Teerlinck finds plenty to keep him busy in and outside of work

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Scott Teerlinck believes in community.

“I believe in our state,” said Teerlinck, president of Werner Electric Supply in Appleton. “I believe in what we have going on. But I also believe for us to win long-term, we as individuals have an obligation to step up and get involved and help out, whether it’s economic development or shaping public policy or reaching out to other companies and firms to find a common direction, which is growth and expansion. So, I felt an obligation to get involved.”

It’s why he’s involved in the Green Bay Packers Hall of Fame, the Fox Cities Performing Arts Center, the Fox Cities Chamber of Commerce and why, earlier this year, he joined the board of New North, a non-profit focused on economic development in northeastern Wisconsin.

You know, it’s in all his free time.

“On top of a full-time job, it makes the day go quickly,” Teerlinck teased.

Despite his sometimes hectic schedule, he says it’s a privilege to be involved, even if some might wonder if he’s slightly over-extended.

He’s particularly happy to be reaching out while working at Werner, a company he first encountered as part of the sales team at Rockwell Automation.

“I joined Rockwell just out of college,” explained Teerlinck, who got his bachelor’s degree in engineering after considering a career in architecture.

His first assignment was as a trainee in the Appleton office, supporting Werner.

A few years later, Teerlinck’s career carried him away, first to New York and, later, Singapore, where he and his wife and two children, now 14 and 18, lived just over three years.

Through it all, he never lost touch with the Werner team.

“I think, unknown to me at the time, what I was doing back then in the late ‘90s was the start of an almost 20-year job interview,” Teerlinck said.

In 2013, he finally got the job.

As president of Werner, Teerlinck is second only to the owner, Lynn MacDonald, who bought the 70-year-old electrical, automation and datacom products and services company from fellow Canadian and company founder Lynn Werner.

But, Teerlinck said, his commitment extends beyond the front office.

“I enjoy developing people. I enjoy watching them grow, spending training dollars and watching them make the most of it.”

With nearly 450 employees in 13 offices in three states, Teerlinck admitted he’s got a lot of people to tend to.

But, he said, “The war for talent is growing and gaining momentum, so it makes it more and more important for us to not only develop our people but also to retain them.

“People don’t quit their company. They either quit their manager or they think they’ve found greener pastures. So, when we find people, we might spend a year or two or three and a lot of money developing them. We talk about career paths. I make that a daily priority.”

It’s all part of building a company – and a community.

The Daily Reporter: When you have a bad day, what keeps you coming back to work?

Scott Teerlinck: Thankfully, I have fairly few bad days. But when I do have one, it’s the promise of tomorrow. We’re building up a really strong team. We’re developing people. We’re growing. We’re expanding. Sometimes, when you’re growing and expanding, not everything goes perfectly. But the promise of tomorrow I find very motivating. I find it very uplifting.

TDR: What would you change about the construction industry?

Teerlinck: If I had a magic wand to change anything? I wish it was less seasonal. I wish it was more consistent year round. It’s not impossible, but it certainly would be easier.

TDR: What is the most useful thing you’ve learned since starting your job?

Teerlinck: Never underestimate the value of alignment and commitment. If we have a person committed to the company and aligned to the company goals, I’d walk through fire with that person because with them we can’t lose. It makes for a very powerful, hard to beat combination.

TDR: What do you wish you’d learned sooner?

Teerlinck: I would say the hardest thing I had to learn is delegation. You can’t think it’s easier to do it yourself. You have to work through others, learn to trust others and, frankly, accepting the fact that, even if you would have done it slightly differently, that by delegating to others it’s empowering them.

TDR: If you could trade places with someone for a day, who would it be? Why?

Teerlinck: If I could trade places with anybody at all it would be with Ted Thompson on Draft Day. I would just love to see the NFL draft room on Draft Day, see the things we never hear about, the trading and the jockeying.

TDR: What do you value most?

Teerlinck: I value balance, work-family balance. It’s easier said than done. I’ve worked very hard to get where I am. I’m not afraid of the hard work. I’m willing to put the hours in. But balancing that work commitment with my family, having time with them and for them is extremely important to me. And I try not to mix the two.

TDR: What object in your office means the most to you?

Teerlinck: I think the short-term correct answer would be a picture of my family. But I also have an Alaskan moose I shot two years ago in Alaska on my wall. I look at that and think of time away from work, an amazing adventure. Sure, I’m proud of the trophy on my wall, but what it means is more than that. It time out in the Alaskan wilderness, time in the mountains, overcoming hardship. I look at that moose and smile on the inside looking back on that adventure.

TDR: How do you define success?

Teerlinck: When someone works hard for you, not because they have to but because they want to, they’re so committed to you and want to do right by you — that’s a measure of success. It makes me happiest when I see people working hard, not because they have to but because they want to, it’s a very proud feeling, a warm feeling.