James E. Turner
Operations Manager
James Turner has done just about every job imaginable at Durr and is one of two members of the original E. C. Durr team.
After graduating from East Jefferson High School, Turner decided to take classes to become a Diesel Mechanic and earned a certificate from Eaton/ Rockwell Transmission and Rear End repairs and is certificated for Cummings and Caterpillar Engines repairs.
Deciding he wanted to become his own boss, Turner and a partner opened a dump truck repair shop in 1971 and purchased a dump truck from Eddie Durr in early 1972. After about a year of fixing dump trucks and running a truck for extra money, Turner decided to go to work for Durr.
Over the years, Turner was a yard mechanic and did anything else that was needed for E. C. Durr Heavy Equipment including buying and selling trucks and equipment at auctions and dealer sales.
In late 1976, Durr pulled Turner aside and told him that thought he would be great at overseeing a crew and managing small jobs. Turner still continued doing anything that was needed including being a mechanic, driver, operator and foreman.
In mid 1979 Turner felt the call of the road and left for a few months to drive an 18-wheeler cross-country. Missing his family and home, Turner came back to the job he loved and the people and equipment that depended on him at Durr.
Turner now holds the position of Operations Manager and is able to utilize his excellent people and organizational skills while overseeing all superintendents and equipment in Durr’s arsenal.
On a personal note, Turner joined the Christian Ministry in 1980 and was ordained as a preacher and enrolled in the Seminary at Union Baptist Theological College and Seminary in 1990. In 1995 he earned a Masters in Theology and became Pastor of the Kenner Calvary Baptist Church, whose membership exceeds 300.
Turner is a member of the Research Missionary Baptist Education Association Inc. of New Orleans and the New Orleans Board of the Southern Christian Leadership Conference.
He is married to Gerrie Domino Turner and is the father of three daughters and has five grandchildren.