Our Director of Marketing, Adam Acosta, sat down with Terry Terhune at the Southern California Service center to get to know Terry and learn more about his career at Boston Retail Solutions.
Tell me a little about yourself.
I play a lot of sports, like soft ball. I love spending time with my 4 kids, watching their sporting events. Something you may not know about me is that I love to draw photo realistic portraits. My whole family is artistic. My mom can draw amazing portraits upside down so you can see what the picture will look like as she draws your portrait. It’s really incredible.
What was your first job?
Construction. I started with my uncle when I was 12 years old. He tought me the ropes. Me and all of my cousins started working for my uncle helping him out.
What’s something your proud of?
My wife and kids, they’re excellent. We’ve been married for 17 years.
What motivates you?
Providing for my family is my biggest motivation. You don’t need a thank you, you just do your job and put food on the table. That’s why I get up in the morning and do what I do every day.
Is there a skill that you are working on?
Computers…specifically Excel, I really want to step up my spreadsheet skills. Mike Kelleher is an excel wizard, he’s taught me some stuff over the years.
How would your friends describe you?
They’d probably bust my chops. But seriously they’d say I’m always there, always side by side by them in good times and in bad. I’m supportive and loyal. Always willing to step in and help them out, and share the sweat.
So what do you do here at BRS? What does a typical day look like?
We organize the shop. We get the field installers prepared for the nights work ahead. I will review the jobs ahead of time, as a second set of eyes to double check and see if there’s any potential issues that the team may encounter. I’ll check out the graphics for the job, because if it’s a graphic band we want to make sure the panels are nice and white so they look good in the field. Once the jobs are all set, we’ll work on projects like reskinning panels, custom platforms. I’ll also go out into the field and perform site surveys and even help in the night on installations if needed. It changes week to week, based on demand.
We like to look a few weeks ahead and see if there are any special barricade installations coming up and we’ll get that material ready. If it’s a rolling barricade, we’ll set it up and make everything looks good.
What would you say is your biggest accomplishment here at BRS?
Definitely bringing these guys up over the years. Seeing installers become leads is really rewarding. Especially with graphics, a lot of new installers are hesitant to learn graphics but I love teaching them and showing them that it’s possible. Once they are at a level where they are confident enough to go out on their own, that really makes me proud.
Is there anything that makes you proud about our company?
It’s always a challenge, it’s new every day. I love it when we hit our numbers. To strive to be the best performing service center in the country.
Do you have a favorite project?
There are so many. Two that stand out are Dior in Scottsdale, 36’ high, it was a beautiful project. I’m really proud of the work we did at Hollywood & Highlands we put up over 500’ of barricade in one night. It’s always awesome to see the team come together and push hard together to accomplish our mission.
What do you think your expertise is at our company?
I’m a skilled finish carpenter, and I work hard. When there are new situations where we need to make something it’s easy for me to visualize the solution, sketch it out and make it happen. I can just see the solution easily in my head.
I wonder if that’s something to do with your ability to draw?
Maybe…when I draw my portraits I am very methodical with my approach. I like to map it out. But yes, you definitely need to be able to see the finished product in your mind before you can make it.
What are some things you’ve learned from this company?
I got a lot of one-on-one time with Bob Putnam and Mike Kelleher over the years. That really helped me better understand what’s expected and how to achieve it. They taught me so much that helps me today as I continue to grow with the company. They set the bar high, and it helps me to strive to exceed it.
What do you enjoy the most about BRS?
The comradery for sure, with the office and the guys in the back. The girls in the front office are outstanding, I really appreciate our comradery, and I love the personality and positivity they bring to the office every day.
What’s the most challenging component of working here?
Change. We are constantly growing and adapting and it can be hard for some people. I like it, I like growing and improving. It’s really hard when you see team members that you’ve invested a lot of time and effort into that don’t work out.
What’s the most rewarding part?
I love to see our guys shine. Seeing guys that I’ve hired that have become outstanding employees that everyone wants to work with and they’re doing great work, that’s really awesome.