Zach Ray Drove a Truck, Now He’s Driving Sales
When Zach Ray started as a driver at CES Jacksonville in North Carolina, he decided that he’d be here for the next 20 years. Several promotions later, this outside sales rep is confident he made the right choice.
“Ever since I joined, there’s always been opportunities to move up. This is that next step,” Zach Ray said. “As an outside sales rep, I just don’t want to let our customers down. I’m going to make sure everyone is satisfied and that I’m taking care of whatever they need to the best of my ability.”
To hear Branch Manager Joe Gurganus talk about Zach, he’s done everything needed to grow and get to this point in his career.
“Zach started as a driver in 2014. After just a year, we promoted him to the counter,” Joe said. “He picked up part numbers, showed great organizational skills, and most of all, customers liked him. He’s only been our outside sales rep for two months, and he’s already making an impact.”
The list of things he’s done to make an impact at CES Jacksonville is not a short list. He’s always learning new parts, he has an incredible attention to detail, and he’s flat-out dedicated to his job.
Some of these are things you just can’t teach.
“It’s not just one specific thing; it’s just who he is,” Joe explained. “He’s very dependable and he’s worked his way up to where he is now. This is an exciting time for Zach and the entire team at CES Jacksonville in North Carolina. We have confidence that he’ll help us grow and become even more successful!”
Respect, Persistence, and a Whole Lot of Growth
Through his hard work and dedication, Zach has earned the respect of both his co-workers and customers — especially the customers.
“If a customer can’t work with Joe, they ask for me specifically,” Zach said. “That’s really exciting because they trust me to get their orders right. It’s motivating to have that trust from our customers.”
And Zach has already learned the most valuable lesson as an outside sales rep: persistence.
“When I introduce myself to new customers, sometimes I get laughed off,” Zach admitted. “Other times, they tell me to come and sit down. Eventually, those new customers will tell me they want to work with us, too. You just have to keep at it!”
Zach knows that it’s not just persistence that makes you a good outside sales rep. It’s also about keeping your word.
“If you tell a customer you’re going to do something, you have to find a way to get it done,” he said. “If you can’t, you call them up and tell them that. Every customer I’m dealing with has their own customer. If I don’t do what I’m going to do, then that affects their business.”
“That’s probably what I’m looking forward to the most,” Zach added. “I’m excited to rekindle some of our older accounts and build relationships with new customers. I can’t wait to help us grow even more.”
Part of the Family
It’s that sort of attitude that has Branch Manager Joe Gurganus and everyone at the branch excited to see what Zach can accomplish as he steps into this new role.
“We can’t wait to see what he can do,” Joe said. “I want him to go out and make his mark and become the outside sales rep for our customers. I just want to see him succeed, both for his family and us as a branch.”
And as a family-owned, family-first business, CES values the success and growth of every employee — especially when they have a family of their own that they’re working for.
“Every day when I come home, my kids ask me what I did at work today,” Zach said. “It really motivates me and gives me that extra push the next day. Knowing that my kids are going to want to know how my day went makes me feel fulfilled.”
Zach’s dedication to his family is just one of the many reasons we’re excited to celebrate him and his growing career. Having been with us for almost 10 years, we can’t wait to see what happens next, and Zach can’t wait, either.
“I’m excited to see what the future holds,” he said. “I started at 19; I’m 27 now. I have 30 more years of work within me, and I’m planning to stick around.”
From everyone at CES, we look forward to seeing the success Zach Ray brings to CES Jacksonville in North Carolina, and we wish him well in this next phase of his career!