Employee Spotlight: Jay Mangrum

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Katie Meehan

Jay Mangrum began working at VSC in July of 1993. At the time, he was working at another sprinkler company and decided to apply to VSC because of the great things he heard about the company. He’s now been with VSC for 30 years, having worked as superintendent of VSC’s Inspection Deficiencies department for the past 10 years. 

His first job was painting houses and apartments during the summers as a 17-year-old. The lessons imparted on him at that job carried over into his professional life, as Jay considers his biggest achievements to be his commitment to hard work and quality craftsmanship — and the path he took at VSC from helper to superintendent. 

His favorite part of working for VSC is the teammates he works with everyday and the strong sense of community and comradery Jay’s team is known for.

Some of his favorite hobbies include golfing, hunting and watching his favorite football team, the Chicago Bears. Jay is planning a trip to Peru in October and is excited to cross an item off his bucket list. 

Notes from Jay’s Supervisor:
Gerald Howard’s first impression of Jay was that he was someone who was reliable.

The two first met after Gerald took over the superintendent position in the Deficiencies Department. Jay was working as the department’s foreman at the time. 

Gerald describes Jay’s work ethic as dependable, determined and focused. Whenever he takes a vacation, Gerald never worries because he knows Jay has things under control.  

“Jay is the guy you can always count on to be there,” said Gerald. “He is always trying to make sure the customer is happy with our services.”

When Gerald was promoted to manager of the Deficiencies Department a decade ago, he knew that Jay was his choice for the superintendent position. Jay’s understanding of how the culture has changed over the years has allowed him to adapt and manage the department’s younger generation and the older guys as well, something Gerald doesn’t take for granted. 

“He’s excelled at it as we’ve grown the department,” remarked Gerald. “He understands how to do the job that he sends each crew member to do and makes sure the new guys understand how VSC does the job, as opposed to how they may have done it somewhere else.”

When asked what advice he’d give to Jay, Gerald said, “just keep caring about how you do the job and don’t forget where you came from.” In five years, Gerald could see Jay working as the manager of the Deficiencies department. 

From Gerald and the entire VSC team, thank you for your hard work, Jay!