PLANT MANAGER AT SWAROVSKI LIGHTING Hometown: Ellenburg Depot, New York
Age: 32
Education: Industrial Technology Degree
Community Involvement: Youth Sports Program Coach, Boy Scout Leader, IAM Advisory Board Member
Brock Trombley values leadership and puts his skills to good use both at work and within his community. He leads teams of employees on projects from safety to product quality to maintenance at Swarovski Lighting. He coaches youth sports, leads a Boy Scout troop and is a representative of manufacturing on the advisory board for the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing. He is proud to live in the North Country and appreciates that the rural nature of the region allows for personal connections both in business and within the community. Brock is involved in education, economic development and community-focused projects and says that the diversity of his experiences helps to inform his perspective so he can share it with others.
Brock coaches baseball and soccer as part of the town sports program. “I love being able to work with the kids and provide them a good learning experience for both skills and their ability to be coached. Also, I love being able to coach my son,” he emphasized.
Although he seems to enjoy his role at Swarovski, Brock said that his dream job would be as a super vehicle test driver since he loves to drive any kind of extreme machine. “The more horsepower the better.”
What are you doing to make a difference in your profession?
I am working on a shift from the “I” mentality to the “We” mentality. That means not only how we conduct business inside our companies, but also how we engage and work with others in business and in communities. At the end of the day, our businesses in the region, in the North Country specifically, need to work together to make the right decisions to foster technological, social and economic growth.
What’s the single most important characteristic for success?
Integrity is an essential characteristic for success in life and in business.
How do you maintain a work/life balance?
I have a strong commitment to the organization that I work for but I also enjoy my life outside of work. I have a wonderful wife and family who provide me with reasons to enjoy all of life’s great moments and allow me to take my mind away from the demands of work. My father always said, “We work hard but we play harder”.
What important lesson have you learned in your career?
Never stop learning and always take the opportunity to learn from all situations. When things go well, learn why and when things go badly, learn why.
What can the North Country do to make this region more appealing to a younger generation?
I believe there are a lot of great elements of the North Country that are not well publicized. We need to do a better job of advertising and making more people aware of these gems. For example, where would you go to learn about fishing in Lake Champlain or to learn about hiking? We need to work with our region’s political leaders, government officials and economic development agencies to help make these things more visible and create a hub for the sharing of information.
How do you contribute to the culture of your company?
Our company was founded on producing hand-crafted luxury lighting, which we continue to do today. We take great pride in the products we offer. Given the amount of human involvement that is required for our products and the processes to complete them, it is essential to place a priority on safety. I manage operations with a “safety always” culture in all aspects of what we do. We need to ensure our employees are coming to work and leaving in the same condition or better.
Write a note to your younger self…
Stop contemplating, it doesn’t accomplish anything. The solution to fear and uncertainty is action and learning. You are wasting your time when you are afraid to pursue an idea, speak up or are worried what others will think of you. This will stop you from achieving your goals. If nothing else, you will learn what not to do.