was that he would be making. I had no idea what it was going to be. He said “Ok, sure. I’ll be President and you be Vice President.” That was my interview and I got hired immediately.
Why are you proud of InterConnect?
I am proud because, we don’t just go out and sell products to customers or different countries, but we give them the best tools for their aircraft to be able to run effectively. I’m really proud of our quality, our on-time delivery, and just the performance we provide these aircraft through our customers.
How did InterConnect choose Connections Matter as its “Why”?
In July of 2021 the management team had an off-site meeting for the day. We were trying to figure out the best “Why” for us. Why do we do what we do? We decided that we do what we do because of the connections that we have. We want to provide the best product, so that Connection Matters. The connector, back shell, and wire all must be plugged correctly for the aircraft to run. Our Connections Matter, especially to me, to our customers because I see them face-to-face. I get to be with them. I get that honor. With our Air Force, with our Army, with our Coast Guard, all the different military, whether they are in the United States or the international users. Connections Matter with our employees. That one was a big deal for why we came up with Connections Matter, because we care about all our employees. That’s why Connections Matter was like, oh my gosh, it just clicked, and we all agreed that it should be our “why”.
How does your role connect you to others?
I used to be over purchasing, so I had very close connections with all of our suppliers. Whether it be suppliers of wire, connectors, contacts, or whatever we were buying, I would talk to our suppliers every day. I still have good connections with our suppliers because they have become friends of ours. As far as customers, I get the joy of going out and visiting customers face-to-face now that we’re getting out of this pandemic. Before the pandemic I was able to see lots of our customers at different trade shows and also at face-to-face meetings where I would fly to there or they would come here and get a wonderful tour of InterConnect.
What is your favorite aircraft?
My favorite aircraft is the Thunderbird, which is the F-16. I have friends who are retired Thunderbird pilots. I really enjoy hearing their stories about the F-16 and maybe someday I will get to fly in one.
Have you flown in any military aircraft?
I’ve been able to fly in a C-130 and a KC-135: that was special. On another special occasion, I got to choose to fly in a Chinook or a Blackhawk. So, of course I picked the Blackhawk, the faster one; and it’s the one that we rewired! That’s really a cool thing as well. I have several Army friends who are pilots and get to fly the Blackhawk.
Clare McGarrey holds a Master’s in Psychology and Counseling from Stephen F Austin State University. In 2013, Clare was awarded The Great Woman of Texas by the Fort Worth Business Press. In her free time Clare likes to go to theme parks with her family. Clare is a member of the 1986 NCAA Division II National Champion softball team.
