Jason Wilburn, vice president of the Industrial Services Division at Conco Services Corp., has helped double the division in size and revenue. However, he attributes his success to the people he works with and surrounds himself with. BIC Magazine recently sat down with Wilburn to learn more about how Conco’s growth isn’t compromising its integrity and how to rethink the work/home life balance.
Q: What led to your position at Conco?
A: I started at Conco about 10 years ago. My first role was as manager of the nondestructive group. Every couple of years new opportunities presented themselves, and I became the vice president of the industrial market about four years ago. Every few years I continue to add some responsibilities and more roles at the company.
Q: What are your goals for your position?
A: My No. 1 goal is to create an environment where people we hire can thrive, learn and be productive. My goal is also to preserve and expand on the culture and values Conco is built upon; we’re a family-run business. Conco has been owned by the same family for over 50 years, and we want to maintain that family culture and those values as we grow the business. And a key piece of my job is to make sure we maintain everything good about Conco as we get bigger.
Q: What is the biggest news at Conco right now?
A: Right now we’re really focused on improving our messaging and our geographical reach. We’ve recently opened an office in Gonzales, Louisiana, and we’re concentrating on our customers in the Gulf Coast. We’re also focused on industry awareness to make sure people in the industry understand there are options out there for cleaning heat exchangers using low-pressure water as opposed to high-pressure water. It’s safer, faster and more environmentally friendly.
Other big news is how the industrial division has doubled in size and revenue since I took the role. When I first took over the division, we decided we would be devoted to creating happy customers. For every opportunity my team had, we asked ourselves this question: Is that the best opportunity for happy customers? I told them to concentrate on the positive, on what we do well.
Q: How do you maintain a good work/home life balance?
A: I don’t really think about balance too much, because it implies work and home life are really at odds with each other or that one is good and one is bad. My family makes me obviously fulfilled and happy in certain ways, and in different ways work is fulfilling and enjoyable. Therefore, ideally life is perfect when work and home are both fulfilling and they reinforce each other. When I work in a positive, encouraging environment, it’s easier for me to go home and be a positive and loving husband. One of the habits I do have is when I’m not traveling I make sure I’m home for dinner every night.
Q: What should a person know who picks a similar career?
A: It’s all about the people you surround yourself with. I’ve worked in petrochemical, power, steel, heavy manufacturing, and a wide range of software companies. In every case, the technologies and the products were secondary, and the people were what made it an enjoyable experience. It took me some time to really figure it out.
For about the first 10 years of my career, I wanted to do cool things. Throughout the most recent 10 years of my career, I’ve focused on working with cool people. Once I got it straight and understood the people were most important, my career really took off. If you focus on how you can help the people around you more than how you can help yourself, then your career takes care of itself. It was a life-changing mental shift for me.
For more information, visit www.conco.net or call (800) 569-5523.
