Eric Gore, Business Development Leader

SPRINGFIELD, MO—Eric Gore is one of Central States Industrial’s (CSI’s) most tenured employees. He thrives on change and has held over a dozen positions within CSI, giving him a unique and comprehensive view of the company’s capabilities.

Eric joined CSI in January 1998, nearly two decades ago. Since that time, he has experienced the advancement of CSI firsthand. “Back then if we had something in the shop over ten thousand dollars, the whole company knew. We were talking about it, because it was an exciting thing. Now, we can execute at a higher level. The level of things we’re working on has evolved,” he said.

Only two years after his graduation from Missouri State University, formerly known as SMSU, he began in a technical role as a Design Project Manager. When he first joined the team, CSI only had 40 employees. He was one of three designers, and as the company grew, they created levels within the department. He was promoted to Senior Designer and began to supervise team members.

“I do want to continue to grow my career, and I believe part of that is continuing to be open and willing to change. I think it’s important for the organization, and I think it’s important for me too,” he said.

Eric took his own advice, and in 2008, he transitioned from the projects and operations side of CSI to become a Business Development Leader. He’s covered geographical territories along with food, dairy, and beverage market segments. Currently, Eric spends his time assisting key accounts. In this position, Eric spends his time understanding and addressing the needs of customers. His goal is to fix customer pain points to help them optimize their equipment and facilities.

Eric has been taking on new tasks and tackling problems since he was a kid. His interest in building began at age four, when he smashed nails into boards of woods (and oftentimes his fingers) while his house was being built. A welder since the age of eleven, he has always been focused on practical solutions.

He is passionate about “usable knowledge” and enjoys documentaries and podcasts, because the mechanics of how things work is interesting to him. When it comes to a project, he said his favorite part is figuring out the best option, and then creating and executing the plan.

A true team player, he said, “Any accomplishment I can think of, I can also think of people that were involved with it and helped me get there.” This attitude carries over to his family, and he considers his main hobby cheering for his children at their games and activities.

He has three children with his wife of 24 years, Tania. His oldest daughter, Rachel, is graduating from Mizzou this coming spring. His other two children, Collin and Ava, are eight and five. He described his daughter’s unicorn birthday party with enthusiasm and talked about how proud he was of his son for winning the Boy Scouts Pinewood Derby race.

Eric said he is dedicated to providing the best life he can for himself and his family, and since he’s also part of the CSI family, the people around him make sure he has everything he needs to succeed. Mark Cook, CEO, says one of the most important things is to “take care of each other, and take care of customers.” Eric reflects this attitude in his actions every day, and it’s only one of the many characteristics that make him an invaluable part of the team.