Meet Collin
Our team members come from diverse and experienced backgrounds in electrical training, and many have been in critical power for years. We pride ourselves on choosing the best people to service our customers to ensure that you get the most out of your equipment.
Collin Marks
Region: North East
Collin embodies what it means to “hit the ground running.” With ambition, curiosity, and extreme ownership at the forefront, he started a pursuit post-college to find a career he is truly passionate about. Today, he is helping build Mitsubishi Electric’s battery field service team and “loves it.” Dive in to Collin’s story and experiences – his motivation is infectious!
Certifications: OSHA 10, NFPA 70, CPR Certified
Field Trained: Samsung Lithium-ion batteries, EOL replacements for VRLA
Tell me about your professional background and your journey to working at Mitsubishi Electric today.
“In high school, my school offered a trade school program that I was fortunate enough to be part of. I learned commercial and residential electrical theory. It was super interesting.
I was going to do another year, but I decided not to after getting a swimming scholarship at VMI where I tried civil engineering. I was not very good at civil engineering.
I switched to international studies. I really enjoyed it and I learned a lot. I got a job in logistics and quickly learned it wasn’t for me.
So, I went back to being an electrician. And I enjoyed that for about 6 months but there were a lot of headaches. So, I looked around and applied at Mitsubishi Electric.
I talked to my [current] boss, Jason Swickard. We had a great conversation and he said, ‘We’re going to have a brand-new team here. It’s going to be the battery team.’ I asked what that would entail, and he said, ‘It’s going to be installing batteries, end of lives for batteries, and testing—you’ll be building this team.’
I took a shot and I got the job and I love it.”
During our previous conversations, you mentioned that in a short time at the company, you’ve learned a lot about batteries, UPS systems, and data centers. Is there one thing you learned that surprised you the most?
“Definitely the size of the batteries. My first job was a lithium-ion job, which I was very fortunate to do. Lithium-ion batteries are 30 lbs. each. And a job could be 1,000 batteries, so it’s a lot.
The VRLAs can be 150 lbs. each and then you have to put them on lifts. Most customers want all the serial numbers, so you get those, get them on the lift, test them, wire them all up – it takes a good bit.
I haven’t gone to a VLA battery site yet, but those can be 700-800 lbs. each. The volume of work definitely gets up there, but you’re usually working with four or five other people, so it’s not that bad.”
As you mentioned, the dedicated battery team at Mitsubishi Electric is a new, dedicated effort to better serve our customers. What do you see for the future of the team?
“Oh, I think it’s going to explode. There’s going to be so much work. There’s already so much work that we have available and there’s going to be a need for more people and training.
I truly believe this is going to be one of the bigger departments at Mitsubishi Electric because of the volume of work and the type of work that needs to be done.
Some batteries only have five-year warranties. Many have 10-year warranties. If you’re talking about flooded batteries, they go up to 20 years, but some go bad and need replacements.
Some of these batteries are 400 lbs. You can’t do that by yourself… Every single one of these data centers has a UPS and they have X number of batteries.
There’s always going to be work, and you’re going to need people that are skilled and able to travel to do that work.”
If a customer is looking to replace their VRLA batteries with lithium-ion, what advice would you give them and what can they expect working with Mitsubishi Electric?
“Mitsubishi Electric’s strongest point is our communication that we have with the customer.
You have the ability to talk to the technicians. You have the ability to talk to your coordinator. You have the ability to talk to your sales rep. You have the ability to talk to the engineers that are on staff.
There’s no area in which you can’t get a question answered.
Regarding advice, if it’s switching from VRLA to lithium-ion, you’ll be downsizing it. These systems are much, much smaller than your VLRA system.
We’ll have to figure out how the new batteries are going to connect to your old system – and we’re going to find a way to get that question answered.”
Are there any common misconceptions about batteries that you have come across?
“I had a question about how to turn off the batteries or how to protect yourself from being shocked. I have to reiterate that these batteries can’t be turned off. This is live voltage. This is something that me and my team and anyone else that’s in that room need to understand. This is something that you can’t play around with.
We’re following every procedure and manual as it is written. We take every precaution that we can. No one wants to get injured.”
How do you ensure the safety of yourself and those around you while working with electrical systems?
“Everything that we do is about safety. When I go to a site, I have to put in my paperwork stating that I’m going to be working on a live electrical equipment. All insulated tools, insulated gloves – and when I’m putting on fuses or final connections, a face shield and arc flash suit.
I talk to my team before we go into a job, so the expectations are there, and we cover the things we all need to be reminded of: Make sure you wear your gloves. Make sure you’re using the correct tools. Inspect your tools. If there’s a crack in your tool, ask someone else for a new piece of insulated equipment. Don’t use it.
Just take a step back. It’s really easy to get complacent with the things that you do. I could do 800 to 1,000 batteries at one job over the course of a week. It’s really easy to think because something was good yesterday, I’m just going to do the same thing today. You can’t do that.
Double-check yourself. Double-check everyone else. And, at the end, triple-check. Make sure all these connections are good and make sure that everything is done correctly before someone down the line has to turn that breaker on.”
How would you describe Mitsubishi Electric’s Field Service team?
“Oh, amazing. Everyone can always point me in the right direction. All of the UPS techs that I’ve worked with have been amazing.
Everyone’s always on task. Everyone always wants to get the job done, and everyone will make sure that everyone goes home safe. And I know that if I have a problem, they’re going to solve it.
We’re all on the same playing field and it’s really nice to have that, especially with people I’ve maybe never worked with, but we all work for the same company.
We’re all one big family.”
So, you’re currently located in Richmond, VA. Is that where you grew up as well?
“I grew up in Richmond. I went out to the western part of the state for college. So, I haven’t really left Virginia all that much besides now with all the traveling that I do. I actually grew up on a Civil War battlefield.
The entrance to my old neighborhood is an old entrenchment, in the mountains, and right down the road there’s a bunch of Civil War history.
So, I grew up around Civil War history – and Richmond has just about everything that everyone wants to know. People go down, do the trail, do all the trips and the trolleys to see the burned parts of Richmond.”
What is something you are passionate about outside of work?
“I’m actually really excited because, when I go home today, I will get groceries so I can make homemade lasagna! When I was in school, I couldn’t cook, and I really missed it. And now I’m trying to get into making homemade bread, pastas… a lot of Italian cuisine.
I also want to get into rock climbing. I’ve always liked it. I did a little bit of it in college, but I swam for 12 to 13 years, and I’m kind of done with that now. I want to do something else. So, I think rock climbing is definitely going to be my new focus for physical activity.”
If you could drive any car in the world, what would it be?
“Probably the Porsche Taycan. I don’t know how new it is, but it’s an electric vehicle. That thing’s crazy. I’ve always wanted a Porsche. I’ve always wanted a Porsche 911. The Taycan looks ridiculous. I can’t imagine driving one.
We are in the thick of holiday season: Do you have a favorite meal around this time of year? Or a go-to comfort food?
“For Thanksgiving, pumpkin pie. It’s definitely my favorite comfort food. And then, for Christmas, every year my family would always be with my mom’s side for Christmas Eve, and it would just be like a big party.
My cousins would make a Buffalo dip. I don’t actually remember what was in it. I just knew it was Buffalo dip. And every single year, me and two or three of my brothers, would all go just stand around the Buffalo dip. And that’s where the party would start.
Immediately we would walk in the door, say ‘Hi’ to everyone and then immediately go to the Buffalo dip and just destroy it. And then lay around for the rest of the day.”
What was your first concert or your favorite genre of music?
“I actually have not been to a concert yet. I was going to go to a Post Malone concert in Norfolk. That was going to be my first concert. But something came up and I couldn’t go, and I was so upset.
I’m a big country fan, but of all artists, probably Post Malone. I’ve listened to him for years now. I’m a big ‘Posty’.”
What is the best advice you have received, personally or professionally?
“There’s a big talk called ‘extreme ownership’ about you just taking ownership of absolutely everything you do in your life.
But, just talking professionally, in the realm of your job, your actions and responsibilities and even other people’s affect everyone. Your attitude, the way you do things, and the way that you let other people do things.
If I’m in charge of a group and there’s an issue, I can’t blame ‘Bill’ because he wasn’t trained properly. Whose responsibility is that? It may not be mine, but he’s on my team and someone I’m in charge of so his work is my work.
It’s truly a real reflection on me and anything that’s within my control and anything that happens—I have to be responsible for. I think that attitude really helps you build a better outlet for improving yourself.
How could I have done this better? If you can list three or four things, I think that’s a great positive to have.
I can’t remember who said the quote, but it’s ‘There are no bad teams, only bad leaders.’ So, I want to live by that—specifically in my job role.”
Profile Last Updated: December 18, 2025