The electrical industry provides a variety of opportunities to those eager to learn, work hard and lead. City Electric Supply (CES) https://www.cityelectricsupply.com/aboutus Chandler Outside Sales Rep Scott Evans is a perfect example of an individual who did exactly that. Evans landed his first opportunity in the electrical industry at the age of 15, but his journey to finding that career path began at an even earlier age. At only 10 years old, Evans began working with a sponsor in his community. He went door to door selling newspaper subscriptions.
“If you want to learn sales quickly, try going door to door,” said Evans. “You learn a lot from getting 100 doors shut in your face.”
From there, Evans cultivated a passion for sales. At the age of 15, his step-father, John Gaspari, gave him his first opportunity in the electrical industry. Evans worked with him in the summers and every school break. He even went on to spend the next six years learning the ins and outs of the industry. That’s when something big happened — his step-father landed a job at City Electric Supply.
“He loved it there. He told me they had a lot of great opportunities,” said Evans. “Through him, I met Thomas Mackie [founder of City Electric Supply] and Dan Williams [current vice president of operations], and they decided to make me the branch manager of CES Apache Junction.”
It was an incredible milestone for the then 21-year-old, who was one of the youngest branch managers at CES at the time.
“The autonomy they gave me was a big part of my success,” said Evans. “You can hop in your car and bring people things yourself if you need to. You don’t have to run every move past somebody. CES doesn’t restrict their employees, which means they don’t have to restrict their customers, either.”
Experience and passion also played a huge role in Evans’ success. Selling newspaper subscriptions door to door taught him how to interact with customers, and the work he did with his step-father taught him how to work in the industry. After seeing success as branch manager, Evans left for a short period of time to advance his knowledge even further through electrical contracting. When eventually returned to CES as an outside sales rep, he had a lot more insight into the other side of the counter.
Evans is still in that position today, and happy to be there.
“I’ve had so many great jobs through CES,” said Evans. “I supplied wire for the new sound system for a local football team. I’ve worked on a billion-dollar development project in downtown Phoenix and four ice rinks for a big company here in Arizona. There are too many projects to list.”
According to Evans, it’s all about making connections. But the path to success came with a number of teachable moments.
“I’ve learned a lot through trial and error. No two days look alike here. I’m always trying new things and working on new projects. My advice to others is to listen to the people you work with and never give up on your dream,” said Evans.
There are a number of people Evans credits for his success, including his mother, Joanne Evans; his father, Charles Evans; his step-father, John Gaspari and his wife, Katie Evans. He also thanks his two mentors at CES, District Manager Dan Williams and former coworker John Milonivich.
“They both taught me not to hoard knowledge. Learn as much as you can, and share as much as you learn,” said Evans. “So, that’s what I try to do.”
And it seems to be working! It’s a testament to both the great opportunities in the electrical field and the passion Evans harnessed to earn them.