A recruiting fair for military veterans leads to a rewarding career for Chase Barber, who recently moved into a field service PSM role

Aircrafts are often essential to military missions, so keeping them in top shape is critical. During Chase Barber’s service in the Navy, he repaired everything from helicopters to C-130 Hercules turboprops.

“I grew up working on machinery — my grandfather’s tractors, go-karts, motorcycles, lawn mowers, cars. You name it,” recalled Barber. “That gave me a good background I could apply to the military aircraft. Of course, those were more critical and technical.”

After leaving the service, Barber attended a job fair where he was recruited by several companies who wanted to put his skills to use. The one that stood out to him the most was a heavy equipment distributor.

“I believed I could relate to that the best,” he said. “I also had some friends who were service techs that told me what a rewarding career it can be. They suggested I give it a try. I started out in the shop, but I knew that eventually I would transition to field service. The idea of my own truck was really appealing.”

Barber eventually got his wish and quickly realized it was everything he expected. “Being on‑site and getting that immediate positive feedback after helping somebody get up and running again is great. The customer appreciates it, and you can’t wait to do it again.”

Moving up

Barber brought his skills to Kirby-Smith Machinery Inc.’s Fort Worth, Texas branch about five years ago. It was a return home after several years in southern Texas, and he liked the idea of working for Kirby-Smith.

“I had friends who worked here, and they told me what a great company it is,” said Barber. “Kirby-Smith invests in its employees with training and cares about you as a person. One of the things that really stood out to me was the advancement opportunities.”

Barber recently got his chance to move up, taking on the role of field service product service manager. He’s now responsible for scheduling service calls, dispatching field techs, communicating with customers on work order statuses and more.

“It’s a nice mix of customer interaction and helping technicians, which is important to me after being in that role myself,” said Barber. “I’m trying to get others interested in becoming a service tech and a career with Kirby-Smith. It’s definitely rewarding.”

Chase Barber likes to spend time with his wife and daughter. He also enjoys fishing, especially chasing crappies.