A Journey from England to the U.S. with Kevin Warburton
Twenty-two years ago, Kevin Warburton joined City Electrical Factors in England. He was born and raised in Southampton, England and his family moved to Birmingham when Kevin graduated high school – He was 16 years old.
While living in Birmingham, his neighbor was the branch manager of City Electrical Factors (CEF) in Redditch at the time. It was then when Kevin got his start at the Redditch branch, in 1996.
“I started in the warehouse, moving product, checking inventory, labeling products, and also handled counter sales,” Kevin said, who is now Stores Manager for CES Gaffney, in South Carolina.
“I moved to an inside sales position where I handled quotes, helping customers, and invoicing,” he added.
Kevin steadily worked his way up to become Store Manager but before it happened though, he met someone who would influence him to move to the United States. In 1997, he met a young lady named Kelly, from Blacksburg, South Carolina.
They dated long distance for a couple of years and technology back then only allowed them to speak over the phone. Unfortunately, they would not see each other too frequently. Kevin would vacation with her to Myrtle Beach, SC., but when the time would come when he had to fly back to England, it was always very difficult to leave Kelly behind.
In 1999, Kevin was getting ready to transition to Stores Manager for the CEF Coventry location but that was when he was already thinking about moving to the US to be with Kelly.
“It was either she would move to England or I would move to the states,” Kevin said. “I had to tell my bosses that I had intentions to move to the US and asked them if I could keep my job.”
So, when the time came in 1999, Kevin packed up his bags and moved a world away to America, to be with Kelly – who is now his wife. They’ve been blessed with two children – a boy and a girl. Cannon is 12 and Abbie is 8.
During his transition to the US, Kevin started in counter sales for CES Roebuck, in South Carolina which is now the CES Spartanburg location.
He’s always had a passion for his job at CES. “I love seeing the customers every day and I enjoy coming to work,” Kevin said.
The same positive mentality, hard work and great attitude for his job, led Kevin to become a Stores Manager for CES Gaffney, SC in 2013. He’s got aspirations to grow from his current position to eventually become a branch manager and continue moving forward with the company.
When a customer has a need, Kevin ensures to be ready with the right order. “It’s important to me to go above and beyond to make sure a customer gets what they need. A lot of times, especially at this branch, if a customer needs something and it’s Sunday, we make sure to provide them what they need,” he said. “It’s part of CES to go out of our way and provide that, which is also why I enjoy my job.”
He said he’s learned a great deal while working at CES and would love to continue his passion to learn and grow with the company.
“CES has always been my home. The best part about this company is that you can move up the ladder,” Kevin said.
We are proud for him to be part of the growing CES family and wish him success in the future. Keep up the hard work, Kevin!