Product Support & Equipment Sales Representative

Meet Lance Madore

"All of us at SMS Equipment—especially those in customer-facing roles—are united by what we set out to do. The success of our customers is the success of SMS Equipment. We all hold ourselves to a high standard, and that is reflected in our reputation."

Here, There, Everywhere

Since 2012, Lance has been learning and leading in Whitehorse, Yukon. But before his trek far north, he started in Acheson, moved to Fort Nelson in 2007, and did a stint in Fort McMurray. In fact, Lance has worked at ten SMS Equipment branches over the past 16 years!

As a parts person early on, he covered at branches when people were on vacation or where resources were needed most. Lance recalls being present during the consolidation of Coneco and Transwest Mining Systems into SMS Equipment in Edmonton and Acheson, which he describes as a fun but intense challenge. "I was there for the wins and the growing pains," says Lance. "Back then, I was younger and brash—and more willing to step outside the box and push limits!"

Heart & History

Lance credits much of his rich experience to being one of SMS Equipment's first parts pricing analysts. "I helped set up integrations for all three of our business systems and contributed to the Mongolia startup," he says. "I never did get to travel over to Mongolia…but I did enjoy the challenge of coordinating the 13-hour time difference!" he chuckles.

After that, his Yukon chapter took shape. Lance was set to be there for five years, with the plan to move onto another branch after. That was 11 years ago!

Lance no longer floats between branches, now considering Whitehorse home. "We call ourselves a branch, but we're more a twig!" (It's only Lance and a parts technician.) But because of this small size, he works closely with many other SMS Equipment branches.

"We lean on Prince George, Edmonton, Surrey…so many of the larger branches support us. Working with all of them is special, and we get the reminder that there's muscle behind the organization. I never feel like I'm a lone parts representative out in the open. We're so connected, and through tenure and my experience, I have developed relationships with so many people across the company."

In fact, Lance's direct manager is based out of Surrey—which is 2,500 km away from Whitehorse! "I enjoy getting the opportunity to operate semi-independently," says Lance. "The best part of my job is generating a result for our customers and our organization—and doing it knowing my manager fully trusts in my capability. I know that if I'm consistently developing a benefit to the customer and the company safely, the how and critical path is a wide-open space.”

Can't hold him back

To Lance, one of the most satisfying parts of his role has been continuously leading and representing Canada's north. The grind is real, being responsible for Yukon's storefront. "I painted, I built the shelves, I literally set it all up!" says Lance. "It’s important to make a storefront happen here—a retail presence in small communities is significant because customers want to be able to come to a place and understand what we can do. It solidifies our commitment to them."

Another memorable moment? When Lance delivered the largest hydraulic excavator in the Yukon last year. "It was just a PC1250, but it was the first new one in the Yukon since the late '90s!"

Mentors & musings

Lance credits his journey through the company to now-retired parts general manager Bob Kular. "He offered me a spot in Edmonton, setting my career on the path it has taken. I guess he saw something! He was the one who encouraged me to stick with it."

Starting with SMS Equipment at an advantageous time, Lance recalls significant milestones like the company merger and the head office move to Acheson. "My time here has given me a path, but it has also let me self-direct my journey, allowing me to grow professionally and personally," says Lance.

As he thinks about the future, he's excited by the thought of becoming a manager of his own branch. "I have a fairly well-rounded background at SMS Equipment, so I think it's just a matter of deciding where the next adventure leads!"

In the meantime, Lance recognizes that with over 2,600 great people, SMS Equipment has the resources to get things done. To him, the formula is straightforward: "Be true to customers. True to the company. And go home safe!"

Since this article was written, Lance has taken on another role as a Technical Trainer for Parts. True to his curious nature, Lance jumped at the opportunity to try something new – unlike any other role he held previously. He looks forward to dedicating his time to the training and development of Parts Technicians to drive the industry forward. "You know you're in the right place when your peers and leadership encourage you to try new things and not hold back because what you did yesterday is not what you need to do tomorrow," says Madore.