more than 300 power transmission/motion control distribution and manufacturing companies, representing over $20 billion in product sales.
Barbara Ross began her PT/MC career in 1973 at Garlock Sealing Technologies. As a third-generation family member working in the industry, Barb says what she finds compelling is, "the diversity of occupations underneath the umbrella. There was always room for me to keep moving and trying something different, " she explained. And try different things she did. Check out Barb's full story exploring her career journey and the importance of family: Barbara Ross: Inspired by Family
Hired as an office clerk, C.C. gained favor with the branch manager by conducting any and all tasks required to advance her understanding of her role in the industry. It was a short time before she was promoted to assistant manager followed by a new job in sales for a bearing manufacturer/rebuilder company. In 1985, C.C. became the co-founder of a new bearing distribution company called Midpoint Bearing. C.C. was instrumental in creating a business strategy in which the company focused on supplying bearings to the electric motor repair industry. Additionally, Midpoint Bearing found success with a local steel mill and C.C. oversaw the account with determination, making Midpoint Bearing a local company to reckon with and a company to respect. In her career, C.C. navigated the power transmission industry with a never give up attitude and determination that helped blaze trails that lead to the acceptance of women salespeople in the bearing industry.
Starting her sales career at ITW, Sandy began calling on distributors when she chose the territory that included everything west of the Mississippi. She joined Nidec Motor Corporation/U.S. Motors in 2003, succeeding in roles in business development to market manager to regional sales manager to national account director. During her time at Nidec, Sandy’s role was to increase market share through distribution. To be successful in this role, one has to earn the support from field sales, management and production which Sandy was able to do seamlessly. Sandy’s work ethic was to “do whatever it takes” to solve an issue for her customers which established her as a critical contributor to her company’s success as well as the distributors with whom she worked. In her acceptance speech Sandy said, “I would like EVERYONE to think about what you can do to inspire/mentor a female in the PT/MC industry. Send a hand-written note, encourage a female to tackle a difficult problem in your company with your support or expand the pool of qualified candidates to include a female with skills you are looking for outside of the industry. If everyone spends ten minutes thinking about this and then ACTS on it, our industry will be stronger and better off”.
Ellen’s path to the PT/MC industry was somewhat atypical. Her first job was as an English teacher but, after receiving her MBA, she soon moved to Ernst & Whinney in information systems consulting, focusing on the distribution and manufacturing industries. She joined Motion Industries as a Strategic System Planning Manager, was promoted to VP Information Technology in 1996 and became CIO in 1998. In 2003, Ellen was given the additional responsibility of creating an operational excellence group.
When Motion Industries acquired BC Bearings Engineers Limited (the company owned by Wendy B. McDonald), Ellen met Mrs. McDonald and was involved in the transition and integration of her company, helping to ensure that Mrs. Mac’s legacy would continue. Ellen believes this is a great industry for women and that she has received so much more than she has given. She offers this advice, “Don’t be intimidated. This industry is all about relationships and this is where women excel, so use your strengths to your advantage and build and nurture those relationships. Maintain a good work/life balance and never stop learning.”
Many people in the power transmission/motion control industry know Tribby from her more than 25 year career at Gates Corporation where she served in key management and operational roles including business development, product marketing and field sales management. Tribby held positions as President, North America Commercial; President, North America Power Transmission and Vice President of Gates Industrial Power Transmission operations, where she was headquartered in Belgium. In 2014, Tribby moved to the other side of the aisle when she joined Kaman Industrial Technologies Corporation as Senior Vice President. In 2016, she also became the General Manager of Automation, Control & Energy Platform. Recently, Tribby became the Senior Vice President, Business Development and Strategies for NITTA Industries Europe a provider of flat power transmission belting serving the markets of Europe, Middle East and Africa. In addition to her work accomplishments, Tribby is also seen as an influencer by her peers in our industry. She has been especially passionate about the Industrial Careers Pathway initiative, serving as chair of the ICP Steering Committee where she was a driving force in promoting the program’s successes and milestones and leveraging the talents of key alliance partners. Over her career, Tribby has shown the perseverance, energy, dedication and determination to lead and succeed, much like Wendy McDonald did. Coupling her tenacity with a big heart and caring personality has made her a great representative of and deserving recipient of the Wendy B. McDonald Award. In her acceptance speech, Tribby said, "I am deeply honored and humbled to receive this award. No person is self made. We all arrive by having many people touch our lives. I want to thank those who touched mine."
Linda wasn’t seeking a career in power transmission/motion control distribution when she joined what was then Bearings & Drives in 1975. She had just moved to Macon, Ga. from Jackson, Miss. and was simply looking for a job. She had been referred to Bearings & Drives by a previous employer. From her first job as a clerk/typist, Linda began attending IBM training and was rewarded for her information technology skills by being named Manager of Information Technologies in 1982. As Linda trained others on the new systems being installed, she also learned about the people she was training. It was a natural next step to name Linda as B&D’s first Manager of Human Resources in 1996 (in addition to her IT responsibilities). Her contributions to the company in this dual role were recognized with her election to vice president later that same year. In her acceptance speech during the PTDA 2016 Industry Summit in San Diego, Calif., Miller thanked many people in her life and said, “I do love this industry. Without the people in this room, the world would not exist as we know it today. Nothing would be processed. Nothing would be manufactured. And, nothing would move. In my book, that’s pretty heavy, so I want to say thanks to each and every one of you for contributing to the lifestyle we’ve come to enjoy.”
Liz began her career at Western Bearing, Incorporated in June 1975 and was responsible for inventory and purchasing. Shortly thereafter, Kaman acquired Western Bearing and Liz has been with Kaman ever since. Liz was promoted to operations manager in the Salt Lake City Distribution Center and then moved into the role of director materials management. As Kaman continued its rapid growth, Liz was chosen to lead the company’s first centralized purchasing group. In 2001, Liz served as the distribution center manager and, under her leadership, the facility’s team became the highest performing DC operations group at Kaman. For the last three years, Liz has served as director of purchasing. Mrs. McDonald's son, Scott MacPherson, was on hand to present Liz with the award.
The 2014 recipient of the Wendy B. McDonald Award was Pat Wheeler. Pat joined BC Bearing (now Motion Industries Canada) in Kitimat in 1980 as shipper/receiver. She quickly moved into inside sales and then to office manager in 1990. In February 2003, she was appointed as branch manager—the only female branch manager. In 2008, she was recognized by Mrs. McDonald at the annual sales meetings for almost single-handedly managing her territory. Pat credits Mrs. Mac with being her idol and mentor because she paved the way for her to feel confident enough to accomplish all that she has in her 34 year career. Mrs. McDonald's daughter, Penny Omnes (left), and son, Scott MacPherson (right), were on hand to present Pat with the award.