industry insider
Trey Nichols
Executive Vice President
Silverline Solutions
Describe your current role at your company.
As one of the cofounders and a member of the leadership team at Silverline Solutions, I work across many different aspects of the company. A big part of my role is making sure everything we do stays aligned with our mission, core values and commitment to providing exceptional service. I speak with customers regularly, which gives me a direct understanding of the challenges they are facing and where technology can make a meaningful difference in their businesses. I also play a key role in the software and product side of Silverline. I spend a lot of time identifying opportunities where technology can improve efficiency, profitability and overall operational performance for propane and fuel companies.
What would surprise someone about the work you do?
Just how industry-specific our work really is. From the outside, it can look like we simply provide software solutions and IT services like cloud hosting, cybersecurity, IT support and so on; but in reality, the work goes much deeper than that. To support a propane company well, you have to understand how the business operates. That means understanding dispatch, deliveries, customer service, trucks, communications and how all of those areas affect one another. Technology touches nearly every part of the operation, so when something changes or fails, the impact can extend far beyond IT. If you don’t understand the industry and how those pieces connect, even a seemingly small technology decision can create significant operational disruption.
What advice do you have for someone coming into the industry?
Listen, learn and build relationships. One of the greatest strengths of the propane industry is its people. There are so many knowledgeable, experienced professionals who have spent years serving their communities, and I have a tremendous amount of respect for them. Take time to learn from the people who do the work every day. You can learn something from everyone. ... There is an incredible amount of institutional knowledge in this industry, and the more you listen, the more you understand how all the pieces fit together.
What industry development or opportunity are you most excited about?
The easy answer would be to call out AI — but none of us really know where that is going to take us right now (or the dangers it poses, as well). What excites me most is seeing more companies recognize the value of using their data to make smarter, faster business decisions. There is a tremendous difference between looking at a report at the end of the month after everything has already occurred versus having near real-time insight and the ability to drive meaningful change. That kind of agility through visibility can have a real impact on efficiency, profitability, customer service and overall performance. The real opportunity is bringing information together, identifying what actually requires someone’s attention and helping people make better decisions from it. AI, predictive analytics and operational intelligence will certainly play a role in that future, but they need to be implemented thoughtfully. There is a lot of excitement around AI right now, and understandably so, but companies also need to consider security, privacy and how these tools are being used.
What or who motivates you?
The “what” and the “who” are really intertwined for me. My family has always been a major driving force in my life, and they continue to motivate me in everything I do. Our employees at Silverline are another big part of that. I want Silverline to be a place where people feel like they are part of something meaningful, where they have the opportunity to succeed, grow and truly thrive. Our customers’ success motivates me tremendously. Nothing drives me more than knowing our customers are protected, supported and well taken care of. I love hearing their success stories, whether they come from the software we’ve developed, the cloud hosting we provide or the support our team delivers every day. Knowing that our work has made a real difference in someone’s business is incredibly rewarding.
How would you spend an unexpected day off?
What’s a day off? I’m kidding, of course. If I had an unexpected day off (and assuming my wife didn’t hand me a honey-do list), I’d probably take my family and my dogs somewhere that has a trail or boardwalk beside the water to where we could just enjoy spending time together and have a nice meal together. That sounds like a pretty perfect day to me!
