We’re excited to welcome Jeff Rog to the Induron team! Jeff will be promoting and selling Induron’s product line to engineers, owners and contractors in the Ohio and Michigan water tank and treatment markets. His passion for the industry and making a difference make him a great addition to the Induron team. To learn a little more about Jeff, check out this Q&A.
Q: Tell us about your background and how you came to work for Induron.
A: Equipped with an extensive background in the water and water tank markets in corrosion control, I regularly attended and taught classes at technical conferences and trade association meetings. Through those involvements, I met a lot of people in the water tank business, including several Induron team members. I just happened to call one of my friends, Tex Enoch, to wish him a happy New Year, and it turned out Induron was looking for a salesperson to cover the Michigan and Ohio area, where I have developed relationships with key engineering firms. We started talking, and it seemed like a good fit.
Q: What’s your favorite thing about working for Induron so far?
A: Induron is very focused on the water market, which I am very passionate about. This passion is shared at all levels of Induron. There is a true desire to deliver best-in-class products supported with superior service that can really make a difference for our customers.
Q: What’s the most challenging part about your job?
A: In Ohio and Michigan, basic brand recognition is a challenge because most people haven’t heard of Induron or tried our products. However, with challenges come opportunities. Induron has a sustained and strong track record of success, which establishes a high-degree of confidence that once they try us, they will like us.
Q: What’s your favorite part about what you do?
A: Water storage tanks and treatment plants are expensive parts of a very critical infrastructure designed to provide clean and safe drinking water to our communities. This is one of the single most important things our society depends on for health and prosperity. Becoming a trusted advisor to the owners, engineers and contractors associated with building and maintaining them properly is something I love to do. I enjoy providing products and technical solutions that protect these valuable assets and keep our drinking water safe and clean.
Q: Tell us about a project you’ve worked on that you’re especially proud of.
A: Before I got into the water market, I spent nearly ten years in Landscape Design in Dallas, Los Angeles and New York City. In Manhattan, I designed and installed roof and terrace gardens. I had a client in the East Village with a penthouse terrace who wanted a lush, true four-season garden. In my interview, the only instructions were “when I sit on my terrace, I want the city to disappear.” I competed against five other firms and my proposal was more than twice as expensive as the next highest. I went all out, with custom-built trellises and planters, over 30 varieties of trees, shrubs, grasses and wild flowers from nurseries as far away as California. I also included seeding grass in the spaces between the paving stones on the floor, so they would feel soft grass on their feet as they walked. When asked why my price was so high, I explained my vision and won the job. The result looked like a country garden in the city that had been there for years. And yes, we made sure when the owners sat down they were enveloped in greenery and color that made the city disappear. The owner was thrilled with the result, and we won a national design award for the project!
Q: Are you seeing any new trends in the protective coatings industry?
A: The trends I see are mainly continuations and evolutions of the same trends I saw a few years ago. Generally, these trends are driven by health and environmental concerns, such as reduced VOC’s, concerns over heavy metals etc. Induron responds to these challenges with exceptional coatings that perform as well or better than their predecessors. I am proud to work for an organization like Induron that strives to keep up with the changes and challenges in the market and can develop outstanding products as a result.
Q: What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?
A: I learned in church as a child to “Do unto others as you would have them do to you.”
Q: If you could have dinner with any person living or dead, who would it be and why?
A: We lost my mom a few years ago in a sudden, tragic accident. There isn’t much I wouldn’t give to talk and laugh over dinner one more time with her.
Q: What person has had the biggest influence on your life and why?
A: My parents. My dad was a very driven, hard-working person who wanted to give his family a better life. Mom was the rock that always made sure we were able to experience things to enrich our lives, play sports and be involved in school activities. She also always made things fun. They both gave up a lot for us kids, and I appreciate everyday what they did for us.
Q: What is your favorite quote?
A: “If not us, who? If not now, when?” -John F. Kennedy
Q: Tell us a little about your family, pets and/or hobbies.
A: I have a 16-year-old daughter, and we have a fish tank with ten fish and two crested geckos. Despite her being in the midst of her teenage years, we remain very close. I have a degree in Studio Art, and I am a painter. It is far more than a hobby. My daughter is also very artistic, so we share a painting studio. I am also a fly fishing nut. They refer to our kind as “trout bums.” My father lives close by and is my fly fishing guru. My life is very simple and revolves around my daughter and my Dad.
Q: Where is your favorite place to be?
A: I have three. Our family cabin on the Allegheny River in northwest Pennsylvania, Big Sky Montana, and new to this list, Patagonia, Chile. If I ever mysteriously drop off the grid, look for me in these places…or don’t. 😊
Q: If you could do another job for just one day, what would it be?
A: Fly fishing guide. I really enjoy the opportunity to teach and introduce people to the sport and artistry of fly fishing. More importantly, as I explained to my daughter, it’s a pursuit that takes us to very special and beautiful places. On my recent trips to Montana and Patagonia, Chile, I don’t remember how many fish I caught, but the majestic beauty of these places haunts my dreams in the very best way. One of the villages I visited in Chile was FutaIeufu, which means “big river.” The town is known in the region as “the landscape painted by God.” Helping people experience things like that would be very rewarding.
Jeff,
As we recently found out, our connections on many different things runs deep.
I’m certainly looking forward to working with you.
Talk soon
LBH