We’re excited to introduce the newest member of our Survey-Geomatics team, John Claytor! John has 10 years of experience in survey, CAD, and GIS work. He has worked for both private and municipal organizations in Oklahoma and North Carolina. John is a graduate of Northeastern State University with a degree in Geography and Environmental Science. He and his wife recently purchased a home in Cape Elizabeth.
Please join us in welcoming John and his family to Sebago Technics and the great State of Maine!
Where did you grow up and what other places have you lived in throughout your life?
I grew up in Northwestern Arkansas – the Ozarks region. I have lived in Alabama, Arkansas, Oklahoma (Tahlequah & OKC), Savannah, Georgia, Charlotte, North Carolina, and now Cape Elizabeth, Maine!
Favorite place(s) to go in Maine?
I really enjoy the Blue Hill and Penobscot Bay areas. Belfast is a pretty cool place as well.
What three traits define you?
Dependable, predictable, adventurous.
What was your very first job, and what did you learn from it?
Washing dishes at our local country club in Fort Smith, Arkansas. I learned that the restaurant and food industries were not for me.
What is your favorite part of the type of work that you do?
I think the matching of the outdoors and technology is ideal; it attracts a particular personality type that I enjoy being surrounded by and associated with.
What was your journey like to get where you are?
Exhausting… My partner’s family lives in Cape Elizabeth and we have been trying to find the right timing and conditions to make the move this way for several years now. COVID set us back a few years but we finally made it and plan on making the most of it.
What are your hobbies outside the office?
I am very into gardening and permaculture – most weekends in the spring, summer, and fall will involve plants and dirt. Hiking and fishing with my buddy (dog) Darwin is where I can be found if not messing with the garden.
What inspired you to work for Sebago Technics?
Being an employee-owned business was a big factor in our decision. Coming from a larger city (Charlotte) I also appreciated the size of the company. It’s large enough to have great resources but small enough I didn’t need to catch a plane to speak with the administration.
Favorite thing to do in Maine?
Spending time outside with family – anything outside really.
If you had to eat one meal, every day for the rest of your life, what would it be?
I really enjoy brown beans and cornbread, also could probably eat cheap, boxed spaghetti just about any day of the week.
Top three life highlights?
Hiking large portions of the Appalachian Trail, enjoying a profession with my College Degree, and moving to the Maine coast.
Do you have a hidden talent? If so, tell us about it!
I can play the didgeridoo.
If you were an animal what would you be and why?
Dog for sure. They are loyal, simple, and forgiving. Things we should all strive to be better at.
Where would you like to go on a dream vacation?
Nepal.
Favorite Holiday and why?
Halloween. I love the fall, old horror films, and the changing seasons. Growing up in the south it was a sign the heat of summer was finally going to break.
What is the best concert you attended?
I saw Widespread Panic play with Trey Anastasio (lead singer of Phish) to close out the Bonnaroo Music Festival in 2008. It was my first concert my parents let me go/drive to without supervision.
Tell us something that might surprise us about you.
My entire family lives in Oklahoma.
What are your favorite ways to enjoy the outdoors with friends and family?
BBQ, smoker Saturdays during college football season, and porch sitting with a nice glass of whisky.
When you think about working at Sebago Technics, what makes you proudest or most excited?
Sebago has a wonderful reputation in the region. I can talk to anyone about my company and they know who we are, what our trucks look like, and more likely than not have been affected by a project we are doing or have done, so that’s pretty cool.
