Universal Metro, Inc. promotes Sheila Kennedy to President and Scott Arendt to Vice President.
Santa Fe Springs, CA, October 12, 2023 â CEO Dave Triepke has named Sheila Kennedy President of Universal Metro, Inc. (UMI) and Scott Arendt Vice President. âThe promotions will help UMI focus on bigger target initiatives and goalsâ, according to Triepke.
Kennedy joined UMI in January 2016 as a Project Engineer and has served as Director of Operations since January 2018. As Director of Operations, sheâs overseen the companyâs daily business functions and has been responsible for scaling capabilities as it has grown.
Prior to Universal Metro, Sheila worked at Zickel Flooring in Missouri, where she performed roles on their Accounting, Estimating, and Project Management teams throughout her tenure.
Arendt arrived at UMI in November 2016 as the Director of Sales and Business Development. Since joining, heâs established himself as a trusted partner for vendors and sophisticated buyers and has built a robust network that provides business development opportunities on both regional and national levels.
Prior to UMI, Scott worked as a Senior Executive in Sales and Marketing for Mr. Davidâs Flooring International (now Diverzify) in Illinois for over 12 years.
Universal Metro 2023 Video
Take a look at Universal Metro’s 2023 Video!
Eco-Grip Training and Education
Eco-grip is an excellent source of commercial flooring in the food service, healthcare, and health & wellness segments. It is on its way to becoming the new industry standard because of its reliability and performance. As we move toward a more environmentally friendly society, itâs important to use the resources available to us. Eco-Grip is made of 98% recycled material, is extremely durable and easy to maintain.
Despite its seamless installation, itâs imperative to have an approved installer at your job site to dodge avoidable mistakes. Over the years, at Universal Metro weâve invested in the training and education of our labor team in order to prepare for the constant changes in our industry. This year we hosted two training events where almost two dozen of our installers earned their qualifications to install Eco-Grip.
You can now reach out to our team with inquiries at (562) 906-8484.





UMI voted one of the âBest Place to Workâ in 2024
Upon receiving this award, we recognize that the work we do is impactful on both a business and personal level. As we continue building a work environment that nurtures career development, we also promote a work-life balance and support the personal endeavors of our employees. Being a “trusted advisor” is a core value that encompasses the halls of our office and extends beyond our doors.
As we are near the end of another fruitful year, we are thrilled to announce that Universal Metro, Inc. was voted one of the Best Places to Work in 2024 by the Los Angeles Business Journal for the third year in a row! We are very grateful to be among the top 10 “Best Small Companies” in LA County and look forward to what the future holds for us at UMI.
With this in mind, we thank all our team for their hard work and dedication. The process of getting nominated begins with an anonymous survey of our employeesâ experience at our company, and the results are the impact the work culture has on our employees. We are extremely honored to share a workspace with link-minded individuals who are âideal team players.â
https://labusinessjournal.com/business-journal-events/event-recaps/bptw2024recap/
Labor Party
This year we celebrated our 25th Annual Labor Appreciation Party, where we recognized our installers for their hard work all year round. As everyone came together and enjoyed good food, we also got the chance to raffle special prizes by partnering with our vendors. We are very thankful to everyone who participated in the event!
#universalmetro #lasmallbusiness #laborappreciation



UMI Staff come together to support Back-to-School supplies program for the City of Santa Fe Springs
At Universal Metro, we believe that success starts with a good education and a strong community. In recent years, our staff started the tradition of supporting our local community by participating in the donation programs set up by the Gus Velasco Neighborhood Center in the City of Santa Fe Springs. The social service programs are meant to provide the essential items that families need to thrive in school and in work.
There is a world of opportunities that opens when you step into a room with all the tools you need to learn; and with one of our core values being an “ideal team player”, at Universal Metro, we understand the value of having a supportive team and are always glad to show support when it matters most.


Universal Metro Bolsters Large Scale Polishing Capabilities with Ride On Grinder
UMI staff rallies to support Back-to-School supplies program for the City of Santa Fe Springs
Just in time for this school year, the UMI team in Santa Fe Springs came together to donate some much needed school supplies to the community.
Senior Project Coordinator, Barbara Millette, helped rally our staff members making this, âa whole company effort.â
After a huge response from our team, we collected around 8 boxes of school supplies! Luis, our Warehouse Lead, helped bring them to the drop-off center.
âWhen we walked in with 2 dollies full and still had to go back for another load. Everyone did a double take and they were so grateful for our contribution,” said Millette.
The city and Mayor of Santa Fe Springs thanked us for donating to Department of Services/Family and Human Services Divisionâs annual Back to School Backpack program.
We are happy to support our staffâs commitment to give back, partnering with several great charities and organizations that enrich the communities where we live and work.


25th Annual Labor Appreciation Party
Friday afternoon we celebrated crews with our 25th Annual Labor Appreciation Party. Our employees got together for some tacos and raffle prizes, along side a celebration for our company’s 40th anniversary. Thank you to everyone who came. #universalmetro #lasmallbusiness #laborappreciation




