Meet Jarrett Proctor from Tennsco

Welcome to the “Material Handling Helpful Tools Series”. This series will blog spotlight many different material handling professionals and provide helpful information for the material handling industry. Our goal is to introduce you to individuals and websites that can improve your success in the industry. Today, we will meet Jarrett Proctor from Tennsco.

Tell us a little about yourself:
I’m a car guy!  Aside from family, my interests outside of work revolve around older muscle cars, particularly of the GM variety. I own a ’66 Chevelle and a ’68 El Camino, both of which are “projects.”  Included is a photo of my father’s ’55 Chevy, taken by a pro photographer at the Goodguys Nashville Nationals in 2013, as well as a photo of one of my long-term projects. We both have been enthusiasts our entire lives and regularly attend events throughout the year. I also have an “entrepreneurial itch that needs to be scratched.” I’m anxious to see where that leads in the coming months.

What is your role in the organization?
I serve as the Industrial Sales Manager for Tennsco.  In my role I manage and actively pursue primarily industrial / material handling accounts.  Our distributors range from local material handling dealers to international catalog houses and e-commerce marketplaces.  I also promote our products via the office products and school furniture sectors.

How did your career path land you in this role?
I landed at Tennsco as an engineer while studying for my degree. It was initially only intended to be temporary.  I stayed in that role for 8 years until jumping ship to sales 4 years ago.  As I worked closely with many of our distributors on projects and providing technical support, I developed valuable relationships. So, it was a natural transition over to sales when the opportunity presented itself.

What is the most exciting aspect of your job?
Helping our clients solve storage problems.  When the manufacturer, distributor, and end user brainstorm and it finally “clicks”, it is an exciting feeling, and assures us that we’ve done our job.

What makes you (or your business) unique and sets you apart from the rest of the industry?
Tennsco is unique in that we have a very well-diversified portfolio of storage product offerings.  No one offers the same mix of products that we do. We’re very proud of the fact that all of our products are made right here in Dickson, Tennessee. Our ownership is extremely manufacturing-savvy and self-motivated to stay on top of the latest trends in technology, which allows us to continue to manufacture domestically. These attributes position us in the marketplace to provide very high-quality products at affordable prices.

What are the biggest changes you see in the industry in the future?
I speculate that one of the biggest changes in our industry will be how end users acquire our products. It is now easier than ever to order a shelving unit or storage cabinet by tapping a button on your smart phone.  Many distributors have adapted by facilitating e-commerce procurement on their own websites, or by developing apps. As a manufacturer, we have certainly had to stay on top of our game to react to these changes, and will be required to do so if we are to survive.

What is one tip or bit of advice that you can leave with our readers?
Keep your eyes and ears open for other sales opportunities when in the field. With regards to non-pallet rack storage products and Material Handling distributors, oftentimes there are opportunities for storage cabinets, workbenches, etc. that you may not be aware of.  Warehouses need Foreman’s Desks, maintenance areas need workbenches, and the front office may need file storage solutions.  The same approach can be applied to other genres of Material Handling as well.  Set yourself apart from the competition and become more of a one-stop shop to your clients.