Josh Fair: “Chase People, Not Money.”
Early on in his career, Josh focused on chasing the next raise or title, but over time he learned that success comes from surrounding yourself with good people. In Josh’s words: “Chase people, not money.” He sees his work not just as running a company, but as helping employees to support their families, mortgages, tuition, car payments, and lives. “There’s not a lot of ‘I’ or ‘me’ in our team.”
As for the future of the industry, Josh tries to see the big picture as he looks ahead to 200 years from now and is excited about where the industry is headed regarding data centers, fabrication, and large-scale industrial growth. He also is passionate about the value of skilled trades, as they can provide excellent earning potential, strong careers, and upward mobility. “You can work hard, but it’s rewarding and you can get places.”
When Legence acquired IMD last December, it was very meaningful to Josh, as he has seen that the Legence team has proven to be an honest company, with integrity that has genuinely invested in IMD’s people and future. “To even be picked by Legence or to be acquired by a culture and a team was a milestone and a feather in our cap... It’s empowering – makes you want to fight harder every day.”
When asked about the challenges he had to overcome, Josh emphasized that nothing came easy and that challenges are just part of the process. As for advice he would give to those looking to start their own business, Josh said, “There’s no special sauce. It’s just not giving up and working hard.” No matter your title or industry, that’s advice we can all follow.
