Community
Transit began operations in 1976, 42 years ago. 2019 marks a milestone; On
April 16, Community Transit celebrated body shop lead Gerry Martin as the first
employee to achieve 40 years of service to the agency.
Originally
from Winthrop, Washington, Martin left his hometown where he worked for the
Forestry Service to come to western Washington. In 1979 he was hired to perform
preventative maintenance on Community Transit buses.
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| Body shop lead Gerry Martin |
Flash
forward 40 years and now Martin is the lead of the agency body shop. Some of
his duties include repairing buses, providing estimates for repairs and new bus
preparation, including the installation of graphics. Martin has also been
instrumental in the design and overall look of the agency buses over the years.
When
Martin reflects on his time spent with the agency and what’s changed, he says
that technology in the industry has changed quite a bit.
“Buses
are so computerized, and along with that goes the technology of the technicians
working on them and their knowledge,” said Martin.
But
he’s not stuck in the past, he has a strong appreciation for new technology and
the new batch of younger employees entering the industry. “They’re so
technical. I love it,” said Martin.
While
Martin takes pride when he sees an agency bus on the road, you might be
surprised to learn what kept him around for 40 years has less to do with the
actual work and more to do with the people he works with.
“After
40 years it’s a family,” Martin said. The one thing that he says hasn’t changed
is the comradery. “It’s always been strong, it’s always been great.”
Martin
says it’s the strong relationships with his team at Community Transit that kept
him returning day after day, year after year.
Can
you imagine working for the same agency for 40 years? What are the factors that
would be most important in your decision to stay for decades?
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