INTERVIEW
A big part of the ‘why’ for SteelGlide’s president Mark Davis is the drive to lift up others while driving a successful business. Facing the future
people were saying the automation products weren’t helping productivity, which I mistook for a learning curve. The lesson there was to assume less and listen more.” The company is now on the third-generation
formula for its key product, which is proving even more effective in the field. Focusing on getting the right people, the right community and the right culture in place has driven that product development, and that is how Davis believes the company can best take care of its customers. Now, he is in the process of splitting the company’s
inventory across two physical locations, as the bulk of its inventory currently sits in Alabama, where tornadoes are a real risk. Opening up new markets such as short-line and switcher rail applications is intended to fuel the growth of the business. The next phase of expansion will be a new physical product that will roll out at some point in the next two years. “We have got some engineering design to do, as safety is important when you are working with dangerous equipment,” Davis says. “We have the designs, now we need to build prototypes. I have learned from the technology and software industry that the first mover never wins. Microsoft was probably the 11th mover, Apple the 10th, so we are taking things slow and being careful not to rush.” “When it comes to expanding our customer base, we don’t have a big sales team, so it can be hard to get a foot in the door,” he adds.
32 Fall 2025 |
ochmagazine.com
Looking at the lifting industry as a whole, Davis likes where it is going with safety and preventative maintenance. Keeping equipment in top shape keeps people safe and makes companies like SteelGlide more successful. He is under no illusion, however, about the challenges that may arise from the broader political and economic climate. “Import and export regulations and tariffs have caused some confusion, and it may be holding our sales down a bit,” he adds. The company does not import, but it does
export, and trade turbulence with the US creates a headwind for overseas customers. “The current uncertain or even fearful climate with global destabilisation is creating a painful headwind on balance for small companies in particular, the ones that don’t have deep pockets to weather the storm,” he adds. “This is not a time of increased opportunities. We don’t feel the pain of an importer, but someone does.” Amidst that uncertainty, character can be
the key ingredient that drives a business forward through challenging times. Davis likes to see himself as an understanding and supportive leader because of the lessons he has learned from fear and insecurity in the workplace. “When people bring their real selves to work every day, and treat those around them with dignity and respect, we set ourselves up for success,” he believes. “My career has taught me
that when people feel valued and appreciated, it sets them free to do their best work. “Whether it’s employees, customers, suppliers or community, lifting up others is a big part of my ‘why’, and when it comes to the company, we have plans to diversify our products and services, with the explicit goal of leaving a happy, healthy company for the next generation.” Family is at the core of the company, and
Davis cites his mother and father as his biggest inspirations. He wants that legacy to continue. He watched his father work tirelessly and reinvent himself multiple times to provide for all of his family’s needs and most of its wants. His mother made the home and those in it her top priority. And together they bootstrapped the company, figuring things out as they went. “So, my business philosophy is that you get what you give,” he says. “When we give with no expectation of return, good things can’t help but come your way. As the saying goes, cast your bread upon the waters, and it will return to you tenfold. Our company sells products primarily on reputation and word of mouth, and our uplifting philosophy only makes our reputation stronger.”
For Davis, giving just feels good – whether to
customers, employees or family. Therein lies the secret of his success, and he firmly believes that this foundation will see his company through more generations of his family.
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