A Quick Chat with Our Cityzen: Adrian Lee
Meet CES Anderson in South Carolina Branch Manager Adrian Lee. You may recognize Adrian from his rap performance on stage at the North American Managers Conference in 2016! District Manager Don Corbett said, “Adrian has overseen a profound turnaround in the success of the branch. He’s assembled and trained a young crew.” His enthusiasm and positive attitude are contagious and help make CES a great company!
For the month of December, we had a chat with Adrian for his outstanding customer service and dedication. It is our pleasure to highlight Adrian and everything he does to make CES great!
CES: How long have you worked with CES?
Adrian: It will be eight years in February of 2018.
CES: What is your position now and where did you start in the company?
Adrian: I am a branch manager and I started as the branch manager. I have about 22 years of experience in distribution.
CES: What’s been your biggest accomplishment/most proud moment while at CES?
Adrian: Really there are two. Two of my employees are now branch managers. It means a lot to me to see the opportunities that employees have at CES, and to know that two branch managers came out of my branch. It means we are doing something right as a company. You have to have the opportunities to succeed and you don’t see that with our competition. The opportunities are definitely there for an employee that really wants a career, wants to prove themselves, and work hard.
Before working for CES, I had a lot of experience in low voltage voice and data, selling fiber, cat 5 and 6 cable. When I first took the branch over in 2010, I spent a year getting my feet under me and then started reaching out to Ortronics so we could branch out into the voice and data market. After almost eight years, my district manager Don Corbett, my regional manager Robert Haney, Vice President Jim Lawson and I all flew to Dallas and met with Ortronics and Superior Essex.
Now the whole company is set up with Ortronics and Superior Essex voice and data products. It has opened up a whole new market not just to my group or area, but the whole country. That to me is a really big accomplishment. I could not have done it without Jim Lawson, Robert Haney, and Don Corbett.
CES: What’s your favorite thing about working for this company?
Adrian: Opportunity by far. The opportunity to service our customers the way we need from a market point of view and autonomy to stock what we need to service our community. The opportunity to see your hard work payoff is why I love CES so much. It is a land of opportunity!
CES: Where do you see yourself in 10 years?
Adrian: My goal is to be a group manager. I look forward to that opportunity!
CES: What is one unique thing you do at work every day?
Adrian: The mindset to be successful. Coaching the younger guys to be successful. Once you get the mindset and the culture right in your branch, that is when you succeed. It’s exciting to see some of these younger guys come on board and get excited to learn and grow. I love people and I love that aspect of being a branch manager.
Thank you for everything you do for CES, Adrian!
