with UCANE’s Officers and Board Members Can you give us some information on your background and tell us how you got started in the construction equipment business? I live in Carver MA with my wife Susan of over 30 years, and we have two daughters, Emily (26), engaged and lives with her fiancé in Stamford CT and works in marketing/ advertising, and Abbie (24), who’s in graduate school to become a Genetic Counselor, living in Boston. I’m a life-long boater, enjoy four-wheeling, snowmobiling, working in my carpentry shop, and spending time with my family. I grew up loving heavy equipment and the construction industry since I was a kid. I lived on the Cape and when I was about five, my mom used to take me to the Eastham dump where Charlie Escobar ran the loader and I got to help “operate” the machine. I was hooked! During high school, I worked for Crosby Landscaping in Brewster and ran an old MF tractor and a Case 580C. I then served in the Army and Army National Guard for nine years as a heavy equipment operator. I was trained to run everything from graders and loaders, to sling loading dozers beneath Chinook helicopters while with the 101st Airborne, to hauling scrapers across the desert in Saudi Arabia in the scorching heat behind AM General M920 tractor trailers during Desert Shield/Storm. When I got out of the service and during college, I got my CDL and hoisting licenses and worked for Carrier Construction as an operator. I then left the industry for about 10 years to develop my career in business. I joined Enterprise Rent-A-Car in 1992, and was fortunate to have had the opportunity to help build Enterprise’s business, opening and overseeing numerous AUGUST, 2021
UCANE Board Member Erik Sveden C. N. Wood Company, Inc. locations around the Boston area throughout the 90s. But my passion for heavy equipment and the construction industry never faded, and I landed with Southworth Milton in 2001. I started in sales, then managed their rental alliance business, launched and ran the Challenger compact tractor business, then moved my family to Central NY to start and run the Agricultural business. Six years later, I was asked to move back to MA to launch and run their Vocational Truck business, which I did until CAT exited their on-highway venture in 2016. I then oversaw the large/key account sales force for MA/ RI until leaving and joining C. N. Wood Company, Inc.. I started with C. N. Wood as Director of Sales just over seven months ago, after nearly 20 years with Milton CAT. C. N. Wood is an outstanding organization, our team is top notch, and I couldn’t be happier. I’ve enjoyed every challenge and opportunity over the past 20+ years, and I look forward to working with the C. N. Wood team for many years to come! continued on page 37
“BUY FROM THE ADVERTISERS IN CONSTRUCTION OUTLOOK”
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