When Travis was 19 years old, he first applied at Martin Motor Sports to be a part of the boat dock installation team while he was attending school at NAIT to be a Mechanical Engineer Technician. At the time, he was strictly looking for a part-time job. In his words - “something he could do outside and get a tan”. After submitting his resume and not hearing back, he noticed another opening in the company that piqued his interest, so he applied to be a yardman/truck driver for the Lawn & Garden department on the John Deere side. Before he got home, he had already received a phone call setting up an interview and the next day he was hired.
At the time, Martin Motor Sports and Martin Deerline were in the same building, so part of Travis' duties was helping clients load and unload their boats. Over the course of the summer, he fell in love with the boat side of the business and decided he was going to change his career path from a Mechanical Engineer Technician to a Marine Service Technician.
While he was in school to be a Marine Service Technician, he continued to work at Martin Deerline on evenings and weekends - switching roles from a truck driver to an Internal Re-conditioner for the Lawn & Garden department. He worked on equipment that came in on trade and handled the installation of new attachments and implements on tractors. Once Travis graduated, he moved across the parking lot to the new Martin Motor Sports building to officially launch his career as a Marine Service Technician where he stayed for almost 2 years.
But Travis always had a passion for tractors. His Dad was raised in Selkirk, Manitoba and Travis recalls spending his summers on his Grandpa's farm driving tractors and mowing the grass. At one point in time, his Grandfather's family owned a John Deere dealership in North Dakota - called Fey Inc., so the passion for John Deere runs deep in the family. When Travis saw an opening in Lawn & Garden Sales in 2010 - he jumped at the opportunity to sell John Deere tractors and has been in this position ever since.
When asked if he has any advice for new employees, Travis answered: “I was lucky enough to start in Lawn & Garden Sales where I was welcomed with open arms. The more open you can be - the better. We feed off each other's energy, so if you bring a positive attitude to work, that's the best thing you can do. You'll be a part of this family very quickly.” Building relationships is something that Travis values - whether it be with clients or fellow employees. “Coming to work doesn't feel like a job - it just feels like I'm going to my second family.”
Travis is a pretty open book - but when asked "what is something that might surprise co-workers about you" he answered: “I was a librarian for a few years back in high school!”
As I wrapped up my conversation with Travis, I asked him what the biggest change he has seen in the company over his 14 years: “Definitely the growth. When I first started working here, there was only about 60 staff in this building, and that included Martin Motor Sports as well. Watching the company grow has been really incredible.”
Outside of work you'll find Travis spending time with his wife Jenn and their daughter Olivia. He also enjoys playing hockey, camping, restoring vintage furniture or just tinkering around the garage.
Thank you Travis, for your positive attitude and dedication to the Martin Deerline team over the past 14 years!