28
INTERVIEW
ACT
MARCH 2015
YOUBOTH ACTUALLY ESTABLISHEDRGS IN
1988;WAS THERE A LEARNING CURVE FOR
YOU?
Absolutely. I spentmy life in the
agricultural business. I could tell youhow
to run a cornplanter, tractors, combines,
but I knewnothing about the lift and
rigging industry to startwith. Itwas a
long learningprocess.
WHAT TYPE OFWORKWERE YOU INVOLVED
WITH IN AGRICULTURE?
My family and I hadbeen in the John
Deere business; wehad four dealerships.
I ran thedealership inDixon. After
the 1980 farm recession, Reagan took
office and the farming industry changed.
The “payment-in-kind” systemwas
implemented, whichmeant that farmers
got paidnot toproduce. Sowe ended
upmoving away from that business in
1985. I thenbought back inwith some
partners, but that didn’tworkout. So in
1988, I just stepped away from the farm
equipment business.
WHAT BROUGHT YOU TO LIFT SYSTEMS AND
LORENZ?
Iwent toLift Systems on a
recommendation frommy accountant.
Iwas looking for a job in sales
management. I had several offers, but
Iwas used to selling largepieces of
equipment.What intriguedme about
Lift Systemswas that some of their
employees hadworked at JohnDeere,
or InternationalHarvester, plus itwas
hydraulics, bigmachinery, and it just
kindof fit.
WHAT DID YOU KNOW ABOUT LIFT SYSTEMS
WHEN YOU INITIALLY INTERVIEWED?
Nothing. I knewnothing about their
product orwhat theydid. I actuallywent
in and interviewed for salesmanager.
“I
’ve always enjoyed going towork.
I’ve alwaysworked in a job that
I really liked, and I try topass
that on to thepeople thatwork around
me. I couldn’t be anyprouder tobe the
president of SC&RA.”
This is the type of person you getwith
SC&RA’s new incomingPresident Bruce
Forster, president of RiggingGear Sales,
(RGS) based inDixon, IL. It’s the type of
leaderRGShas benefited from for over
25 years, and it’s the type of attitude the
SC&RAwillmost assuredlybenefit from
for thenext 12months.
A grass-roots familyman from the
greatAmericanMidwest, Forster’s career
has spanned through several industries.
His devotion to customers andquality
products has earnedhim a reputation
that is appreciated far andwide for its
reliability, adaptability and fairness.
Itwas apleasure to sit downwithhim
for this exclusive interview, and learn
more about SC&RA’s newest
chief representative.
REPRESENTING A DIVERSE,
INTEGRATED ORGANIZATION
– IN THIS CASE, SC&RA
– ISNOTHINGNEW TO
YOU; YOU’VE BEEN A SALES
REP FOR SOME VERY
SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES
FORMOST OF YOUR
PROFESSIONAL CAREER.
Yes, I startedwithRGS
throughGaryLorenz
at Lift Systems, Inc. as
an independent rep in
September 1988. At the
time, Iwas totallynew to
the business, comingout
of the farm equipment
business.
Mike Chalmers
talks
to incoming SC&RA
President
Bruce Forster
about work, family and
giving back.
Enjoying the
Rigging Gear Sales’ Bruce Forster is the
incoming SC&RA President for 2015.
I’ve always enjoyed going
towork – whether it was in
farming equipment, Rigging
Gear Sales or even back in
the hamburger days.
