Trevor Fearn’s path into the hardscaping industry began unexpectedly, growing from a part-time summer job into a thriving 25-year career. Today, as Vice President of Operations at CornerStone Wall Solutions, Fearn shares his story to highlight the wide range of opportunities within the hardscaping industry and why he feels driven to open doors for others.
From Forklift Driver to Vice President of Operations
Hardscaping was not part of Fearn’s long-term plan. After serving in the U.S. Marine Corps, he began working for a hardscape manufacturer in Salem, Oregon. His role as a forklift driver started as a summer job, and grew as he became more involved, as did his connection to the industry.
When the company called to offer him a full-time job during his junior year of college, he left school and never looked back. He moved from inside sales to managing a wholesale location to becoming an operations manager to residential and commercial sales to building showrooms.
“My plan was not to spend 25 years in this industry. I had other aspirations. But one of the cool things I found is you get elements of different jobs, different people, different customers that you get to talk to on a daily basis,” Fearn said. “…I went from driving a forklift part time to managing big pieces of the business. And I think that’s not just specific to my experience. If you talk to people in the industry, whether it’s on the sales side or manufacturing side or installation side, those opportunities exist across the board.”
In his current role, Fearn has gained more exposure to the hardscaping industry on a global scale. His days are often spent talking to customers and industry professionals from around the world. This role’s diverse responsibilities range from managing the company’s finances to conversations with hardscaping leaders from different corners of the world, like South Africa, Australia, and Ireland, among others.
Building Something Meaningful
Fearn believes hardscaping offers more than just a job — it provides a chance to build something meaningful.
“I drive by projects when I’m in Portland now that I sold 15-20 years ago. And I still remember elements of it — either the customer or the unique product that was used. It’s pretty cool,” Fearn said.
And he doesn’t just mean the projects themselves. The relationships built within the industry are another highlight for Fearn.
“Your customers that you see every day become friends. Friends to the point where, when I married my wife, one of my customers was a groomsman in my wedding,” he shared. “It’s where you can grow professional relationships, but also develop friendships that mature outside of the work environment.”
Fearn finds hardscaping to be a supportive industry where people are willing to share opportunities, knowledge and make lasting connections. He is passionate about continuing that tradition and paying it forward.
“You need people to open doors for you. You need people to reach out a hand and say, ‘Hey, look! I see that you’re passionate and you’re driven, and I want to help you,’” he said. “I had so many of those doors open for me in my career, which has enabled me to build a comfortable life for my family. But professionally, watching others succeed, there is really nothing better. And if you can help, that’s what I’m intrinsically attached to now.”
Hardscaping as a Teacher
To do so, Fearn tries to share his knowledge with the younger generation whenever possible.
“I started as a part time, seasonal worker and went on to manage large sales teams, building warehouses and showrooms. I didn’t know how to do that when I was driving a forklift. That was taught to me,” he said. “This industry can teach you anything.”
He encourages people getting into the industry or looking to move into a new area within the industry to be honest about what they know and what they don’t know. When he is hiring a new employee, Fearn says he always values authenticity over perfect answers.
“It’s okay that you don’t know everything. It’s actually better that you don’t. Don’t pretend. If you don’t know an answer to something say, ‘I don’t know’ or ‘I haven’t really thought about that. Let me get back to you,’ he said. “If somebody says to me, ‘I haven’t put a lot of thought into that. Let me follow up with you tomorrow’…and then you follow back up with me, that moves you to the top of the list!”
Advice for Aspiring Hardscapers
For those considering a career in hardscaping, Fearn’s advice is simple: keep your eyes wide open for opportunities. The career path in hardscaping isn’t linear and there isn’t just one way to do it.
“I didn’t finish college. This industry is littered with folks that didn’t go to college. Or maybe they went through junior college, or are folks that have a four-year degree or graduate degrees. And we all sit at the same table, making the same decisions,” Fearn said. “You don’t find that often.”
