TechLine Connections: Meet Jim Berkey

Those who know Jim Berkey know a kind, gentle soul who brings years of experience and industry knowledge to any gathering. Berkey, senior business development manager for TechLine Mfg., has been with the company for nine years, working out of his home in Houston, TX.

Salespeople are usually charismatic, friendly sorts, and Berkey is no exception. Having a home office has always been the norm, but Covid-19 has brought special challenges to Berkey and other salespeople as they try to stay connected with customers without face-to-face contact. With so many office people working from home these days, and work sites not allowing visitors, Berkey says most of his work has been on the phone and email for the past couple of months. The good news according to Berkey is that people have had more time to talk, allowing time to get to know them and gather information for upcoming projects.

Now that Texas has started to open up a bit, Berkey foresees more outings soon. In fact, what started as a virtual happy hour plan with a few customers and friends, has morphed into an in-person meeting in a park to enjoy drinks and conversation at a distance. Everyone is looking forward to getting out of the house!

According to Berkey, “What I am seeing and hearing is, people want to see this get back to normal as soon as possible. The folks I have talked to are positive about wanting to get back to the office, where communication with others is much easier. At some point after that, visitors will be allowed to come back in, and we can get back to business as usual. I’ve lived all over the world, and I know that here in the U.S., we never give up. Project work continues and is not slowing down. Attitudes are cautiously optimistic. We can make it through this, one step at a time.”

Thanks, Jim, for all you do!