As a company built on values, technical expertise, and a commitment to delivering an exceptional client experience, we’re always looking for new ways to improve our noise and vibration control products and services. Achieving that goal takes the right combination of innovation and collaboration. In our case, we’re proud to say that the Parklane team has driven our business growth and success for nearly 30 years.
We’re very fortunate to have a company that’s home to some of the best industry professionals in our field. From engineers and CAD designers to our manufacturing team and installers, their commitment to excellence is unwavering. It’s because of their hard work that our company continues to thrive—so much so that we’ve added several new team members in recent months.
That got us thinking: Why not introduce our new team members, while also featuring stories about employees that have worked with Parklane for years? That inspired the idea of our Meet the Parklane Team Q&A blog series.
In this first installment, we’d like to introduce you to Conor Downe, our Canadian National Sales Manager. As we expand our business across North America—including an expansion of our vibration and isolation restraint systems product and service capabilities with the signing of an exclusive new distribution partnership with Mason Industries for Eastern Canada—Conor will be instrumental in helping to drive our growth and success in the years ahead. We recently took the time to ask Conor about his new role, his industry experience and why he chose to join the Parklane team:
Key info
Team member: Conor Downe
Position: Canadian National Sales Manager
Education: Studied Construction Technology at Virginia Tech and Business Administration at Conestoga College
When he’s away from the office: Conor loves spending time with his family. You can usually find him shuttling kids between school, lessons and any number of team practices
Can you tell us about your professional background?
In a previous life, I worked on the pre-construction and design-build side for high-rise and commercial construction firms. My job was to help manage large-scale projects from the conceptual design all the way through to construction completion. I would ensure that the customer requirements were included within the proposed design and then value-engineer the project to minimize costs, while maintaining a focus on the client’s needs. It was really about taking a customer’s idea and spearheading virtually every aspect of the process including design, permitting, contractor negotiations and, as we progressed, delivering the final product.
What’s your current role?
I oversee Canadian Sales and Strategy. I’m actively involved in supporting our partnerships with new and existing rep agencies, contractors and consulting partners across North America. In addition to those business development efforts, I run our estimating department operations and maintain workflow. With my construction management background, regardless of what stage of the project, I help facilitate our turnkey noise and vibration control solutions.
How does your past experience relate to this current role at Parklane?
I think it really speaks to our Parklane360 service philosophy when it comes to delivering design-build noise and vibration control solutions. I can work with clients such as facility owners—along with our internal manufacturing and engineering teams and general contractor and consulting partners—to determine project scope and important logistical details. It really helps to be able to confidently discuss all aspects of a job from mechanical to structural to electrical engineering considerations and even installation issues. The goal is to always be designing projects accurately, so that our clients have full cost certainty and aren’t faced with any surprises along the way.
What drew you to Parklane?
The idea of being a part of a second generation, family-run business focused on growth and innovation really appealed to me. No two days are the same because we’re always working to help our clients manage very complex challenges. We’re problem solvers first and foremost, and I thought that would be a great fit given my construction background on complex projects that require critical design and planning. Being able to work closely with our clients to customize solutions that address their needs—but to also help alleviate the business pressures that come with those unexpected site conditions—is really fulfilling.
What do you think is the most unique feature of Parklane’s culture?
I would say it’s the camaraderie. Everyone is committed to working collaboratively, problem-solving as a team and doing what’s right for our customers. We don’t work in silos and there are no egos. It’s really a culture built on helping each other succeed for the benefit of the company.
I have a large family and what struck me right away was the emphasis that Matt and Greg [Downey, Parklane’s President and Founder, respectively] put on work-life balance and maintaining a really engaged and supportive atmosphere. The focus is always on servicing our clients, but also making sure that we’re present in our home lives, as well. They allow all of their employees to excel in all aspects of our lives and I really appreciate that leadership.
Need to reach a Parklane team member to discuss your noise and vibration control challenges? Contact us now.