Welcome to “Meet the Team,” Midland’s Lens on Who We Are Today
What emerged in the spring of 2020 and continues into 2021 is a new style of working that straddles the need to stay safe while allowing us to continue to do what we’ve done for the past 56 years.
It takes talented, dedicated people to do that — and we’d like you to meet them. They are the men and women who build and engineer your cabinetry, who walk you through the process and schedule appointments, who manage our accounting and sales departments, who install our products.
As part of our ongoing “Meet the Team” introductions, say hello today to Midland Project Manager, Gene Crouch.
How long have you worked at Midland?10 years this past January.
What inspired you to get into the woodworking profession? Where did you get your training?
The idea of making something with your hands was inspiring as a kid, so when the chance came to take woodshop class in middle school, I jumped at it.
Most of my shop training came from on-the-job training with journeymen craftsmen that I worked with over the years. Later in my career I took a deeper interest in the AutoCAD world and took some classes to get the basic concepts down, and then continued my training on the job, under the tutelage of skilled draftsmen and project managers!
Where are you from, originally? What do you like most about the SF Bay Area?
I have grown up in a 50-mile radius of the San Francisco Bay Area, including Tracy, Santa Cruz, San Francisco, and San Mateo. I enjoy the weather, the people, and the endless things to do within a short travel distance. It is a unique place!
When not at work, what do you like to do on your days off? Do you have a hobby or special interest?
I enjoy spending time with my wife and two boys. I enjoy hiking, traveling, sports, and golfing.
What are some of the things you like to do with your family? Are there games or outings that you enjoy?
My wife, Erin, and I enjoy traveling as a family and building memories with our boys.
We enjoy backpacking, hiking, board games, watching sports, playing sports, watching movies, and getting together with friends and family.
What’s your favorite movie? Or a favorite book or song?
I am a student of the Bible and enjoy learning and reading from it. There are so many lessons to learn from it that help with everyday life and the challenges we as humans face. It helps with how we act, how we treat others, and how to be a loyal person, good father and good husband.
Where do you like to go on vacation, or where would you like to go on vacation someday? And why?
Hawaii, Disneyland, New York, Yosemite, and anywhere in the Sierra. We plan on going to Greece and Italy, to enjoy the people and culture, but really there are so many places to visit in the world, it’s hard to just pick one.
