Meet the Team Spotlight: Brian Hernandez

Outside Sales Rep Brian Hernandez is enjoying his second stint working for Cutting Edge Supply, having returned to the company in 2020 for a full-time position with the sales team.   

 

Certified in structural steel welding, Brian originally joined CES in 2001 to work in the repair shop. 

 

“I had worked for a while as a welder at Buerger Brothers Construction, but wound up not actually doing much welding for CES,” said Brian. “Instead, I started out running the tungsten carbide inlay machines and working in the yard receiving parts and putting them away. I worked my way up from there to the purchasing department and then to inside sales and outside sales part-time.”

 

In 2006, Brian left to take a full-time outside sales position with Steel Unlimited Inc. He spent the next 11 years there selling GET before moving on to work in equipment sales for a few years. 

 

“I always wanted to do what was right for my customers so whenever there was something that my companies didn’t carry that I knew Cutting Edge did, I would still refer customers back to Cutting Edge,” said Brian. “I knew CES did so many unique things and it was always about looking out for my customers’ best interest.”

 

Throughout that period, Brian also remained in contact with Cutting Edge salesman Jerome Morris. As Jerome neared retirement, he would put in calls to Brian to see if he’d have any interest in filling his shoes.  

 

“I always told him I’d be interested if the timing was right,” said Brian. “In early 2020, he called me up and said the day had come and wanted to know if it was okay for him to throw my name in the hat to the Brenner’s (ownership),” said Brian. “I met with the family shortly after he did so, and then came back to work for them in February.”

The SoCal native helps cover the High Desert area —Lucerne Valley all the way over to Mojave including Victorville, Lancaster and Hesperia. His key approach to building and maintaining relationships with his customers is his 24-7 availability. 

 

“I don’t always have great service in certain parts of my area, but I answer my phone regardless of what time of day it is,” he said. “I get a lot of responses from customers saying, ‘Oh, I didn’t actually expect you to pick up this late or get back to me tonight,’ but I never shut my phone off.  

 

“Also, my customers know when I tell them I am going to do something, I am going to take care of it directly, especially when I know they are in a bind. Whether that’s dropping something off, or picking something up, I’ll get it done.”

 

On the personal front, Brian and his wife have two sons and a daughter. The family enjoys camping – whether it’s in the middle of nowhere or a park with trailers. He’s also in a Sunday night bowling league. 

 

“My wife and I used to bowl together, but she gave it up and so now it’s just me,” said Brian. “There are days where you are just on fire and then days you wish you didn’t even show up but I love it.”