Page 20 - MetalForming November 2011

Illuminating Mid-Level Management
Hands-On Leadership
P.J. Thompson was raised in Holland, MI, where his father Patrick Thompson started Trans-Matic Mfg. Co. back in 1968. P.J. earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Economics from nearby Albion College (Albion, MI), and launched his career as an internal cost account- ant for a manufacturing company in Grand Rapids, MI. Next, he earned his Master’s Degree in Business Administration from The University of Notre Dame, and then went to work for the Price Waterhouse manufacturing-systems division.
“I travelled all over the United States and the world back in the early ’90s,” Thompson recalls, “installing what now are called ERP software systems. I specialized in cost accounting, inventory control and integrating manufacturing operations with a com- pany’s financial systems. I learned a lot about managing manufacturing companies dur- ing my 7 years with Price Waterhouse (during which time Thompson became licensed as a certified public accountant). In 1997 my father invited me to join the company, and the rest is history.”
Thompson initially took the title of vice president for his father’s company, yet worked in a variety of areas to learn the company’s operations from numerous perspectives. “I worked the quoting desk to run estimates,” he recalls, “where I really gained an understanding of the types of parts we specialize in, how the eyelet tooling works and the raw materials we
process. I also worked in quality, operations and sales. In 2000 I took over management of the company’s executive team and then was named president in 2002.
“I watched my father and his team place Trans-Matic in closer proximity to our customers and prospects,” Thompson continues. “This underlined our foray into China.” Trans-Matic has operated its plant in China since 2005, and also runs a 50,000-sq.-ft. facility in Mesa, AZ, to serve customers locally.
“As president, I feel my role is stay as close to the customers as possible, to monitor our quality—of product and service,” says Thompson. “I want to hear directly from our customers about how we’re doing and where we can improve. And most of what I hear relates directly to how our mid-level managers are performing. Our mid-level managers directly drive our profitability, and I’m commit- ted to investing in their development. As such, I want PMA to get involved with helping our industry train and develop its mid-level management talent.”
says. “They run our processes, yet also are tasked with making critical deci- sions, oftentimes management-level decisions involving critical success fac- tors such as capital expenditures. Sim- ply—we depend on these people to make smart business-wise decisions within their areas, including invest- ments that must generate timely and definitive returns.
“Our customers continually chal- lenge us to do things better and differ- ently,” Thompson continues. “In order for mid-level managers to lead the growth and evolution of Trans-Matic— and any similar manufacturing com- pany—they require grounding in busi- ness-management fundamentals. This, I believe, will determine the success or failure of businesses as we move
forward. So, as I look forward to serving as PMA Chairman, I will work with the association to expand its educational offerings, to be able to offer this type of training to its member companies and to the entire industry.”
Most small- to midsized companies are stocked with highly skilled people —people that executives such as Thompson spend years training and developing. They are not easily replaced, and increasingly these people will be tasked with making critical deci- sions affecting the future of compa- nies like Trans-Matic.
“Our industry’s mid-level managers have the horsepower,” says Thomp- son, “but in many cases they lack the fully developed skill sets required to plan and set objectives, delegate
responsibilities, manage their time, negotiate and make nonroutine busi- ness decisions. PMA needs to develop training resources to address these industry needs.”
What better way for Thompson to build on the theme of 2011 PMA Chair- man Bob Clay, who pushed for PMA to work toward being an “essential part- ner” to the metalforming industry.
On Big Bets Ride the Future
How have Trans-Matic’s mid-level managers contributed to the success- ful growth and evolution of the com- pany? Thompson quickly points to the firm’s recent and significant foray into the lithium-ion battery market—one of the previously mentioned bets Thompson is placing to allow the com-
18 MetalForming/November 2011
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