THE INTERVIEW
Uesco is one of the largest manufacturers of engineered overhead cranes, gantry cranes and runway systems in the US.
earmarked for a long-serving salesperson who had frequently posted the highest sales numbers over his 16-year tenure, but skill in sales does not always equate to skill in managing a sales team, so Marks soon took over the national team. In typical fashion, he quickly set about changing systems and eliminating paper-based processes. The goal was better visibility of sales performance without the burden of extra reporting or reliance on meetings with sales people who, if they are doing a good job, should be left to their own devices. So, salespeople were given a system to electronically update their progress as part of their workflow. “I could review any deal in a few minutes and get on a call with them if necessary,” Marks says. “It was very efficient, and in my time as national sales manager, we grew the company 35% and added two more people and around 15 more distributors. That is when we started to get into the current situation, where sales are outstripping production. That is what I call a champagne problem.”
The view from the top After a fast ascent, powered by hard work and innovation, Marks became president of the company just as the Covid-19 pandemic
22 Fall 2025 |
ochmagazine.com
took hold. During that period, business shrank by 20%, but a crisis can be a powerful lens to view both the strengths and weaknesses of a business. Marks took the opportunity to look at key departments – notably the parts and service divisions – to unearth ways to improve their culture and processes.
Since coming out of the pandemic, business
has grown exponentially, partly due to those changes in personnel and culture. “If people don’t get along then they are not
meant to be in our organisation, even if they have a great work ethic,” says Marks, who spent the pandemic learning how to handle the company’s accounting processes. “We now have a six-tier training programme for production and service because we could not find experienced people.” He has implemented skills-based training, with
micro-raises that can be earned every six months if employees become proficient in new skills. There are quarterly reviews based on what people have learned and helping people learn new skills is reducing attrition. “Learning skills makes employees sticky – they know they will get some value back from learning skills and that has helped our growth in service and production,” he adds.
His aim was to make the company’s culture suit the modern era, and get people embedded in the business. That approach is working very effectively, as Marks can identify the people who really want to move up in the organisation and reward them appropriately. “If something had happened to my father or grandfather, the company would not exist,” he says. “So, I’ve spent five years putting people in place to handle the business if I am away to sustain and grow the company.”
Secrets of success
Marks successfully changed his focus from sales to leadership – showing that good leaders can learn to love a business to which they are not naturally drawn and can shape their approach from both the lessons of their predecessors and their own inherent traits.
“I love sales and I did that for a long time,” Marks says. “I know how to do it well, and I rode that roller coaster for years, eating what I killed. Now, I am driven by business growth. So, I’ve had to change. And I’m looking at people retiring and asking who is going to step into those roles. Now, we have back up positions for most senior roles, which allows me to have
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