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From his teenage years to his early 40s, Jonah Turley mainly worked as a plumber. He liked the problem-solving nature of the job and had no major complaints about the direction of his career.
But then he started chatting with a neighbor who spoke highly about his job at EquipmentShare, a construction equipment rental and technology company with branches nationwide. EquipmentShare is always looking for mechanically inclined people to work in its service departments, and when a service technician position opened at a nearby branch in the Houston suburb of Pasadena, Texas, he decided to apply.
“When you’re in your 40s and looking down the barrel of starting over completely, it’s definitely a leap of faith,” he said. “But something told me to do it.”
Turley took the leap four years ago, and he has zero regrets.
“You could ask my service manager and my branch general manager; they can’t keep me out of here,” he said. “I love getting up and coming to work every day. There is something that’s understood with this company — a vibe, an energy. The people I work with love to be here.”
EquipmentShare offers several key benefits that its service techs appreciate, including:
- Annual tool and boot reimbursements.
- Year-round training sessions.
- Access to industry-leading diagnostic tools.
- Opportunities to advance with a rapidly growing company.
Turley is living proof of that last point — a go-getter can get ahead quickly at EquipmentShare.
He started in an entry-level position on the wash rack in the rental yard, where he learned about the different pieces of equipment by cleaning and preparing them for their next rental. He quickly advanced from the yard to the shop, where he maintained and repaired machinery under the supervision of the branch’s service manager. Then he was promoted to field tech, a job in which he travels around the Houston area in his company truck and solves problems on-site.
“If you really want to get noticed and move up, you can,” he said. “I started on the wash rack and was in a service truck in 2½ years. It’s possible to do that here.”
Turley’s typical work day reflects his enthusiasm for his job. He arrives at 6:15 a.m. — 45 minutes before he’s supposed to be there — makes a pot of coffee for the shop and maps out his day.
“Jonah always is the first to volunteer for things,” said Casey Flanagan, the general manager of the Pasadena branch. “If he has to work a weekend once in a while, it’s no problem. He lives five minutes down the road, and he’s always told me, ‘If you need me to let a driver in or whatever, just give me a holler.’ He carries himself extremely well when he’s talking to customers. In fact, we have customers who specifically say, ‘Send Jonah.’”
Turley tries to squeeze in five or six service calls per day before heading home, where his attention shifts to his daughter. She’s 4 — “My first and my last,” he says with a laugh — and she came into his world around the same time he started his new career. Forget about the stereotypical midlife crisis, Turley feels like he’s living his best life in his 40s, with a rewarding family and job.
“I’m like a little kid when I see big equipment,” he said. “I get to get on a boat to ride out to work on a boom lift. I even love getting an emergency call at night and going to the docks at midnight and working on something and figuring it out. For me, work is fun. It’s where I like to be.”
EquipmentShare is growing nationwide, and we’re on the lookout for team members in all departments, including service. If you’re ready for a career change, check out our job openings.
