Meet… Pam Klinter! Pam is an Account Manager with Standard Electric. She works out of our Milwaukee, WI location. Get to know Pam!
What was your first position at the company? When did you start?
My position has had many names but has always been the same. I am currently called an Account Manager. I started at Standard Electric right after graduating from MSOE in Electrical Engineering in 1989.
What other positions have you held and in what order?
No other position, however, I try never to say, “that’s not my job”. We all wear many hats.
How have you been able to learn and grow in your role?
I’ve had the opportunity to work alongside many that have devoted their careers to Standard Electric and have seen how their success can be attributed to not only working hard but playing hard. As an Independent Distributor, Standard Electric is much more flexible in the manner in which we support our customers, which gives us a unique edge. That coupled with the support and trust of all levels of management and our entire team has allowed me to grow.
What is the most rewarding part of your job?
Seeing the growth in Standard Electric AND in our customers. We can’t be successful if our customers aren’t successful. It has been wonderful being part of the growth on both sides. I also find satisfaction when someone relies on and trusts me to come up with a solution. I feel that I not only work for Standard Electric but also for my customers.
What led you to choose to work for Standard Electric? Why have you stayed?
At the time I graduated from MSOE, they provided a list of Wisconsin-based companies to each graduate and allowed us to highlight 75 companies. MSOE printed your resume, cover letter, and stamped envelopes for these 75 companies. Standard Electric was on the list. I started my interviewing process with Standard in the summer of 1989. I was also interviewing simultaneously with Honeywell. As summer winded down, Honeywell let me know that they wanted to hire me, but I wouldn’t be able to start until January of the following year. All of my friends were either going back to college or starting their new jobs. Standard Electric offered me a job to start in September and I took it. Best career decision I could have made. Working for a family-owned business is priceless. Although I didn’t know this at the age of 22, I came to appreciate it through the many years working here.
What have you learned in your time in the industry?
Relationships are key. The products and technology are always changing, but relationships can last a lifetime.
What advice would you give to anyone entering the work force now?
Nothing comes easy. Be passionate about what you do. Develop relationships. Become the person that your customer wants to rely on. Be responsive. You may not know the answer right away, so dig into it and learn about our products and how to apply them to customer applications. The answers start to become easier after years of experience. Stick with it – Be tenacious.
If you could go back to give your younger self advice, what would it be?
Learn from the losses and appreciate the growth. 2008/2009 was a great learning experience. Through the 3rd quarter of 2008, my business was at an all-time high and I was extraordinarily busy. So busy that I recall complaining about the amount of time it took to maintain. As we know, the bottom fell out in the 4th quarter of 2008, and continued into 2009. From that point on, I swore I would never complain about being TOO busy – it’s a blessing. Enjoy the opportunities. Appreciate your relationships.
What has been the greatest change from when you started, to now?
Technology has changed the way we do business and the expectations of everyone in the industry. Instantaneous answers are the new expected norm. Also, when I started, we only had one location – Milwaukee. We now have 17 stocking locations. That’s a big change.
If you have one, what’s the funniest (PG) work story you have?
Since we are a highly social organization, a lot of the industry’s problems have been solved with our customers and manufacturers over late night cocktails and Jello shots. Too many stories to share. One of my favorite office stories is when Bill Hirschinger trained a goose to knock on our glass door if it wanted food. It didn’t take long before the goose accidentally made its way into Standard. I’m fairly certain this is written up in Bill’s permanent record as many where not too happy with him.
Standard Electric Supply Co. is a family-owned distributor, built on delivering outstanding service. For over 100 years, Standard Electric has been the best at what they do; delivering top-quality products, outstanding service, and providing value-added services to customers across the Midwest. Visit standardelectricsupply.com to see how Standard Electric can become the solution to your needs.
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