As PMA celebrates its 80th anniversary this year, we want you to get to know the people behind the scenes that have contributed to PMA’s success. Each month we will feature a key PMA staff member on our blog.
This month we are highlighting Doug Trout, who is celebrating 10 years with PMA this month. Read on to get to know more about Doug and his role with PMA.
Name, title and time at PMA.
Doug Trout, Exhibition Sales Manager – FABTECH and Western U.S. Regional Membership Manager
What made you want to work at PMA?
There is a little history that we must go over first. The initial term of employment with PMA was from 2000–2004. I left PMA for five years and came back as an independent contractor eventually being hired on again full time in 2012.
At the time I came to PMA, I was a sales manager working in retail automobile repair. It was a lot of hours and very intense, which is what appealed to me but there was little reward, and I didn’t feel like I was contributing to society on a level that challenged me intellectually. I interviewed with the president of PMA, the great Jon Jenson, and immediately fell in love with PMA. Jon was smart and aggressive, and you understood right away that this guy loved what he was doing. I wanted to build a career like that with people like that.
How has PMA changed over the years since you started?
Some of the people have changed but our primary mission in supporting manufacturing and bringing together people in the industry is still the same. I think we have become much better and more focused. A lot of the ideas that we work on take time to mature and develop, and we have some solid people working at PMA that see those ideas and programs come to fruition. For example, our statistics and surveys are much more sophisticated than when I started. The amount of information you can glean from participating in our surveys is game-changing. Our training programs and the advent of METALFORM EDU is world-class stuff; it is an exciting time to be here and be a part of it.
First event/meeting that you worked on/attended.
I am not sure but METALFORM at the IX Center in Cleveland comes to mind. This was a partner arrangement with the American Welding Society and we called it Max International. In the annals of PMA tradeshows, I would venture to say that Max was not a big success for PMA and the relationship with AWS as a tradeshow partner ended. Now, of course, AWS is one of five partners in FABTECH, which has been incredibly successful for our organization.
Favorite PMA memory?
When I started at PMA I was the membership development manager. Membership was a different kind of sale for me and I struggled to understand how to communicate the value of PMA membership. A PMA legend Bernie Rosselli happened to be visiting our office one day. I asked him why he was a member of our association and what it meant to him. His response was a seminal moment in my career and understanding. He said, “I am a better businessman, a better employer, citizen, father and husband. In many ways the relationships and friendships I developed being a member of this organization made me the man I am today.” The way he spoke of it brought tears to both of our eyes, it was so very genuine.
What does PMA mean to you?
I’m getting older and with that comes the thought of how much longer I will be able to work. It really bums me out to think that I may have to leave here one day. I love working at PMA and I love what I do. I believe in what we do wholeheartedly, and I know that the things I have accomplished here have changed the lives of many people. David will probably have to get me physically removed from the building when they finally decide I am no longer useful.
What is your favorite part of your job? What excites you about working at PMA?
I look at the things I used to take for granted like seat belts on a plane or the top of a salt shaker and think, I get to work with the people that make this stuff! I get to meet them and hang out. I have an opportunity to enrich their lives as they have enriched the lives of us all. I think that is really cool.
What has been your biggest achievement/success while at PMA?
I believe the relationship that PMA has with our tradeshow partners can be largely attributed to how I have been able to be a contributor on the FABTECH management team. It is a solid relationship and I work with great people from our partnering organizations who make me look very good. On a personal level, my life working at PMA has been an incredible adventure and continues to be. My personal development and the satisfaction I feel about who I have become, I owe much of this to PMA. I will be forever grateful for the opportunities and experience.
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