ILMA Compoundings - July 2019 - 40

PORTRAIT
Greg Forsythe
Director of Business Development,
Forsythe Lubrication
"Being fifth-generation in a family business,
there is a great deal of information and
experience coming at you very quickly
from a lot of different places. The one
piece of advice that remains a constant
in business and all aspects of my life is
something my grandfather taught me,
and that is always strive for a win-win.
His moral compass in business was very
strong and he believed success was based
on reputation: 'It's taken us over 100 years
to gain our reputation, and it can be lost
with one dishonest or unfair decision.'"

FINDING HIS OWN PATH
"There is always an amount of expectation or pressure put on
the upcoming generation when there is a family business. I've
seen it with friends over the years and have always thought it's
better to let people find their own path. My mother never put
pressure on me - she let me run out and experience the world,
other jobs, other potential career paths, maybe having faith I
would eventually find the family business.
"Forsythe Lubrication never did interest me when I was
younger; I had wanted to be a musician since I was 4 years old
and always loved drumming. I had a real passion for learning, writing, recording and playing in bands. In university, I
was a psychology major with a minor in percussion, installing
in-ground pools, and started two of my own businesses, while
recording and playing gigs in different bands."

A NEW PERSPECTIVE
"The real turning point for me was 2008-09, when the recession was hitting the U.S. and Canadian economy. My mentality
was either join the Forsythe team to help the family or continue drumming and working side jobs. The decision wasn't that
hard for me. Eventually, through trial and error and experiencing the world on my own, I knew Forsythe was an option that I
could really enjoy. I've always had an interest in the potential
of new ventures, new products and meeting new people.
Being able to think outside the box and not be held to constraints for new ideas is where my personality type thrives, and
Forsythe does give me that. I was able to spend time in other
industries, creating other career paths, and it gives you perspective as to how special the lubricants industry is. Another

JULY 2019

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quote that has always provided inspiration to me is something
I found in my grandfather's desk after he passed, a small
hand-written note that I now keep in my wallet: 'When your
back is against the wall, you get a full view of the whole room.'
Experience creates perspective, and perspective is everything."

OUTSIDE INTEREST
"I've always enjoyed biking. When I was young, I refused to
take the school bus and would bike to and from school, even
through the Canadian winters. Since then I've kept up on
biking more for fitness, just country rides and rail trails. Two
summers ago, I participated in The Ride to Conquer Cancer
with a close friend. We raised money for a good cause, covered
almost 250 kilometers in two days and enjoyed biking in torrential downpour for the last four hours of the ride - nothing
quite like a rooster tail of water coming up off your back tire
for the last leg of the race! Being able to spend time outside
and stay active is very important to me. Next on the chopping
block: Tour de France."

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ILMA Compoundings - July 2019

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