After earning his bachelor’s degree in business administration with a focus on marketing and management from Oklahoma State, Dodson set out to land a sales career in a fast-paced and evolving industry.

“During my senior year, I found a listing on the campus hiring system for a position as a territory manager in Oklahoma City,” he said. “It peaked my interest, and I thought it might be a great opportunity to jump into territory management early in my career in an industry that was rapidly changing.”

During his application process, he was invited to tour the facilities with Tim Davidson, Shearer Supply’s vice president of sales.

“Becoming a territory manager was an attractive position for me as a college graduate because I could quickly gain responsibilities and learn from seasoned and successful sales professionals.”

Dodson served as a territory manager in North Western Oklahoma, where he developed his management skills as well as learned the ins and outs of the industry. From there, he was promoted to area sales manager, where his responsibilities widened to overseeing sales operations in multiple territories throughout Oklahoma.

“In this role, I’ve been tasked with developing my personal leadership skills while helping the team achieve or continue building on success,” Dodson said. “Understanding and playing to the strengths of our organization is both the most challenging and rewarding aspect of my job.”

Regardless of age, Dodson insists every employee finding work in the HVACR industry must never stop learning.

“We are fortunate to work in an industry that is continuously evolving, so every opportunity should be taken to learn about whatever new developments are coming next,” he said. “When it comes to the next generation, I’d suggest they continue to develop themselves personally and professionally. Set goals and timeframes to achieve those goals, monitor your growth, and benchmark yourself against where you want to be.”

In the future, Dodson — who was recently named one of American Standard’s Top 10 Territory Managers — hopes to one day become Shearer Supply’s vice president of sales.

When not working the sales channels, Dodson can be found spending time with his wife and enjoying visiting the lake with family, friends, and his dogs.

“I truly enjoy what I do on a daily basis,” he said. “I enjoy the variety of responsibilities and love the industry’s fast pace. I strongly believe success is achieved through success in others.”

Every Wednesday, Distribution Trends magazine will feature a full profile on one of its 2018 Top 40 Under 40 winners. To see the list in its entirety, visit http://bit.ly/DT2018Top40. To see each of the full Top 40 features, visit http://bit.ly/DT2018Top40U40.