A Good Neighbour
Walked Industries’ Shea Gordon does his bit supporting Niagara’s exciting building boom
Q: What is your job title?
I am a sales manager for the Niagara Region/West GTA at Walker Aggregates Inc. I’m responsible for aggregate and asphalt sales out of the four Walker quarries and two hot mix asphalt plants in Niagara.
Q: What is it about your job that other people wish they got to do?
I work on an excellent team, with great customers, on meaningful projects that make a difference in the community. There is nothing sexy about infrastructure projects, however the citizens of Niagara-on-the-Lake and Welland will benefit from their new wastewater treatment facilities, and every municipality in Niagara has undergone some road reconstruction which improves mobility and makes getting around more enjoyable. Material from our quarries has helped facilitate Niagara’s housing boom by supporting developments in Grimsby, Beamsville, Vineland, St. Catharines, Niagara Falls and Fort Erie. I am fortunate to be able to travel around the peninsula visiting job sites, our quarries and asphalt plants, as well as customers’ offices to ensure everything is running as it should be.
Q: Describe your typical day on the job and how your work contributes to your company.
No two days are the same, which is great. My typical duties include talking with customers, ranging from homeowners to homebuilders and road builders about their needs. Those needs can range from one truckload for landscaping to 100,000 tonnes of stone to build a new subdivision in Chippawa or road construction in Niagara Falls, a hospital in St. Catharines, a school in Vineland or a shopping mall in Niagara-on-the-Lake. Relaying sales information to my production team is critical to ensure we are always on top of demand. Walker’s commitment to the environment through the Earth 1st Program is always on my mind – making me consider how I can efficiently operate and reduce my impacts. My commitment to safety shines through in communication, team cohesion and planning. Lastly, being a good neighbour and corporate citizen gives me the pride to go about my day with my head high knowing that we are doing are part in growing our communities through education, culture and health via donations and key partnerships.
Q: How did you get interested in this work?
I saw a job posting in newspaper and applied. I had very basic knowledge of what aggregate were and no idea how they were produced. In 2010, I left the tourism industry to work as a customer service representative for Walker Aggregates. I was responsible to look after the “Specialty Product” portfolio of bunker sand, armour stone and agricultural lime, as well as all of our landscape contractors and smaller-sized excavating and paving contractors. I was recently promoted to sales manager Niagara/West GTA.
Q: What sort of education do you have that is relevant to your job?
I studied economics at Brock University for two years and received a diploma from Niagara College in sales and marketing. I would say that each institution helped prepare me for the position I am in today. I am continually learning about the products we produce, different production methods and soliciting customer feedback for continued improvement.