Groover’s varied work background and his self-described, unorthodox path to education are integral pieces of life experiences that make him who he is today and have made him an important piece in ALTEX’s overall philosophy of providing knowledgeable customer service as priority number one.
“I didn’t follow the traditional path to college after high school. I went straight into the Army,” shares Groover. “Once I returned from service I wasn’t sure exactly what it was I wanted to do or where I wanted to go once I was back home.”
After returning from the Army, Groover decided to open a business with a partner but soon realized that the ownership side of the business wasn’t the career path for him. He decided to pursue a degree from Indiana University Purdue University – Indianapolis (IUPUI) and graduated with an associate’s degree in mechanical design and drafting technology.
Groover spent a majority of his career working for both large and small corporations and was a sort of jack-of-all-trades encompassing roles in design engineering, production engineering and even project management. His varied and experienced skill set brought a wealth of knowledge when he arrived at ALTEX three years ago.
“When someone from our company or one of the sales reps has a new opportunity I am usually the one that begins the evaluation process for the project or individual product,” said Groover. “I determine if there is enough information to quote a new job and then provide a viable solution as to how we should go about it.”
But information isn’t the only thing Groover is concerned with. He is also assessing whether an outside company’s product design will actually work, the materials and the costs associated with those materials needed for the actual production, and then assesses whether the in-house resources and right tooling are available to provide an end product cost effectively.
“We really are a team here. We usually get together after the assessment phase of a new product or project and talk about the ‘big picture’ of what is needed to get a customer exactly what they need — timely and on budget,” Groover shares.
Being prepared and organized seems to come second nature to Groover. He enjoys spending time with the customer, which he does a lot of, learning what their needs are and vetting out important information that is needed in the assessment of the cost and feasibility of a project. Something he says he does by walking a fine line between sales and engineering and knowing what both internal entities will be looking for while still acting as a liaison for ALTEX with the customer.
When not in research and assessment mode, Groover loves to spend time with his wife, children and grandchildren. As an avid gardener, model train collector and aquarium-life enthusiast, he admits that his preference is to be out on his bass boat fishing. A yearly houseboat trip to Tennessee with family and friends and lots of fishing time is something he looks forward to every summer.
“I’ve really enjoyed my three years with ALTEX and getting to know all of the great people who are a part of the company,” Groover said. “It is a collaborative effort when we can all come together to share and discuss the feasibility and profitability of a new endeavor for ALTEX and its customers. It’s really rewarding to be a part of that input.”
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