Jared (left) and John (right) Sinarski
Jared and John Sinarski provide us with another great example of a successful father/son duo at Ohio CAT. John Sinarski is the Product Support Manager at the Cleveland headquarters for Ohio CAT and his son, Jared Sinarski, is an Inside Rental Representative for the Ohio CAT Rental Store in Cleveland. John said, “I was always interested in working with my hands. Build cars, motorcycles and repaired the neighborhood vehicles and lawn equipment. Just out of high school I was offered a job in the construction industry. That was 43 years ago.” Jared got his start in “the residential side of the construction industry.” He said, “I sold windows to residents of Northeast Ohio for a couple of years before joining Ohio CAT earlier this year.” Both have enjoyed working in the industry and share their experiences working for the same company below:
What is the role that family played in your decision to join the construction industry?
Jared – I honestly do not believe I would have gotten involved in the construction industry if it wasn’t for family. My Dad has been involved in the industry for a while and I have an uncle who was a contractor that I used to work with on jobs all around Northeast Ohio. I guess you can say construction is something I have always been around and became comfortable with thanks to those two. My dad was actually the one to convince me to come over to Ohio CAT and join this part of the industry on the machinery side. Family definitely played a big role for me in joining the construction industry.
John – I also believe they play a large role. They are part of what you see daily and their reaction to their life choices are right there as well. I also believe it doesn’t need to be immediate family. It can be close friends and their family. That was how I became interested. My uncle and a close friend’s father. Both were a very large influence.
How have you incorporated family into your job/work/passion?
Jared – Well, my dad has been with Ohio CAT for a few years now. I feel like just by sharing the same last name, family became pretty involved with work. A common introduction from most people I met here when I first started was “Are you John’s son?” With him being such a celebrity here I can say it motivates me to be the best I can be. I don’t want anything negative getting back to him I can tell you that!
John – I am not sure celebrity is the best term………..but I will take it. To answer your question, who wouldn’t want to have a family member with them at work? No one understands each other better. At the end of the day they realize and appreciate what each of them do even more. When you are together, not on the job, you can share stories and most of the time laugh a little.
In what ways do you see “family” show up in construction?
Jared – Family shows up everywhere throughout construction. I find it amazing how many customers I talk to or people I know, who got into the construction industry because of family. Owners of construction companies are now getting their children involved because they will be the ones taking over eventually. Family excavation companies where the younger generation is now operating the machines. Children following in their family members footsteps and learning the various trades of the industry. If you ever look up the history of some of the companies out there, you find out they go back for a few generations. Even here at Ohio CAT we have a few family duos I can think of. I do not think it is a coincidence.
John – I also believe that hard work can be contagious. Family members want to carry their portion of the load. It could be love, concern or just plain dedication to success. The complimenting factor is trust. On the machine or in the office.
Would you say that you believe family plays an important role in building the future of construction and why?
Jared – I absolutely believe family plays a role in building the future of construction. When you have a family member involved in construction, you develop an appreciation for the industry that others might not have. Construction is hard work but I think it is pretty rewarding when the job is done and you can say you were a part of that project. As we progress in life and are trying to figure out what we are going to do with ourselves for careers, it is easy to follow in the footsteps of a family member in the industry because you already know about it. Just by being around them you start to learn the tricks of the trade and get comfortable with the profession. I have to believe that is how many people throughout the construction industry ended up becoming a part of it.
John – Back to sharing. The more senior employee may not see the benefit to new ways and refuse to look because of “How it has always been done”. Much easier for a younger family member to introduce new technology.
What are some of the perks/benefits to working alongside a family member?
Jared – Well, he runs the service department here. So I am usually bothering him about the status of machines in the shop so I can get them back out on rentals. I guess you could say I have an “inside guy” for information. In all seriousness though, I feel pretty lucky having my dad around at work. I will admit I was a bit nervous when I first started, sharing the same place of work with your dad can be a little nerve-racking. You don’t want to make him look bad! But overall it has been nothing but positive and enjoyable working alongside him. He is always a phone call, email, or a stop in his office away to help me if I have any questions or need an explanation on something. There is always that comfort factor of asking help from your dad.
John – Just being part of their growth and contributing to their knowledge.
Do you have any memorable stories about working with a family member in the construction industry?
Jared – My Dad used to be a mechanic at a paving company here in Northeast Ohio. I remember at a very young age tagging along with him to work somedays and just being enamored with all of the machinery. He would be working on some equipment inside the shop and I would be out in their yard exploring trucks and the different machines all day. As I got older some of the drivers for the company would pay me a few bucks to wash their trucks. At 10/11 years old $25 dollars was a lot of money to me! I find it funny looking back at old experiences you thought nothing of at the time and seeing how they contributed to who you are today.
John – We tend to have projects going all the time. Jared had never had the opportunity to run an excavator. During one of those projects I turned him loose. It was fun to see how quickly he started to get the operation of the machine and then the appreciation of those talented operators.
