Bill Vogel - Automation Application Engineer

In the one hundred years since Baldwin Supply started out in a one-room storefront, serving the needs of the flour mills of Minneapolis, to where we are today, offering a wide array of products and services to an incredible diversity of industries, we’ve come to understand that digging deeper and going the extra mile to solve problems for our customers is more than a matter of “value-added”—it’s a matter of staying true to the values that have led to our success as a company.

Q: What unique role do you fill at Baldwin? What is your area of expertise?

A: The unique role I have at Baldwin is that I multiply the efforts of our sales team. They can leverage their relationship, I can leverage additional knowledge to help them get more sales in the electrical products. My area of expertise is really anything industrial that runs on electricity. I have worked with robots, sensors, programable controls, motors of all types, etc. 

Q: When did you join the Baldwin Supply team? How many years of experience do you have?

A: I have worked at Baldwin for 9 years now. I started by working as an electrical engineer for a custom machine builder 37 years ago.

Q: What types of relevant training have you completed to further help you in your current role?

A: I really enjoy learning and using that knowledge to help sales people and engineers. I must stay current by attending trainings by our vendors. With Siemens, I must pass written and practical exams for 4 different product areas every 2 years. Other vendors also have training requirements for Baldwin to maintain the right to sell that vendor’s products.

Q: What led you to this career?

A: Always something new. New customers, new problems to solve, new application.

Q: Who influenced you most when it comes to how you approach your work?

A: Years ago I worked with a self-taught engineer by the name of Roy Simonson. He taught me to … 1. Listen to the customer. 2. Help solve their problems. Do not ask the customer to call the factory unless it is necessary. That just teaches them to go around you. 3. Enjoy helping the customer. We work with the best people. Both at our customers and at Baldwin. 4. Lead customers to the solution that is best for them. That way everybody wins. 5. Be timely.

Q:What personality trait do you most attribute your success to and why?

A: Wanting to help people and win. I love seeing sales people get excited about winning more business

Q: What do you enjoy most about working at Baldwin Supply?

A: The hard working, good people here at Baldwin.

Q: What is a work-related accomplishment that you are really proud of?

A: The last project I helped a salesman win is always the one I am proud of. The last one is a new application I worked on with Jason Miller that should repeat another 5 times.