Scott Wilshire
Management Services Committee Member
United Industrial Group
The transition of leadership in an electric motor repair shop is both an ending and a beginning. When an experienced shop manager who has dedicated over 40 years to a company retires, their departure is impactful. The experience, historical knowledge and ingrained processes built over decades are invaluable. At the same time, a thoughtful succession plan—such as hiring a new manager one year before the retirement of the veteran employee—can turn the process into a positive, future-focused evolution.
Continuity Through Overlap
Our company, United Industrial Group in Washington, Pennsylvania, knew of Mark Reinhardt’s planned retirement well in advance and made the decision to hire his replacement over a year before Mark’s retirement date. This allowed Mark to be both a participant in the selection and hiring of the new shop manager and also allowed a significant overlap period for mentoring and the transfer of knowledge and experience. After an exhaustive interview process where several candidates were vetted, United Industrial Group selected Steve Youst as our new shop manager. Steve came to us with over 20 years of experience in steel manufacturing and mining, and while he had not managed an EASA-accredited shop, he did have a wide range of experience in other areas including leadership positions.
We also took this opportunity to create an operations manager position to supplement the shop manager’s role. During the overlap period, Mark worked with Steve and Operations Manager Jordan Mersky on specific things they would need to know. Mark shared with Steve and Jordan the subtle nuances of the shop’s operations—from the intricacies of electric motor diagnostics to the culture of the workforce. This overlap greatly reduced the risk of operational disruptions and helped to preserve the institutional memory that might otherwise be lost.
New Ideas
While the retirement of a long-time shop manager represents the loss of experience, it also opens doors to fresh thinking. A new leader brings different experiences gained in related industries and can introduce updated practices, ideas and new technologies. Fresh perspectives can uncover inefficiencies or inspire product and service innovations that an employee with long-standing routines may have overlooked. After Mark’s official retirement, Steve and Jordan brought a renewed energy into the shop, revitalized team dynamics and helped attract younger talent. The “we’ve always done it that way” mentality quickly shifted to more openness to try new ideas and to solicit these ideas from all sources, including the mechanics who do the work. Steve introduced a culture of teamwork where the old approach had been on an individual basis. This difference was clearly noticeable when walking through the shop. In the past, mechanics worked on their own; now it is not uncommon to see people teaming up on jobs with a more visible sharing of knowledge and mechanics working together. This has resulted in better turnaround times and, surprisingly, fewer hours on both inspections and repairs.
Balancing Change and Respect for Legacy
Change must be balanced with respect to what has come before. Long-term employees often hold deep loyalty to the retiring manager and the systems built over decades. Abrupt or sweeping changes can create resistance or lower morale. Our approach has been to acknowledge and honor Mark’s prior contributions while gradually introducing new methods. Maintaining some familiar routines while explaining the reasons for new initiatives has helped the team embrace innovation without feeling that their history is being erased.
Managing the Loss of Experience
No matter how well-planned, the loss of a 35-year veteran inevitably means some knowledge will not be captured—those subtle problem-solving instincts that come only from decades of hands-on work. To mitigate this, structured processes are critical and United Industrial Group is working to develop more detailed standard operating procedures and troubleshooting guides. Mark’s retirement came at the same time that EASA introduced Eddy, the artificial intelligence large language model. Eddy’s launch was well timed and now is being regularly used by our shop staff to get routine questions answered, supplementing communication directly with EASA’s technical staff. Utilizing EASA’s AI assistant has significantly helped in bridging knowledge gaps.
Looking Ahead
Ultimately, the transition of an electric motor repair shop manager is both a challenge and an opportunity. With careful planning, open communication and respect for the past, the shop can emerge stronger. Our shop has. As an owner, I had significant concerns about our transition, but my concerns proved to be unfounded. Mark’s legacy as the retiring manager has provided a stable foundation, while Steve and Jordan’s energy and ideas have helped propel our business forward. Embracing both continuity and change ensures that the shop not only maintains its hard-earned reputation for quality and reliability but also adapts to meet the demands of a changing industry.
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