Staff Spotlight: Greg Bumb

Sales and Marketing Director Greg Bumb talks about walking miles in his customers' shoes, what he finds most rewarding about the air-conveyed material handling business and more.

How did you get into the trim collection business? After more than 20 years working in engineering, operations and management roles for some of the country's largest commercial printers, it was time for a career change. I was familiar with G.F. Puhl because I'd been involved in the installation of several trim collection systems in binderies over the years. So, when Gregg Puhl heard that I was in the market for a new job, he gave me a call.

How does your print manufacturing background help you in your work? It helps a great deal. I worked my way up the ladder in big printing plants. I started as a mechanical engineer designing parts for equipment in one of the world's largest book manufacturing operations. As my career progressed, I supervised and later managed every department in the print production process, including maintenance and by-products, for plants producing books, directories and magazines. Eventually I was running entire plants. This experience is valuable because I have actually been a G. F. Puhl customer. I have walked in the shoes of the customers and prospective customers I interact with each day. I feel their pain when a system doesn't work properly. I've had to deal with the same multiple and competing priorities that our customers face, especially the pressure to meet performance goals without going over budget.

Pictured right: Greg Bumb at age 4 on the phone practicing his sales skills.

What do you like most about being in this business? I really enjoy helping customers improve their existing systems. We get lots of calls from companies with systems that aren't performing as well as they should or systems that aren't up to NFPA code. It's very gratifying to help people think less about their trim collection systems.

When you’re not working with customers, what do you do for fun and relaxation? I swim about 500 miles a year as part of a U.S. Masters swim team. I also enjoy going on vacations with my wife, especially if there's an air show involved.