OCH: Why and how did you enter this business?
DB: I studied electrical engineering at Marquette University in Milwaukee, WI, and then went on to the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater for my MBA (Master of Business Administration). I love math and science and my dad was a tool and die maker for GE (General Electric). He worked a lot with engineers and always spoke highly of the design aspect. He’s one of the most talented people I know from being able to design a solution and actually build it. And that really inspired me to go into engineering. After graduating from Marquette University, I
went to work for a very large crane builder in the Milwaukee, WI area, Pawling & Harnischfeger (P&H), which was the predominant crane builder in the US at the time. Here, I started as an engineer, designing control systems and automation for overhead cranes. I eventually left to join Magnetek, which was
acquired by Columbus McKinnon in 2015 and I have been here for 25 years this year, and general manager for one year. I am in charge of the Automation Division, which includes Magnetek digital power and motion control solutions. In my role at CMAA (the Crane Manufacturers Association of America) I started my tenure as president in January. Prior to that, I was vice president for two years. And I've been involved in the Engineering Committee as vice president for two years and assistant vice president for two years before that. So I've had two, four year stints of leadership within the CMAA organisation.
OCH: Tell us about your success stories? DB: We did a big project with Hoover Dam about eight years ago. The Magnetek Material Handling team spent time working inside the Hoover Dam’s concrete structure alongside Precision Crane & Hoist Services of Nevada to modernise the facility’s aging AC static crane controls with state-of-the-art control technology developed by Magnetek. The Hoover Dam has two power plant wings, one
located in Nevada and one located in Arizona. Each wing is 650ft long and rises nearly 300ft above the foundation of the power plant. Two 300-ton cranes are located inside each power plant wing and are used to move and maintain 17 vertical hydraulic turbines housed within the wings.
jn The Hoover Dam, where the Magnetek Material Handling team carried out work to modernise the facility.
g Daniel's 5 tips for success
1. You’ve got to develop trust. That is the most important thing between your company and clients, but also personally for yourself, and the people around you.
2. Listen to others. Don’t do all the talking. Hear what others have to say and absorb what’s going on. Then ask questions based on what you’ve heard to make sure you understand what was being said and that you’re on the same page.
3. Be open to new ways of thinking. That is something I’ve learned over the years. I struggled with it at the beginning but I’m getting better at it. I’m still evolving because we can all do better every day.
4. Don’t be afraid to fail. We learn from our mistakes, and it helps us to improve our processes and make things better.
5. Don’t be afraid to admit you don’t know something. We’ve all encountered people that think they know it all but it’s okay to say when you don’t understand something. That's why you have people around you to help you. That is so important and critical to this industry and in life in general, you don't have to know everything.
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