Meet the Team Spotlight: Ray Ebbs
An industry veteran with over 50 years of experience, San Diego native Ray Ebbs is a true superstar mentor for Cutting Edge Supply’s outside sales team. In his current Field Sales Support role, Ray travels across our six locations for ride-alongs with the team, ensuring that his vast knowledge gets passed down to newer members of our sales force.
“Ray is a valued and experienced member of our team,” said Vice President of Sales Hoby Brenner. “He has guided much of the sales team and truly embodies what it means to be a mentor. It’s an asset for us to have him out in the field with our team, passing on the baton so to speak.”
Ray is also the consummate team player, ready to pitch in wherever needed—whether it be filling in for a salesman on PTO, researching and identifying parts, creating templates or as a daily source of knowledge.
After spending 31 years at Industrial Parts Depot, Ray joined Cutting Edge Supply back in 2006, just as the company was expanding into the San Diego territory. Even then, Cutting Edge Supply’s team-oriented culture served to be an enticing factor.
“I was getting a little older and felt it was an opportune time to make a shift to something where I had more team support,” shared Ray. “Cutting Edge really takes care of the employees, and also I really appreciate the way they update the equipment needed to make the company better.”
As is the case for most salesmen, building meaningful relationships with customers through on-site visits has been critical to his success.
“Well I mean if they don’t like me and they don’t call me, I’m kind of up a creek,” he joked. “Fortunately, they still call me.”
In looking back over his storied career with CES, Ray shared one particularly special moment from an on-site visit to a California construction pit.
“We were talking to a guy that got off a loader, and I turned and looked and a few yards away four deer were laying under a crusher,” recalled Ray. “And the guy tells me how they come in all the time but don’t get in the way of the machines. And I just thought that was the coolest thing. I’ve never seen anything like that on a construction job in southern California.”
An outdoorsman at heart, the San Diego resident often takes his trailer to camp—anywhere from Mammoth, California to Duck Creek, Utah—and enjoys off-road riding. And with every mile on the road with CES, he’s constantly taking in the scenery and natural beauty.
“I was recently coming home from a ride-along in Reno, and I just love the beauty of the snow and water in the mountains,” he said.
Ray’s understanding of the industry coupled with his charismatic personality have proven him to be an invaluable asset to Cutting Edge Supply, especially for some of the younger sales staff.
“Ray’s extensive knowledge and experience coupled with his patience and genuine excitement to teach day in and day out made him the ideal person to learn from,” said Outside Sales Rep Chase Brenner, who joined the team in 2019. “I knew I could always call him with questions, and he would always be there to help. Ray is as good of a mentor as you could ask for.”
If you have a question about unique parts, the company itself or even camping, be sure to give Ray a call.