08/13/2026
Meet Matthew Collins, our Quality Assurance Manager, and the last set of eyes on every product we ship.
Matt grew up on Long Island around his family's box manufacturing business. Machines, loud equipment, constant activity. Any chance he had to spend time with his father or uncles at work, he took it. He was curious about how everything worked, and without realizing it at the time, he was learning what quality actually means. Not just producing something, but doing it the right way and taking pride in the finished product.
His father left the deepest mark. He was the person everyone turned to when they were told something couldn't be done, and somehow he always found a way. Matt carries that forward as a personal principle: don't tell me why it can't be done, tell me how we can get it done. He has held to it everywhere he has worked, including a rigging company where he took on the loads and the moves other people had already written off as impossible.
He came to Great American eight years ago through his nephew. When he first saw what we build, he had never seen anything like it, and that curiosity is what brought him in.
Today he starts every morning inspecting the fixtures marked finished the day before. Insufficient glue on a seam, an overlooked area, a painted surface that isn't right, he is looking for all of it, even on units someone else has already cleared to ship. He checks that the equipment is running properly, talks with employees across every bay to catch problems before they reach a finished product, and oversees our water testing to make sure it is documented and done correctly.
On the water test, he is watching the sheer itself. No leaks, and a straight, consistent line where the water meets the surface. After enough failures, he says, you learn to recognize the subtle signs that something isn't right.
His philosophy is simple: "It's not a mistake if it never gets shipped."
Being the person who says no is the hard part, especially when a deadline is on the line. But Matt sees it as a chance to teach. He explains what went wrong and what to avoid next time, and he has noticed something: his team takes more pride in their work knowing he is going to scrutinize it. Ask him what he is proudest of and it isn't any single catch. It's the structure he built and the confidence his employees have to ask questions, learn from mistakes, and take ownership.
Off the clock, Matt is a family man first. Time with his wife and daughter, time with his brother and nephew, and the gym, which is where he clears his head.
In his own words: "Every waterfall we build is a hands-on piece of craftsmanship, carefully shaped, detailed, and finished with the goal of making something that feels natural and built to last."
That is Matt, and that is Great American.
Built to be trusted.
