Tyler Eckhart, 29
Operations Manager
United Electric Supply
Tyler’s started full-time at United Electric in 2014 when he was hired as a warehouse associate, but that wasn’t his first job at the company. “I worked there the summer of 2010 as a part-time picker,” he recalled. “In 2014 I was leaving my job. I applied at several different locations, but the opportunity for growth at United really appealed to me.”
About four months after accepting the warehouse associate position Tyler was promoted to counter sales. “I did that for just shy of two years, and then I applied for and got the job of warehouse supervisor,” he recalled. A few years later he moved to inside sales, then to assistant branch manager, and then, in September of 2020, to his current position. “It’s challenging at times, being the middleman in an operation,” he explained. “But I like it because it offers a lot of opportunity for problem solving and every day is different.”
Asked about a challenge the industry is currently facing, Tyler pointed to the staffing problem. “It’s not just this industry, but the working world as a whole is suffering,” he said. For his part, “I strive to have good rapport with my team and morale is one of my top focuses for any department that I’m working in,” he said. “I like to get them involved in problem solving and I genuinely care about their well-being. We succeed together. Getting all my team members involved with projects keeps them engaged, passionate, and wanting to stay with the company.”
As for his career goals, Tyler said “I’m very passionate about logistics and RDCs and things like that, so I would like to do something at a district level, district RDC manager,” he said, adding that he is preparing by “trying to get much exposure as I can to our industry—from projects for logistics, warehousing, etc.; just trying to get to know the people and the processes.”
And what would Tyler tell someone just entering the industry? “Get ready for a very fast-paced environment that’s changing every day,” he said. “Yesterday will never be the same as today.”
When he’s not working, Tyler focuses on two passions: “I took up guitar about two years ago,” he said. “I was always going home and watching TV and I wanted to change the script a little bit and challenge myself to something that will see results—and I’m seeing I’m getting better and better at it. I feel a sense of reward every time. I also like to cooking and trying to create complex dishes.”
Each year tED magazine recognizes 30 of the industry’s best and brightest under the age of 35. Please visit tedmag.com/30Under35 for nomination information and updates about the 2021 program. Questions can be sent to tED Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org.
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