Elevator Careers: The Power of Saying “I Can Do That” | Evelyn Adams
Today, I’m joined by Evelyn Adams, General Manager of Texacone, whose career is a great example of what can happen when you’re willing to learn, step up, and do whatever needs to be done. Evelyn began her career as an accounts payable clerk and, through hard work, curiosity, and a willingness to take on new challenges, eventually worked her way into leadership.
In this conversation, we talk about her career journey, what makes the elevator industry feel like a family, and her creation of Elevator 101 to help newcomers better understand the industry. This is a conversation about curiosity, lifelong learning, and the opportunities that can open up when you’re willing to keep growing.
Chapters:
00:00 Introduction to Evelyn Adams
03:59 Discovering the Elevator Industry
07:26 The Birth of Elevator 101
10:35 Career Growth and Learning
12:26 Overcoming Limitations Without a Degree
16:15 The Importance of Knowing Who to Ask
17:51 Traditions and Values of Texacone
18:40 Private Equity in the Elevator Industry
20:16 Women in the Elevator Industry
22:27 Opportunities for Women Today
23:54 Advice for Newcomers to the Industry
Transcript:
Evelyn Adams (00:00)
I had mentioned it to a few people over the years because just, you know, when I started going to industry events and then Texacone became a part of Hyperion and you know, I’m on calls with people from all these other companies that are part of our group and they’re talking about their parts and I’m like, I don’t even know what that is. Texacone is mostly focused on hydraulic. We do some traction stuff too, but
a majority of it’s hydraulic, so I’m more familiar with those things. So we have some businesses in our group that deal more in traction. And so trying to learn and understand their parts and what they’re talking about. I just you know I started kind of doing some research on my own and I just kept telling people they need to have a breakout session at NAEC.
for all us new people so that we can get the lingo and understand what people are talking about. one day I was driving home from work and I was like, I can do that. I’m looking up this stuff. I can do the research and I can post, something that not only teaches myself but teaches other people.
That are interested in learning.
Matt Allred (01:07)
Hello and welcome to the Elevator Careers Podcast brought to you by the Allred Group. I’m your host, Matt Allred. When talent is mission critical, call the Allred Group. With industry expertise, top talent, and exceptional customer service, you need the Allred Group on your side. Your priority is our priority. Call now 404-890-0445. Today I’m joined by Evelyn Adams, General Manager of Texacone, whose career is a great example
Of what can happen when you’re willing to learn, step up, and do whatever needs to be done. Evelyn began her career as an accounts payable clerk, and through hard work, curiosity, and a willingness to take on new challenges, eventually worked her way into leadership. In this conversation, we talk about her career journey, what makes the elevator industry feel like a family, and her creation of Elevator 101 to help newcomers better understand the industry. This is a conversation about curiosity, lifelong learning, and the opportunities that can open up when you’re willing to keep growing.
Matt Allred (02:08)
Evelyn, welcome to the show.
Evelyn Adams (02:10)
Thanks for having me, Matt.
Matt Allred (02:11)
Thank you. I appreciate it. I’m excited to be able to talk to you and obviously get to know you a little bit better thank you for accepting my
Evelyn Adams (02:19)
I was excited and a little nervous when I saw it.
Matt Allred (02:22)
It can be a little nerve-wracking, even for me, right? Sometimes I kind of get nervous doing this and and wonder why I do it. But I love the conversations and so I keep doing it. So thank you. I wanted to just kind of start from the the top of your your elevator career. You mentioned that you came into the elevator industry from a manufacturing background, kind of just expecting just another manufacturing company. What would you say surprised you most?
Once you got inside the industry.
Evelyn Adams (02:51)
once I really got inside the elevator industry, for the first few years I was here, I was really secluded to just Texacone. Texacone is definitely family oriented business. from generations past. We have employees that have been here for thirty plus years and so there’s very much a family atmosphere. And when I got exposed to the rest
of the elevator industry, I saw that there’s family all throughout it. You know, it’s kind of a theme in the elevator industry. You go to trade shows and it’s more like going to family reunions. You see brothers that work for other companies, and you turn around and you look and you think, is that so and so that I met
And no it’s not. It’s his brother or his his dad or his cousin or, you know, something like that. So there’s lots of family
in the industry. And then also just I never really understood how many parts there were or components to an elevator. You know, you just you you kind of take it for granted that there’s this box that you walk into and it takes you to where you need to go and you don’t think about all of the things behind the walls that make it work.
Matt Allred (03:46)
Sure. Yeah.
Yeah. Well and honestly if you’re just a riding passenger, there’s no good way to envision unless you Google it or you’ve spent some time, you know, studying it out or working in the trade. It’s like, how would you know? How would you even know what what’s behind it? maybe it’s a glass elevator, but even that doesn’t show everything.
Evelyn Adams (04:15)
Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. The thinking about the the movies, you know, somebody getting trapped in an elevator and they crawl out, then then you then you kind of see a little bit behind the scenes. But other than that, the normal person probably doesn’t see that very often.
Matt Allred (04:17)
There’s a lot.
Sure, sure.
Well and and honestly what comes to mind is a a movie I saw where they just they just, hey, I’ll just, you know, this is a false ceiling. I’ll just climb out. And I’m like, okay, that doesn’t really work like that. Yeah. Well, what what would you say were some of the biggest misconceptions or just assumptions maybe on entering the business?
Evelyn Adams (04:35)
Yeah, yeah, yeah.
when I entered Texacone, I just thought it was another manufacturing company. I don’t know that I had any real misconceptions. I just didn’t really understand the scope I mean there’s just there’s so many different pieces and parts to it, you know, from the service side of it to the manufacturing side of it.
to the installation side of it, to the construction side of it. There’s just so many different aspects to the business.
Matt Allred (05:13)
Right.
So even though you’d been in manufacturing companies, it sounds like the the community wasn’t there. Like it’s like, okay, we’re gonna make this widget and it might go in that part, but it wasn’t like you felt like, hey, we’re part of the I don’t know what, you know, industry you were in, right? But it’s not like you felt part of the aerospace or the automotive or that’s hey, we’re part of a community.
Evelyn Adams (05:32)
Yeah, and it
may be the the company that I came from because the company I came from was sheet metal fabrication,
but it was it was a company that didn’t have their own product. It was a company that we made other people’s products. So we’re constantly making things for different people in different industries, all the way from Tea urns to parts that go on a F-35 plane for Lockheed Martin.
Matt Allred (05:38)
Mm-hmm.
Gotcha.
Evelyn Adams (05:57)
you know, I mean we did some aerospace, but we also did commercial and industrial and technology and so we weren’t really so tied to one specific industry.
Matt Allred (06:09)
Gotcha. Yeah. Well, and I can see that too. I did used to work for manufacturing companies for about five years before I really got into recruiting. And then to me, there wasn’t near the community. Right. And that’s really what shocked me and surprised me and and honestly excited me that oh my gosh, there’s there is a community and and you know, people work together and they cooperate and that was very intriguing
And so as I got into working with elevators, I kinda let everything else go and I’m like, No, I just I just wanna do this. This is fun.
Evelyn Adams (06:35)
Yeah.
Yeah. I really enjoy the family aspect of it.
Family is really important to me. my parents are both passed away and my only sibling has passed away. So work has become definitely a family thing for me. I mean I have my husband and my son,
Matt Allred (06:45)
wow.
Evelyn Adams (06:51)
But work is also, you know, I spend a lot of time here. so my work family is important to me.
Matt Allred (06:54)
Yeah.
Yeah. Well, and now it’s now it’s even bigger, right? You show up at the trade show and it’s like, oh my, I have thousands of family members. Yeah, that’s awesome. so I you know, noticed your posting about Elevator 101. I’m curious, what was the moment that made you realize that the industry needed Elevator 101? And I’m gonna I’m gonna pull up your
Evelyn Adams (07:02)
Yeah.
Matt Allred (07:16)
logo, which I think is so cool. that you ⁓ that you made there. That is good. When when did you decide that that needed to be a thing?
Evelyn Adams (07:24)
⁓ well I had I had mentioned it to a few people over the years because just, you know, when I
really kind of going to industry events and then Texacone became a part of Hyperion and you know, I’m on calls with people from all these other companies that are part of our group and they’re talking about their parts and I’m like, I don’t even know what that is.
you know, Texacone is is mostly focused on hydraulic. We do some traction stuff too, but
a majority of it’s hydraulic, so I’m more familiar with those things. So we have some businesses in our group that deal more in traction. And so trying to learn and understand their parts and what they’re talking about.
I just you know I started kind of doing some research on my own and and I just kept telling people they need to have a a breakout session at NAEC.
for all us new people so that we can get the lingo and understand what what people are talking about. And so I’ve I’ve said that multiple times and then I just finally like one day I was driving home from work and I was like, I can do that. I’m looking up this stuff. I can do the research and I can post something that not only teaches myself but teaches other people.
That are interested in learning.
Matt Allred (08:39)
and obviously you’re you’re not the only one thinking that, right? Because you mentioned as soon as you started using that, that ⁓ you know, people were responding and saying, Hey, can I share that? How long did it take before people started jumping on that bandwagon?
Evelyn Adams (08:52)
really quickly actually. for a while before I started doing the Elevator 101 I’ve been doing kind of a fun fact of the day on my LinkedIn know, it had to do with elevator but also manufacturing and then some other things. ⁓ just you know, whatever kind of struck me for the day that I wanted to look into. I’m always trying to learn and grow my knowledge all over the place. I always tell people I’m
a jack of many trades, I guess. I know a little bit about a lot of things, but I don’t know a lot about anything. So
Matt Allred (09:22)
Right. No, I I hear you. I hear you.
I think it’s awesome that you’re learning new things, sharing new it did make me want to just bring up you mentioned that you
heard of. I’m gonna share this little little clip here, this little picture of the VTMP Vertical Transportation Management Program And this is offered through the NAEC. And I’m wondering, and I don’t know, I haven’t I haven’t done it. ⁓ so I can’t speak to it. I think it’s fascinating, but I wonder too.
If there’s a way to maybe incorporate what what you’re saying, maybe maybe there’s a VTMP junior that’s like, you know, kind of a fast track to at least get you some of the basics and then dive into that. ‘Cause again, I don’t know how advanced or how long it takes, but it’s
Evelyn Adams (10:04)
Yeah, that
that’s really interesting. I I’m for sure gonna be looking into that.
Matt Allred (10:07)
Awesome. Awesome. your path, I think, career path is remarkable. Cause you mentioned, you know, AP clerk to office manager and then to general manager of obviously Texacone being a ninety four year old company. you just don’t see that that often. And I’m curious as you look back, what decisions or habits do you think have made the biggest difference in your journey as you’ve as you’ve moved along in your career?
Evelyn Adams (10:31)
I think just always being willing to do whatever was needed. like I mentioned a minute ago, the jack of all trade things. That was a thing that was in our employee handbook when I started in sheet metal fabrication. It said, when you’re hired at this company, you’re expected to be a jack of all trades and you’re expected to do anything asked of you at any time. And so I kind of embraced that,
Matt Allred (10:51)
Okay.
Evelyn Adams (10:53)
If I was done and didn’t have anything to do, I would ask everybody around me, is there something I can help you with? And if nobody had anything to do, I’d start sweeping a floor or, dusting a shelf or whatever I needed to do to stay busy. and so I’ve always been willing to learn from other people, to help other people so that, you know, if somebody’s
overloaded and somebody’s not, you know, I I’m willing to jump in and help wherever I can and learn whatever I can. I didn’t get the opportunity to go to college, which I used to say is my biggest regret, now I think I I’ve learned enough on my own that I’m good there, but I think I just a thirst for knowledge and just being willing to do what
somebody needs you to do, I think goes a long way.
Matt Allred (11:34)
Needs to be done.
absolutely. Yeah. I’m curious. I have to just ask, did you ever get out and and learn how to weld? Did you did you do some sheet metal fabrication?
Evelyn Adams (11:44)
I didn’t work on the floor in sheet metal, but I have made some seals at Texacone. I I did I did get out on the floor one day and spend a few hours making seals. So that was that was kind of neat.
Matt Allred (11:49)
Right on.
Gives you a whole new appreciation.
Evelyn Adams (11:58)
Yes, it does.
It’s hard work and it’s hot work. Especially in Texas, it’s hot.
Matt Allred (12:02)
I’m sure. Right,
right. well so you mentioned, you know, kind of wished you had, gone to college. You didn’t, but you also said that you didn’t really miss it at this point. What would you say to someone who maybe maybe they feel limited because they don’t have a degree?
Evelyn Adams (12:19)
I think you’re only limited by what you can imagine. I think if you want something bad enough and you work hard enough for it, at some point you’ll get it. I really never dreamed that I would be in the spot that I am now. it took a long time to get here. Took a real long time to get here. And I appreciate every day of it.
But I’ve just, you know, I’ve tried to just work as hard as I can and take ownership of the things that I’m doing and do them to the best of my ability and show my bosses and show the people above me that I’m willing to step up and take risk to do whatever the company needs me to do.
Matt Allred (12:59)
Yeah, that’s awesome. And I like what you said about, you know, just limited by what you can imagine. I mean, obviously there are many people inside this industry who, you know, maybe they wouldn’t have been a CEO at somebody else’s company. So they just went and created their own, right? It’s it’s like, you know, you don’t have to stay within somebody else’s boundaries, create your own lines and go make it happen. and kind of back to doing what needs to be done. You mentioned that that early on you volunteered to learn the entirely new software system.
Evelyn Adams (13:18)
Right, right. Yep.
Matt Allred (13:27)
And and in doing so became the internal expert, ended up teaching other people. would you say that has led to your success?
Evelyn Adams (13:34)
I think that that’s a big part of my success. So the company I worked for got a new software system. No one was interested in learning it. I was the new girl, so they sent me for all the training. I came back and had to teach everybody else how to use it. And and so I had to sit with production guys who weren’t real computer literate.
and do their data entry for them, but in doing that, you know, learn to read blueprints and things like that. that really opened me up and taught me so much about, you know, not just my little AP corner of the business, but I learned how all these other things feed in to make the business work. it gave me an appreciation for what other people in other departments had to do.
but it gave me the knowledge of that. And so I think that really helps me now because in my office, I understand what the customer service folks have to do, I understand what the accounting folks have to do, I understand what the production leaders have to do and the production people have to do. or the purchasing people, like I understand what they need in a system and what they need to do their job. I think that’s really helped me be a better manager.
because it’s not just here do this. It’s I understand when I’m asking somebody to do something, what it’s going to take to accomplish that task.
Matt Allred (14:53)
Absolutely. How long did that process take? I mean, honestly, it sounds like years to go to training, come back and train everybody in the the company.
Evelyn Adams (15:02)
I think I think it was probably over probably like six months to a year. it was crazy because we’re we we held on to our old system too. So we ran parallel in an old system and the new system for a year. So that was like everybody had to do double the work for a year before we finally
Matt Allred (15:07)
Okay.
Evelyn Adams (15:21)
before the the other folks in the office, the office manager felt comfortable to like, okay, we can let go of that old system now and just use the new one. it was painful, but but I think sometimes the best lessons are learned that way.
Matt Allred (15:34)
Yeah. I mean so rewarding, right? I talk about cross training. I mean, you mentioned learning to read blueprints. would you have ever been able to learn to read blueprints had you not signed up for that?
Evelyn Adams (15:43)
Right, right. I probably would have never had that interaction with those production folks. it really gave me a whole new view on the production flow and how things worked in that company, and how things work in other production companies.
Matt Allred (15:58)
Right. Well and even today, right? Not that you’re having to do it every day, but if you were to walk out on the floor and, you know, somebody’s having a problem with the blueprint, right? Step right up.
Evelyn Adams (16:06)
Yeah.
Yeah. Yeah.
Matt Allred (16:09)
Yeah, that’s awesome. You what you mentioned to me someone once said to you, you don’t have to know everything. You have to know who to ask. How do you think that advice has helped shape your leadership style?
Evelyn Adams (16:21)
I think that that’s helped me be a little less hard on myself. I used to be like really nervous about feeling like I had to have the answers anytime anybody asks a question, and now I feel like, you know, I can say I need to ask someone else and get back to you because I know I wanna give the right answer, not an answer. Right.
So
know my limitations and at Texacone I know who to ask for whatever it is here and I’m learning with Hyperion who to ask, you know, like if I need advice or answers for something traction related or service related I know who to go to now.
Matt Allred (17:02)
Sure, sure. Well, and if nobody knows it, it might be time to create, you know, start a pow wow and say, All right, we gotta solve this problem and you know, bring the best mind to the table.
Evelyn Adams (17:10)
Yeah. I think that’s one really great thing about Hyperion is that we do have so many people from so many different backgrounds in this business that we just have that wealth of knowledge kind of built in our little group.
Matt Allred (17:23)
Sure.
Yeah, absolutely. And and you mentioned too that the Texacone has been around for nearly a century, which tells me you got some pretty deep knowledge there. What are some of the values or traditions that have helped the company remain relevant, you know, through the changes in technology and ownership and everything else?
Evelyn Adams (17:44)
I think just serving our customers well, you know, I mean, we still could pick up a phone. when you call Texacone, you don’t get an automated system, you get a person that answers the phone. we try to respond back to our customers, within minutes to hours, I would say. you know, some complex things may take a little bit more time, but for the most part we get back to our customers right away via email
or whether it be talking to them on the phone and getting it done. we just do our best to serve our customers in the best way that we can.
Matt Allred (18:15)
Yeah. Yeah. you had mentioned too that, you know, sometimes private equity gets criticized in the elevator industry, but you had kinda had a more balanced perspective. And I’m curious, you know, what do you think people misunderstand about the role of private equity and can it play a role in preserving longstanding businesses or
Evelyn Adams (18:33)
I think so. I mean, if you take Texacone for an example, Texacone was started by a grandfather who passed it down to his son, who passed it down to his son and daughter, and then his son and daughter, their kids weren’t interested in taking over the family business. They wanted to do their own things.
But the son and daughter were ready to move on in their life. They had done accomplished their goals and and wanted to move on. if it wasn’t for private equity coming in and buying Texacone, I don’t know what would have happened with Texacone. Maybe it would have went away. And I because of the family aspect of
the elevator industry. I think a lot of people look negatively on the companies that were bought by private equity. But, you know, I mean, the people that are making the parts at Texacone for the most part are the same people that have been making the parts for Texacone for the like I mentioned, we have employees that have been here thirty-five or more years. So the same people are still making those parts. And if this business had closed, those people would have lost their jobs.
so I think, you know, private equity, obviously, you know, everybody has their opinions on it. but I I see some positives in
Matt Allred (19:46)
Sure, sure. I mean, it sounds like from your perspective, we can all play nice, right? That there’s a room for for everybody. I had asked you a question about, you know, what it’s it like to work in a a male dominated, you know, industry. And you surprised me by saying that Texacone has more women than men in production roles. And that surprised me. I just wouldn’t have expected that. So what’s it like there?
Evelyn Adams (20:08)
Yeah, it’s not that we like actively pursued hiring women over men or vice versa. It’s just, you know, who’s applied for the jobs and who’s been successful. And our workforce fifty-six percent female here at at Texacone. the way I look at that, like, you know, I’m all for more power to the women to do whatever.
But I don’t wanna be hired to do something or I don’t wanna be given favor to do something because I’m a woman. I wanna be hired and favored because I did the job the best that could be done. I was the person for the job and that’s kind of how I look at it. You know, when we’re looking to hire somebody, I’m not looking for a woman or a man. I’m looking for who is the best person for the job. it just happened to work out for Texacone and that
Matt Allred (20:39)
yeah.
Evelyn Adams (20:52)
women have have been winning out a little more lately. but I think we have a long history of that as well.
Matt Allred (20:55)
and you
Exactly. No, and I was gonna share some of those pictures that you shared
me. So, this I don’t know that the year here, but it it looks like it’s been a while.
Evelyn Adams (21:08)
Yeah. Yeah. So this was NAEC, the second annual women’s workshop. I guess this is way before Women in Motion. we laugh at the the titles of these Hard Hats and High Heels Yeah, yeah. but but yeah, Miss Wheeler to the far left there was the the spouse of the owner of Texacone and she was very involved in the business.
Matt Allred (21:19)
Hard hats and high heels sounds amazing.
Evelyn Adams (21:34)
if you look back at at Texacone ads and things back in those days, you always see her in the in the photos.
she is at the third annual women’s workshop. She actually was leading at that time. and then there’s a picture of Gina there. Gina is Martha’s daughter, and she took over the business and ran the business for for several
Matt Allred (21:45)
Okay.
Evelyn Adams (21:56)
they’re both both big shoes to fill.
Matt Allred (22:00)
Yeah. Well, obviously a lot of a lot of history there with with women’s leadership. It’s served you well and continues to do so. it’s a fascinating story and certainly a fascinating company.
what changes do you think you’re seeing or what opportunities do you think exist for women?
Entering the industry today.
Evelyn Adams (22:20)
like I said before, you know, the sky’s the limit. you know, I mean I I’ve I’ve been to several of the Women In Motion meetings at NAEC and I see people in there from technicians to CEOs, and every role in between. I think there’s opportunity for any woman that wants to fill any role.
Matt Allred (22:40)
I’m curious, you mentioned Women In Motion how valuable is it to have a group of strong women that you can reach out to and is that important?
Evelyn Adams (22:49)
I think it is. I think it you know, I mean, women are different than men, just inherently. And so you know, sometimes being the only woman in a room can be very intimidating. so sometimes, you know, being able to to call somebody or look across the room and see another face that’s that’s like your own gives you a little bit of of extra
Matt Allred (22:54)
Mm-hmm.
Evelyn Adams (23:16)
confidence in what you’re doing.
Matt Allred (23:18)
Thank you. The reason I want to ask that is the the last question I wanted to to bring up here. it kind of shines a light on that. So the question is if a young person joined the elevator industry right now and asked Evelyn Adams for one piece of career advice, what would you tell them? And the and the piece I guess I’m tying to this is, you know, maybe they maybe they would also benefit from having, you know, some mentorship, right? And coming to you to to ask that. So
What would you say?
Evelyn Adams (23:47)
I would just tell you know, if you really want to be in this industry, dream big and be willing to work for it. You know, you can’t just dream big, you gotta work hard too. I haven’t figured out the thing that were where you don’t have to work hard. I haven’t figured that out yet.
I feel like I work pretty hard every day and maybe that’s just me and my personality. Maybe I don’t know how to to sit back and relax. My husband would probably agree with that. I’m always seeing something that needs to be done and and trying to do it.
Matt Allred (24:20)
And doing it. Yeah. Well a and I guess the just to look back. if you were to look back and say had had kicked up your heels, would you be prepared for the role you’re in right now?
Evelyn Adams (24:31)
⁓ I don’t think so. I don’t think so.
Matt Allred (24:32)
Ha ha ha.
Yeah. So it it’s it’s kinda like they they go hand in hand, right? You work hard, the opportunity comes. If you don’t work hard, it’s not gonna find you.
Evelyn Adams (24:42)
Right, right. That’s that’s definitely true.
Matt Allred (24:46)
Awesome. Evelyn, thank you so much for being with me today. It’s been a lot of fun.
Evelyn Adams (24:50)
Yeah, thanks. I really appreciate it.
Matt Allred (24:52)
Well, I wish you the best as you continue to lead the company and build your career.
Evelyn Adams (24:56)
You too, congratulations on your podcast. I think it’s awesome. I enjoy watching it.
Matt Allred (25:00)
Thank you.
Matt Allred (25:01)
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