Buddy Lewis was at a crossroads in his career when the 2008 financial crisis hit. “I was working in the heavy equipment business, selling to retailers and dealers, and I was just not excited to go work. I knew I needed to find a new job—something that would provide a stable income for my family. I didn’t know exactly what it was I was looking for, but I knew that as long as it was something fun, it was probably something I could make into a financially secure career.” That’s when he found Chemsearch. “Chemsearch allows me to raise a family in a comfortable setting and allows me to, post-career, look at retirement and build on that.”
A native of Charlotte, North Carolina, Buddy started as a sales associate in Charlotte. After having success in the field, he gradually transitioned into a management role, recently being promoted to vice president. Aside from the support of his wife, Dawn, and their three children, Buddy says there were numerous people at FE who supported his career along the way. “I was hired by Keith White, and he played a big part in my early success. From there, Jim Conway has been a huge guide and helped considerably with my development. Joe O’Sullivan has been a major influence—he’s a tremendous leader, always had my back, and is the rock of the organization. Recently, I’ve been working with Brenda Sanders, and she’s been another solid support who is willing to bend over backward to help. The whole senior management team, from Jim to Joe to Wade to Brenda, go above and beyond.”
Buddy says the most rewarding part of his job is helping a sales associate flourish. “If I can transfer a skill, anything that will accelerate their core competencies, I find that very satisfying. It’s great to go back and see they were successful because of something I taught them.”
Asked to share his advice with someone new to selling with FE? “Put your trust in our hands. There’s no need to reinvent the wheel. We can teach you everything with the exception of one thing—effort. That’s all dependent upon you.”
