After spending 10 years working on the owner's side, Scott Lemoine has an improved understanding and knowledge of what a customer is looking for from a contractor. He now serves as vice president of strategic relationships for Universal Plant Services. BIC Magazine recently sat down with Lemoine to learn more about his new role and the importance of constructing and developing strong, successful relationships.
Q: What led to your position at Universal Plant Services?
A: Early in my career, I set some goals that I wanted to achieve. One of my goals was to be on the owner's side of the business and learn what the owners want and need from their service providers. I thought having 10 years of the owner's perspective would give me the edge I needed to help a service provider be the best at the services it offers.
Q: What is the most important part of your position?
A: The most important part of my position is to build and grow strong, successful relationships with strategic clients. This is an important part of the business because, when you have a strong relationship with the customer, you tend to have more trust with that customer. When customers respect your experience and advice, they are more likely to value your contributions. This means there is a greater chance your customers become long-term partners.
My prior experience on the owner's side of the business with LyondellBasell's Houston refinery will allow me to find common experiences with others. Sometimes to build the relationships at the executive levels, it takes finding the common experiences and bringing them up in conversations with the client.
Q: What are your goals for your position?
A: One of my goals in this position is to ultimately help grow the company by supporting our teams in the field. At Universal Plant Services, we take a lot of pride in our people. As a matter of fact, our leadership style as a company is "servant leadership." This means we support our craftsmen to the point where we give them all the tools and training they need to be successful at the clients' facilities.
Q: What is your favorite quote?
A: "The best thing about the future is that it comes only one day at a time." -- Abraham Lincoln.
I like this quote because that is how I approach things. Sometimes we can easily get overwhelmed with our busy lives and think about everything that needs to be completed. It helps me to put the future into perspective and try to just focus on the things that are under my control.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: I think the work/home life balance is one of the most important functions in any career, and it is also one of the hardest things to do. Living in an age where we can do almost anything on our smart phone makes it easier. But in turn, it also keeps us connected to our career. This makes it even more difficult to separate work from home life. It is a proven fact that everyone at some point will bring work home, because that is just the nature of our industry. If you think about it, the facilities run 24/7, and when you are in the service business, you will get called. Maintaining the proper work/home life balance takes a commitment that we have to practice often.
For more information, visit www.univer salplant.com or call (281) 694-6122.
