Reid Shorter, 30
Regional Vice President
Schell Martin
Reid joined the industry eight years ago. “During my senior year of college, I accepted an internship with Schell Company as the Klein Tools salesman for their territory,” he recalled. “After graduating I spent two years with Schell Company and six years with Schell Martin as part of the JD Martin umbrella. I served in an inside sales role for two years and in outside sales covering New Orleans and the Mississippi Gulf Coast for four-and-a-half years. I’ve been regional vice president for Schell Martin since October 2022.”
Asked what attracts him to the industry, Reid pointed to the day-to-day interaction with contractors, distributors, and manufacturers. “That remains very fulfilling,” he said. “We are fortunate to have many great people in our network. Helping them solve problems, write orders, win contracts, etc., is very appealing to me.”
Reid pointed to the labor shortage when asked about a hurdle the industry is currently facing. “This is twofold to me for our industry: the sales side and the contractor side of the business,” he explained. “For the sales side, I continue to recruit and pursue new talent from outside our industry to fill open sales roles at Schell Martin as well as within the distributor channel. On the contractor side, we focus heavily on our manufacturers’ solutions that drive field efficiency and labor savings to combat the labor woes that all contractors face today.”
As for his career goals, Reid said, “I am fortunate to work for such a great company, JD Martin. My focus is on continued sales growth for our manufacturers Schell Martin represents in Louisiana and Mississippi while continuing to develop and lead our great team.”
What would Reid tell someone just entering the industry? “Put in the effort to learn the business from entry level up,” he said. “This is a great industry with tremendous opportunity. We are going to continue to see an emphasis on electrification over the years to come.”
When he’s not working, Reid can be found spending time with his wife and three children and playing golf, “though my handicap doesn’t suggest it,” he said with a laugh.
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 2025 program. Questions can be sent to tED Editor Misty Byers at mbyers@naed.org.
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