Ed Proulx: 2022 40 Under 40 Award-Winner
Our 2022 40 Under 40 Awards featured young OPE leaders from across the country. In the next couple of weeks, we’ll highlight several of our 2022 award-winners here. Our winners were chosen not only for their numerous accomplishments and individual strengths, but also for their passion for their dealerships and outdoor power equipment – and the promise they bring for the future of our industry. Of course, you can check out the entire 40 Under 40 roster in our May/June issue.
ED PROULX
Marketing Director, Turf Depot
Manchester, Hooksett, Salem, Londonderry and Portsmouth, New Hampshire
In the OPE industry for more than 20 years, Ed Proulx started out as Turf Depot’s truck driver, working his way through the dealership to his current position as chief marketing director.
“My experience has given me some real insight to how the business works from the ground up, and how each person sees their role in the dealership,” he says. “I’ve also been witness to a lot of changes in the industry. I started in the industry when dealerships didn’t even have a website – now they all have Facebook pages and Instagram accounts.”
“It’s fun now to see how we have grown the company and all of the changes in our dealership [and] industry,” he continues. “I always felt lucky that I was able to learn from some of the best in the industry. I have always felt a bit of gratitude for the ownership of our company, for their leadership, and for allowing me to learn as a young man.”
As Turf Depot’s marketing director, Ed used his industry experience to help a new store last year, develop new ways to bring people into the stores, engineer a new Turf Depot website, and help create and lead the company’s ProParts and Robo Turf divisions. In addition, he says, he and his marketing staff “have also taken our social media to another level.”
Managing 16 people across four departments, says Ed, necessitates “getting everyone on the same page. That’s done in team meetings, one-on-one meetings and by setting an example. Also, letting your key guys manage their departments and have a say in what happens. Sometimes good leadership is just making small corrections to steer the boat. It’s key to set the expectations right from the start, and then weed out people who don’t fit the mold of the team. You need to have transparency in the business goals, accountability to those goals and follow through. If you have that, it doesn’t matter what we’re selling – we will be successful. A lot of our success here is a result of the good people who have put in the hard work. While I may be a part of it, I have also had the privilege of working with people who wanted to be a part of it.”
Turf Depot and its divisions carry more than 60 brands, including such key lines as Toro, Exmark, Wright and Walker.
TURF DEPOT
www.turfdepot.com
