Photo courtesy of Shawna Hill, owner of “In the Beginning Photography” Above: Ben Landsteiner

FAIRMONT — Ben Landsteiner is set to be honored at an upcoming “4 Under 40” recognition event, meant to honor those young people in a community who are up-and-coming leaders in the community. Landsteiner shares what he has enjoyed about living in Martin County, from growing up in the area to establishing his career.

“I graduated high school from Martin County West in Sherburn in 2003,” he said. “Then I went to college for graphic design and technology and got my degree in that.

“Then I actually started working here in Martin County before I graduated. I was able to get an internship and when I graduated I picked up a full-time position in my field. I initially started out working in graphic design, which I did for about ten years.

“Then I made a kind of lateral move and started working at the Chamber of Commerce here in Fairmont and also the Convention and Visitors Bureau doing marketing and social media, advertising, PR, and all that kind of stuff.”

Landsteiner noted that he enjoyed those roles, as they allowed him to build off his previous experience and allowed him to expand on his career.

“I had an opportunity to do a lot of great things for the community as well,” he said. “That was honestly the best part about that position.

“I had the ability to take part in a lot of different initiatives to improve the community, increase visitors to the community, attract new residents, and support the business community by developing programs, educational opportunities and resources to help them flourish.”

From there, Landsteiner and his brother partnered up to become co-owners of JL Computers. In 2019 he said that things reached a point where he wanted to focus on that in a full-time capacity.

“We primarily service customers in the Martin County area, but we actually have customers in several different states at this point,” he said.

When he learned of his nomination for 4 Under 40, he said felt shocked.

“I was not surprised that I was contacted about it. Early on in the process as they were developing the program, I had some conversations with some of the committee members who expressed an interest in having me serve on the committee.

“Then COVID happened and I kind of lost touch with what was going on with that. So when I was contacted a year and a half later, that’s what I thought they were contacting me for. But it turned out that they had continued on and received nominations and I had been selected, so it was pretty amazing.”

Landsteiner also noted that he attributes his success to several factors and influences.

“My upbringing, my parents and family have been a great part of it,” he said. “I had some really great teachers growing up, in and out of school.

“I was also in Boy Scouts and had some really great role models there. I also had great employers and I put in a lot of elbow grease to make the most out of the opportunities in front of me to make a positive difference in the world.

“I have a real appreciation for all of the leaders in Martin County, young and old. We have a lot of great things going for our community, including all those people who are working behind the scenes to make our community a better place. I’m thankful to all of those people.”

For those who are looking to be successful in their own lives, Landsteiner attributes his own happiness to focusing on the right things.

“I would say try to look at the big picture when it comes to success,” he said. “In our society, we have a tendency to focus on financial success and looking farther out in the future. That’s important, goal-setting is important, but I would also say don’t lose sight of the present.

“There are always opportunities around you to make a difference in the present moment, to make the world a little better, grow yourself, and contribute to your community. So don’t get so focused on the future that you lose sight of the present.”

The 4 Under 40 event will be held from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Feb. 25, at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Fairmont.