Mike Gorman

“I’ve been a manufacturers’ representative since 2001. Looking back, I consider the move to become a rep one of the best decisions I ever made. I represent some great companies and they are like family to me.”

That’s how Mike Gorman, who recently joined MANA, introduces himself, and it’s fitting that he heaps praise on the manufacturers that he represents. As he relates what happened to him, it’s understandable that that praise he directs toward his principals is well deserved.

But first, here’s how and why Gorman, MFG Tool Sales, Piqua, Ohio, became an independent manufacturers’ representative.

“I don’t know, maybe I’m just one of those strange guys who actually had a game plan for his career,” he explains. “I always wanted to be in sales and began my career working for a distributor stocking shelves and making deliveries. I then became a distributor salesman and began working with an independent rep. After 11 years there, I moved on to two years in sales with a manufacturer. It was there that one of the reps I was working with let me know of a company that was looking for a rep. I called the manufacturer, introduced myself and a couple of months later, I got the line. As the manufacturer told me ‘You made such a pain of yourself, that’s why we had to give you the line.’”

Gorman explains that when he started as a rep, catalog items were the norm, but “I quickly morphed into specials.” He concentrated on specials, predominantly in the solid carbide area. “Over the years I’ve evolved into someone that doesn’t just offer micro tools but also print items.”

Events Take a Turn

Now, on to what happened to Gorman and why his manufacturers deserve so much praise.

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“December 7, 2014, began like any other normal day. I had taken my son hunting early in the day and then followed that up by taking my wife to dinner later that evening. After going to bed, I woke up around 2 a.m., and simply collapsed. My wife called 911 and I was rushed to the hospital. Then out of nowhere, from what I recall, I just woke up but was partially paralyzed on my left side. My symptoms were stroke like, but I didn’t have a stroke. Ultimately, I spent 10 days in a coma, followed by a total of 41 days in the hospital. Basically there’s five weeks of my life that I don’t remember.”

While Gorman obviously bemoans the loss of those five weeks, the Notre Dame football fan notes that “The situation would have been a lot worse if Notre Dame had won a national championship while I was out of it.” Editor’s note: They didn’t win the championship that year.

According to what the neurologists told him, “What happened to me apparently was caused by a bug bite that resulted in major swelling of my tiny brain.”

Recovery Period

It’s at this time that his wife — not to mention the companies residing on his line card — came to the rescue. “I spent a total of two months in the hospital recovering. My wife immediately stepped in informing customers and manufacturers of the situation. During my recovery period the companies I represent could not have done any more for me. Many of my companies reached out to my wife, sent flowers and gift cards. My manufacturers came in to help with distributors and putting out fires. Some companies like Johnson Carbide Products, Vermont Indexable Tooling, ERI-America Toolholding Solutions and Wendt Abrasives made sales calls on my behalf while I was recovering. Other companies like Best Carbide, AB Tools and Alvord-Polk Tool reached out to my customers through phone calls and e-mails. I count myself as being very lucky to be alive and very fortunate to represent some awesome companies who are like family to me.”

Gorman continues: “I am so glad I became a manufacturers’ representative and I believe in the profession 100 percent. Today I continue to recover and I consider myself to be about 90 percent back to where I should be as I pass the two-year anniversary.”

One of the major lessons Gorman says he learned during his ordeal was that he obviously has made the right decisions when it comes to companies and the kinds of companies that he represents. “I’ve always been on the lookout for family-owned, privately-held companies. With them I know I can pick up the phone and immediately talk to the company owner. Over the years I’ve made a lot of right decisions and several times I’ve turned down opportunities to rep companies that didn’t fit that model. What I’ve done has certainly worked well for me.”

If that’s what he’s done right over the course of his career, Gorman isn’t shy about describing a couple of things he might have done differently when he started his agency in 2001. “I know I would have joined MANA earlier, and I certainly would have made my agency look more professional via my line card and website.” But one thing he doesn’t regret is the manufacturers he’s chosen to work with. “My manufacturers treat me just the way I want to be treated — as a family member.”

An Interesting Bonus

As a sidelight to what he endured two years ago, Gorman mentions that “While rehabbing I invented a product — and produced it — with the help of the companies I represent. During the course of rehabilitation with other patients who had strokes and joint-replacement surgery, it occurred to me that all the patients were carrying bottles of water while they worked their way through physical therapy. But while they navigated their physical therapy they had no place to put the bottle on their walkers or wheelchairs. That’s when I came up with the MugLugger — a cup holder for walkers and wheelchairs. The holder is permanently attached to a walker or wheelchair via two screws. Once I came up with the idea, I had a mold built using every company I represent. How many reps do you know that have done that?”

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