For a look at the rest of the 2020 40 Under 40 honorees, be sure to check out the 40 Under 40 homepage.
Name: Eric Randt
Age: 37
Job Title: Director of Sales
Company: Nortek Security and Control
Years in Industry: 14
Where You Grew Up, Live Now: I grew up in the suburbs of Minneapolis, MN and I live in that general area today.
Education: University of Minnesota
Accomplishments: I’m most proud of finishing my college degree a few years ago. I did this in the middle of stepping into my current role and stilling running a territory at the same time. Going through all of this really helped me work on organization and prioritization, something that I really was weak with at the time.
What I Like Best About My Job: The people! This job and industry has led to some of the best and strongest relationships. From dealers to current and past teammates, I have a group that I know I could call on at any time.
What I like Least About My Job: I love the travel aspect of my job but I hate being away from my wife and son.
Pastime/Hobby: Golf
Last Book Read: Extreme Ownership
Favorite Movie: A Few Good Men
My Hero, and Why: My Father. He passed away almost a decade ago. However, now being a father myself, I’ve realized he did everything he could to make sure that I had everything I wanted and needed. He worked so hard to ensure I had a better life, it motivates me to do the same for my son.
If You Could be Anyplace Right Now, Where Would it Be and What Would You Be Doing?: Maui. I would either being playing golf or in a pool playing with my son while my wife slept in the sun.
Major Industry Problem and How to Fix It: If you look at our industry, generally speaking, we are set up to target a specific demographic/market and because of that the majority of our staff, across all aspects of our industry, mirrors that targeted demographic. One of the major challenges that we continue to face across the industry is staffing. I think as an industry we need to find a way to have a more diverse workforce, recruit and hire more women and minorities. Make it so our staff mirrors our communities and country. If we do this, I really think we can bring new ideas and perspectives into our industry on how to work and target different segments of the population as well as different verticals, and in the end, grow our industry.
What Makes You Believe the CE Industry Will Thrive in the Next 5 Years: I think our industry will grow and be healthier in the next 5 years and one of the major reasons why, albeit sad, is this pandemic. For a good chunk of this year, the vast majority of the world has been locked in their homes. They have had to find ways to work/entertain themselves and their families, while doing everything they can to stay safe and healthy. This industry is uniquely positioned to cover all aspects of entertainment, safety, and security. You have people who are realizing their homes’ infrastructure and entertainment systems are lacking and out of date, that automation and lighting control can improve the quality of life while inside their homes, and that health and security are the most important pieces our homes provide. We as an industry can address all aspects of this.
