Alexi
Cortz
Icon Of Industry
Introduction
When a man has the means to shop widely, his choice of clothier becomes an interesting question.
Alexi Cortez, known here as Lex, is the Founder and President of Diverse Technology Industrial. DTI works in industrial and commercial flooring, including epoxy systems, protective coatings, and concrete polishing. Beyond DTI, Gary Henricks describes Lex as a man with interests in several businesses and an aircraft of his own.
At Henricks, however, the relationship is expressed through something more personal: a complete wardrobe.
Lex’s purchases encompass trousers, shirts, shoes, suits, and jackets. Gary points to the customization and the fit as the parts of the experience Lex particularly enjoys. It is a relationship that extends across the wardrobe, rather than a single purchase for a single occasion.
The conversation proposed below explores the man behind those decisions, what quality means to him, and why Henricks has become part of his personal style.
Introduction
The man behind the businesses
HENRICKS: Lex, before we get to the businesses or the clothes, what should someone meeting you understand about you
LEX: I would want them to get to know the person before making assumptions from the business title. A title can tell you what someone does. It cannot tell you what they care about or what they are like to work with. Those things take a conversation. That is where I would want to begin.
HENRICKS: What does being the founder of DTI mean to you beyond the title?
LEX — proposed response: It means being involved in something that has to deliver a real result. Our work has a practical purpose. The finished floor has to serve the environment it is installed in. There are materials, preparation, and execution to consider. The name of the company matters, but the work is what gives that name meaning.
HENRICKS: Your industry asks a finished product to perform. How do you think about the difference between something that looks good and something that is well made? LEX — proposed response: Appearance is part of it, but I would want to understand how something will be used. Something can photograph beautifully and still be wrong for the job. I think the better question is whether it does what you need it to do. That can apply to a working space, a product, or clothing. You have to look beyond the first impression.