Power Behind the Pull: Barbara Trembley

It takes all types of people with different abilities and skill sets to make a business not only run, but thrive. A company can produce a terrific product but without coordination and strategy, that product never reaches the customer. At Chief, we strive to engage customers not just on a national level, but a global one, and leading a global initiative takes talented employees. Barbara Trembley is our Global Collision Business Coordinator, and is at the center of our global campaign. So lets take a few moments to get to know the person who has a pretty large territory to cover, the world!

Q: How long have you been with Chief? 

Barbara: I started with Chief 2 weeks before the official move from Grand Island to Madison. It was 2009 an economically challenging time.  I had worked for many years as a Sales Manager in the Bonded Leather Industry selling to diverse markets and manufacturers from Flooring to Furniture and Leather goods. I have had the opportunity to learn about the Collision Repair Industry, a totally different market and customer base. However, the common denominator is that all customers are looking for a good product at a fair price delivered in a timely manner.

Q: What do you enjoy about your job? 

Barbara: I like the daily challenges of dealing with a global customer base and working with our internal teams towards satisfying those customers.  We have added over 25 products during the last 2 years which allows us to provide more of a total solution to the industry.  We are proud of the fact that we have been able to integrate these extra products successfully.  It took the whole team to do so.

Q: What is your work background in? 

Barbara: For the first 7 years with Chief I worked primarily in the customer service area.  My current responsibilities as Global Collision Business Coordinator include both tactical and strategic responsibilities helping Chief with globalization, building relationships and help manage new programs.

Q: What is one thing about working in where you do that people may not know? 

Barbara: I get involved in many different areas of our Chief Brand. Anything from translations to working with IT, procurement, vendors, engineering, production and forecasting among others.

Q: What is one of the biggest challenges to your job?

Barbara: In my view the cost of opportunity lost is always a challenge and something we are not able to sufficiently quantify or capture. We are a small group at Chief and constantly assess how we can do our job better.

Q: During your work career or personal life what are you most proud of?

Barbara: I am most proud of my sons and their families.

Q: What is one fun fact about you that people may not know? 

Barbara: I lived in 3 countries before settling down in New York where my children were born and raised. My thinking is big picture and very global despite the fact that much of what I do is tactical.

Q: What do you enjoy doing in your time away from work? 

Barbara: I like to read and continue to learn about a wide variety of subjects. I am interested in politics and global developments. I enjoyed representing VSG at the Chamber of Commerce and serve on the Council of my church.

Q: Are you a music person or a sports person?

 Barbara: I am definitely a music person with an eclectic taste ranging from Verdi’s Nabucco, to world music, including Nana Mouskouri and Adele.

Q: What product in Chief’s full line do you think is the most interesting or has the most to offer to the customer? Why? 

Barbara: Chief has been well-known for over 40 years for pulling and measuring.  I think our new Fusion Line including a line of welders – now available in signature red – as well as our rivet gun, among other products, offer great value and versatility