In his more than 13 years with Beamer Laser Systems, Mike Wendling has seen a lot of changes in the industry and in the company; and he – and the team he works with – was responsible for many of those changes.
Today, Mike’s role is Laser Installation and Training Technician, but let’s take a quick look back to where it all started.
“I was looking for a career change,” Mike said. “In my previous career, I spent about 10 years in the medical field, in physical therapy, providing care for patients with closed-head injuries. That work was rewarding but took a toll on me. Even though I was working on a degree in physical therapy and nursing, I decided I needed a new direction.”
Mike brought that same sense of responsibility and determination to his new career. At that time, Beamer Laser Systems hadn’t fully emerged. It was still a segment of the Ultra-Dex organization, operating from shared space there.
While he started in Sales, his role was much broader. Mike also supported installations through the relationships he had developed with customers during the sales cycle. Through his familiarity with the products and his customers, his role grew further – later including some fabrication and initial customer training.
Through his efforts, and the effort of his colleagues, the Beamer business began to grow. That led to a transition of Mike’s role to his current position – Laser Installation and Training Technician – and additional sales representatives were brought onboard. It was at this time, through the entrepreneurial spirit of the team, that Beamer Laser Systems began to emerge independently and become the organization it is today.
How did Mike’s role change as the new Beamer emerged?
“I became involved in more deeply understanding what our customers want and what they need,” he said. “I had to understand the materials they’re working with, what exactly they’re marking; and what kind of challenges they’re facing in their industry – as well as what their customers are expecting of them.”
Mike noted that many customers – especially those in the medical instruments, automotive, aerospace and military equipment industries – are pressured by various government regulations regarding markings to identify and trace products.
Long-term customer relationships are the result of this kind of deep understanding, leading Mike to be able to provide customer-specific advice and insight by industry.
And the nature of those industries has changed over the past 13 years, too.
“Today we see more demands around automation and robotics,” Mike said. “Higher volumes are important to customers too, everyone keeps upgrading, so we have to as well – in our product offerings, in our support and in our service.”
Mike is proud to be part of the team that has built Beamer Laser Systems into the organization that it is today.
“We saw what needed to be done, and where we needed to go, and that’s what we did,” he said.
That spirit, throughout Beamer Laser Systems, redefined how the organization goes to market. The success that followed means Mike will be busy for the next 13 years – and more.