Anchor Medical is so happy to add Tom Packard to our group of sales professionals.
Tom is the proud father of three children: Davis, 21, Lily, 17 and Alex, 13. The family lives in the beautiful, coastal atmosphere of St. Simon’s Island, Georgia, where Tom moved at the age of four. “I loved the area, the outdoors. As kids growing up, we loved to be out in the marsh fishing, hunting, camping and taking full advantage of the area.”
He grew up running around hotels, his family managing and cooking at several of the high-end resorts on the island. Exposed to the world of food and hospitality, Tom followed in his parent’s footsteps after graduating from the University of Georgia, working in resorts and owning a restaurant in the popular Village area of St. Simon’s. His last job in the field highlighted how difficult it was to move up in a physically demanding environment. Tom has been a wheelchair user for over thirty years, and he just wasn’t finding the management opportunities that would allow him to advance.
A friend that he met in rehabilitation in 1989 had stayed in touch and offered Tom an opportunity in catheter sales. He was getting tired of the grind of hospitality with work on all the holidays and long hours, “I was at a point where I felt like I wasn’t going anywhere. I increased sales in my department at work, but didn’t have the opportunity to move up. My friend called and I thought to myself, I know quadriplegics and I know catheters, so I said, ‘yes’.”
He took the position, even though it meant moving to Atlanta. It was a big change for his children that stayed in St. Simon’s with their mother, but they supported their father’s new career. He was happy to have a new challenge, “I loved every minute of hospitality, but breaking away from it was a breath of fresh air.”
Catheter sales was a natural fit for Tom, but he began to miss his life on the coast. He not only had left his family, but also a large group of friends, some even dating back to his high school years. Anchor Medical had a job opening that would allow him to move back home and in September of this year, he took that position.
Tom appreciates Anchor Medical’s philosophy of helping customers have a ‘better life’. Whether this is through good medical products to keep them healthy or peer support to help ease anxiety during a tough time of transition, the whole staff dedicates each day to customer service. Tom is no different, “When I talk to people and let them know I’m also in wheelchair, they want to know if I drive, if I have a family, where I did rehab. The catheters become less important. People want to talk. When they become comfortable with me, the tough things are easy to talk about, like ostomy or catheters.”
He’s found old friends and new as he travels through his territory in Georgia. Tom concentrates on bringing the newest products to his customers and adding value wherever he can, “It’s not just selling that I like about this job. It’s the peer support, advocacy and the talking that I love. I may have a 45-minute conversation with someone. I want to build relationships with my customers for the long term.”
Call the office today to get in touch – 1-833-667-8669.
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