Every so often, our editorial staff selects one aftermarket industry professional to get to know a little better. Participants are asked to respond to a series of questions that can be answered in about the same amount of time you might spend chatting at the office coffee pot or waiting for an elevator. In today’s installment of “Five Minutes With,” we want to introduce you to Curtis Haines, inside technical sales Rep for Permatex.
What was your first job in the industry?
My first job was working at the parts counter for Advance Auto Parts in Baltimore, Maryland. I was 16 at the time.
What do you like best about your current position?
My current position allows me to use my general automotive knowledge, engine building skills and Permatex product knowledge as one, to quickly identify with customers. Vividly putting myself in the shoes of the customer allows me to efficiently offer product solutions and lend actionable, problem-solving advice quickly. The crowning trophy of those interactions is the sale of product and the beginning of business relationships.
Did you initially intend to pursue a career in the aftermarket? If not, what drew you to the industry and what keeps you here?
My father was a master engineer at the Legg Mason Tower in downtown Baltimore, so I always had a love for machines. I enjoyed cleaning and degreasing 15-foot industrial air-handling fans with a Mickey Mouse sweatshirt on as a child. My love of cars and how they worked, how they produced power came quickly after. My father knew enough to handle engine swaps, but my infatuation took me deeper. And it’s cars. There’s always a deeper understanding to be had about the system you’re working on. Always more knowledge to be gained. What keeps me here is the knowing that I am a part of a 90 percent market share company that produces products for every single vehicle in the world. Most importantly, I am a part of the decision-making process that pushes the company forward in the right direction.
What do you do when not at work?
Build performance Audi and Honda engines for a variety of applications. And also, help raise my beautiful, smart and witty three-year-old daughter.
What one word best sums up your personality?
Devotion.
What kind of car do you drive?
2012 Audi S4 (460 whp Supercharged) – the perfect daily driver
What was your first car?
1987 SAAB 900 Turbo (“The turtle,” we called it – LOL!)
Do you have a nickname?
“C”
Do you have a hidden talent?
Performing rap music – just never pursued it. Cars won the decision.
What are you currently reading?
“The Art of War” by Sun Tzu.
Who was your childhood hero?
Tupac
Who is on your dream dinner party guest list?
The CEO’s of Amazon and Apple.
If you could time-travel, to where and what in era would you want to visit?
Never look backwards – peak around the corner to see what’s coming. [I would go] Twenty years in the future to have conversation with myself to ask how did you get here – so I could do it better…
Favorite quote/mantra/motto?
“Press On!”
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Know someone who would love to be featured in Five Minutes With? Email editor Amy Antenora at [email protected].
