Marshall Maguire heads Maguire Technologies, Salisbury, Massachusetts, a veteran-owned manufacturers’ rep agency.

It’s a bit of an understatement to say Marshall Maguire followed a rather circuitous path to where he finds himself today — the head of Maguire Technologies, Salisbury, Massachusetts, a veteran-owned manufacturers’ rep agency.

Here’s the outline of that path he traveled: In 1972, with the end of the Vietnam War still three years away, Maguire joined the Air Force, where he was assigned to the Strategic Air Command (SAC) as an aircraft hydraulics/pneumatics specialist. At that time, SAC was charged with overseeing the protection of the United States in the event the Cold War ever escalated to “hot.”

Following his stint in the military, he worked in machine maintenance and development for an injection molder in New Hampshire. After that, he was hired by Delta Airlines as an aircraft mechanic in Atlanta, Georgia. It didn’t take long for him to realize that hot weather wasn’t for him, so he worked his way back North and started his career in sales.

Maguire’s first sales position was with a small regional distributor. The sales and technical training, mixed with his aircraft knowledge, pointed him to a job as sales engineer at New Hampshire Ball Bearing. There he spent four years covering the Northeast and Eastern Canada. Miniature Precisions Bearing (now Timken Superprecision Bearing) was his next stop, where Maguire spent a decade.

Then came an opportunity at a Swiss bearing manufacturer where he spent a couple of years as regional manager covering the United States and Canada. Following that he was promoted to national sales manager. It was during his time in that position that he learned about independent manufacturers’ reps.

Maguire opened the doors to Maguire Technologies in 2001 and went full-time in 2002.

As he looks back to the beginnings of his agency career, Maguire recalls, “It was just after 9/11 when I left the aerospace industry and decided to go off on my own that I opened the agency. The company I left was actually great to me. They provided me with a stipend and gave me a car for three months. As a result, I was able to hit the ground running.”

Staying the Course

Just as so many reps before him, Maguire had some nervous time at the beginning. “I know I could have found another job with a company, but I felt the time was right to go off on my own. And even during the recession when things got tight following 9/11, I was determined to stay the course.” He adds that his time spent in the military and as a manufacturer provided a solid appreciation for teamwork and the need for reps and manufacturers to work closely together for a single cause.

Maguire explains that in starting his own agency “I decided to concentrate on bearings since I had so many contacts in the industry.” His first line was one he had been sub-repping. With that as a start, “I constantly made use of MANA and PTRA and LinkedIn to find additional lines.” Currently, Maguire represents three lines and two additional lines as a sub-rep. “I hope to add two more shortly. Moving forward, I also depend on word-of-mouth referrals and my website to expand the lines I represent.”

He explained that in looking at prospective principals, “I’m always looking for lines that fit me and learning how they go to market.”

It’s inevitable that when the conversation with any rep turns to procuring lines, the subject of “pioneering” comes up. So too is it with Maguire. “Since I’m a first-generation rep and a one-man show it’s no surprise to me that many of the premiere lines are already taken. They’re taken because the reps have long-standing relationships with their principals. When it comes to taking on lines that have no existing business in the territory, my approach varies, and it depends a bit on the product. Certainly, if it’s a product that’s going to take six months to two years to develop business, I’m going to raise the subject of a retainer or shared territorial development fee. For the most part, I’ve found that the manufacturers I’m dealing with understand the situation and they are usually receptive — although some do say no. But that’s a subject that I always bring up.

“On the other hand, it blows my mind that there are manufacturers out there who say, ‘Sure, go out there and sell my product and I’ll pay you a commission’ and they have little or no appreciation for the fact they’re benefitting from all my years of experience in the industry, and they feel they don’t have to invest in my effort.”

Doing the Grunt Work

Speaking of appreciation, when he was asked if there’s anything he wishes manufacturers appreciated more when it comes to what reps do for them, Maguire quickly responded that “It’s the grunt work. I go out there every day making cold calls as well as following up on delays and back orders and quality issues. While manufacturers expect that kind of activity to just be part of your job, it’s really a major part of our job.”

In all fairness, he went on to add that reps could be a bit more appreciative, in general, with what their manufacturers have to contend with. “I’m a firm believer that they (manufacturers) all have our best interests at heart and mean well and want both of us to succeed. Sometimes when something happens, the problem isn’t always in their hands. We should be aware of that.”

As Maguire looks back to his agency’s beginnings, he recalls, “The changes are huge in how we conduct business today compared to then. Most reps had to have stand-alone offices and at least a receptionist/secretary, where today we don’t. That’s because of the availability of laptops and cell phones. On top of that, technology was just starting to impact the business. I remember then that at the end of every day, I’d be looking for a phone bank somewhere and using my calling card to phone in any reports I might have. On top of that all my reports were made in pencil and paper.”

Changes That Have Remained

If technology has had an impact on his business, there are also some other changes he recalls. One change he notes is that back then, “If I called someone, they always called me back. Now, even friends and people I know are reluctant to get back to me. That’s a situation where you can’t get angry or take it personally. To counter that problem, I’ve found that I just have to stay persistent and keep on contacting them. Proof that that approach pays came when a new customer from a company that really didn’t like to make any changes called me with an order simply because I had constantly called them.”

Technology and a reluctance for customers to return calls aren’t the only changes Maguire has seen in his more than 20-year career as a rep. Covid and its continued impact can also be counted as a change agent. “I don’t know if Covid really changed what I do, but it did change my customers and the way they conduct business. There are still some who don’t want to see you. I don’t know if that is ever going away. Looking back, like everyone else I wasn’t on the road at all for a while. I had a time when my wife asked me if I didn’t have some place to go. All through the pandemic, I remained persistent in making calls and trying to stay in touch with people.”

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