Chris Moore
Certified Operator Instructor
Chris Moore is a Certified Operator Instructor and has been with Gregory Poole Equipment Company for over 10 years after joining the company in 2013. He holds Articulated Truck, Off-Highway Truck, Hydraulic Excavator, Wheel Loader, and Skid Steer, Multi-Terrain, and Compact Track Loader machine certifications. Chris decided to become an instructor to share the knowledge he has gained throughout his career and has been an educator for over six years. He received his CIAP Certification through Caterpillar.
Growing up, Chris could always be found working on equipment repair projects, and he had a strong interest in figuring out how things work. While he enjoys working on all equipment models, some of his favorites include excavators and skid steer loaders. Outside of work, he enjoys spending time with his family and friends, hunting, fishing, and working on home projects.
Garrett Poplin
Certified Operator Instructor
Garrett Poplin has been a Certified Operator with Gregory Poole since 2018. He originally joined the Gregory Poole team in 1991, but his professional work in the industry dates back to 1988, and while growing up he spent time doing farm equipment repairs. Before becoming a Certified Operator Instructor, Garrett advanced in multiple roles at Gregory Poole including as a Senior Shop Technician, Skills Development Instructor, and Technology Specialist.
For Garrett, a highlight of working as an instructor is sharing what he has learned throughout his professional experience with apprentice students. His favorite equipment to work on includes a Cat 299D3 Compact Track Loader and a 963 Track Loader. When not at work, Garrett can be found attending Carolina Hurricanes games as a season ticket holder, and he enjoys offshore fishing, and deer, duck, and turkey hunting.
Gerald Tew
Skills Development Instructor
Gerald Tew has been with Gregory Poole Equipment Company for 18 years and an educator for eight of those years. Currently a Skills Development Instructor, Gerald has also worked as a Shop Technician, Technician II, and Technician I with the company. He was motivated to become an instructor with Gregory Poole after working as an instructor for the Division of Community Colleges and in the National Guard.
He believes future technicians should be self-motivated and willing to adapt to new technology, and his joy in seeing students learn and grow makes teaching a natural fit. Out of all the equipment he has worked on at Gregory Poole, Gerald enjoys working with Cat hydraulic excavators the most. In his free time, Gerald likes spending time at the lake with his family and traveling with his wife across the country to watch their granddaughter play softball.
Trent Jones
Skills Development Instructor
Trent Jones is a Skills Development Instructor, and before becoming an instructor he worked as a Component Specialist in Gregory Poole’s specialization shop. A graduate of the Caterpillar ThinkBIG program, Trent decided to become an instructor because he loves learning new things and teaching it to others. In 2023, he traveled to Melbourne, Australia to compete in the Dealer Top Apprentice Program, an international competition that recognizes top technician talent. Representing Gregory Poole and ThinkBIG, Trent placed second in his category.
Recently, Trent has taken an interest in learning about the new Cat 255 and 265 compact track loaders, and he looks forward to helping customers with these machines. Outside of work, Trent enjoys learning about interesting and obscure pieces of history.
Brian Jackson
Certified Dealer Instructor
Brian Jackson grew up in the construction industry due to his father being a road building superintendent, and he now works as a Certified Dealer Instructor in Gregory Poole’s Heavy Equipment Operator Training Program after becoming an instructor in 2015. He joined Gregory Poole 20 years ago and worked as a Field and Shop Technician before becoming an instructor. Prior his work at Gregory Poole, Brian served in the US Army and later worked as an equipment operator.
Brian’s goal as an instructor is to set future technicians up for success by passing on the knowledge he has learned throughout his career, and he believes the technician career path is a great fit for those who enjoy being a problem solver. His favorite machines to work on and operate are dozers and motor graders.
Paul Scotece
Skills Development Instructor
Paul Scotece is a Skills Development Instructor with Gregory Poole Equipment Company and Gregory Poole Lift Systems. He has worked as an instructor at Gregory Poole for eight years and has 16 years of experience as an educator. Outside of his experience as a certified instructor, Paul worked as a field technician, and he also has two decades of experience in the automotive and truck industries. Some of Paul’s career highlights include winning national awards for customer service and Fix right 1st time and winning Technician of the Year.
Because he wants the next generation of technicians to have the tools to succeed, Paul chose to become an instructor to be the educator he needed while coming up in the industry. He takes pride in fixing something broken back to its original functionality, and he enjoys working on any type of equipment that moves earth, flattens landscapes, digs, or crushes. Outside of work, Paul holds several hobbies including rocketry, DIY projects, playing harmonica, and grassroots racing.