John Ashworth is an avid road biker who is always trying to get better. Ashworth serves as senior vice president — business development & marketing for Hi-Tech Testing Service Inc. He also is constantly pushing himself to be the best he can be in his current role. BIC Magazine recently visited with Ashworth to learn more about what motivates him, the importance of connecting with people, and the expansion and diversification of Hi-Tech’s business.
Q: What led to your position at Hi-Tech?
A: I was especially fortunate in the early years of my career to have some great mentors. Along the way I was also able to serve in key operation, service and product development, sales and marketing efforts, and business development roles. It has also been especially gratifying to have integrated a number of acquisitions over the years in a key leadership role. One of the primary reasons I am in my position now at Hi-Tech is to utilize this broad spectrum of experience in shaping and growing our organization including our parent company, Professional Service Industries.
Q: What is the biggest news at Hi-Tech right now?
A: We are in an aggressive expansion and diversification of our business in both the mechanical integrity and advanced inspection space. We have always been a recognizable force as a high quality and capable provider in the conventional inspection space. We are going down this same road of excellence in achieving solid growth in maintaining a safe environment and protecting infrastructure assets through our advanced and mechanical integrity capabilities. We also are growing our footprint with over 100 locations in the U.S.
Q: What keeps you motivated?
A: The single thing that keeps me motivated is getting better and helping others to be better. Getting better is a function of learning and changing along the way based on an ever-changing environment. I have always lived a performance-based life as this is the centerpiece of the athletic world in measuring how you are doing and always striving to be better. My motivation also centers on people, coaching and mentoring those around me to help them to be better equipped. I am always motivated by the fact I can always be better.
Q: What’s the most important thing a person should know before taking a career path similar to yours?
A: First, it would be to learn everything you can about the various facets of running a successful business. There are a number of important elements in being a senior manager and having knowledge in one or two areas won’t likely equip you to be an executive. The single most important thing is knowing the people in the organization. At the end of the day, knowing and connecting with the people is the most important element of successful management and leadership. What we do as leaders is always about people and the effect it has on all our lives.
Q: What is a fun fact about you most people might not know?
A: I grew up in a strong athletic-based environment in which I played hockey at a high level among other sports. Over the years I have participated in a number of competitive ventures, yet none more rewarding than road biking. Taking off and riding a long distance really tells you a lot about yourself and your ability to continually get better. It also shows you the fact we as people are always capable of doing more and being better even when it is hard. Pressing ourselves to the limit always makes us better.
For more information, visit www.hitechtesting.com or call (281) 998-0999.
