Coffee shop encounter leads to career at MCG
John Ellison was studying with friends one day, when Frank McShane overheard their conversation and was impressed with what he heard. Presently, Ellison’s days look a little different from study groups. Ellison leads as a product manager for MCG under TAMCO and is responsible for controlling inventory, product development, and determining market needs.
Taking a chance in electrical wholesale
While attending college in Port Saint Lucie for computer science, John Ellison was a coffee shop regular, studying with classmates to understand coursework and solve problems. One day, the current VP of Operations at TAMCO, Frank McShane, happened to be grabbing a to-go order when he overheard Ellison explaining physics problems to the rest of his peers.
Ellison explained, “I was really vocal in my study group because I understood the problems. I was able to explain the work to others in the study group.”
“I guess I left an impression on him,” Ellison laughed. McShane handed him a business card and asked for Ellison to call him. “As he drove off, I thought it couldn’t hurt. Maybe it will lead somewhere!”
Looking to pursue a technical career upon graduation, Ellison decided to reach out to McShane. Introduced to a world of quality control in the electrical wholesaling field, Ellison’s interest officially peaked. Ten years later, Ellison is now a product manager for the MCG line.
A 10-year evolution: Passion for education in a changing industry
Throughout his tenure with TAMCO, Ellison realized his passion went beyond the technical aspects of control systems, but also in educating others on the subject. Working in an industry that requires in-demand knowledge of industrial controls, Ellison and his team are working to make resources easily accessible for CES branches.
“The words ‘industrial controls’ encompass a large umbrella of products. We’re seeing a lot of branches building their knowledge of industrial controls, and we want to be ready to assist. The biggest thing we’re doing is trying to build the knowledge base on industrial controls, and how we can expand in spaces we aren’t currently in,” explained Ellison.
Currently, Ellison and the team are working to help customers when they have requests or need help finding the right product for their application.
“My team all come from relatively technical backgrounds; they handle customer requests, help them with quotes, product requests, in addition to purchasing orders,” said Ellison.
Ellison elaborated, “The most important thing is we want to help the customers. So does everyone here at TAMCO — that desire to assist drives our team to find solutions to problems.”
E-stops, motor starters, all components inside industrial control panels, and more fall under the umbrella of items Ellison and MCG want to help CES branch teams tap into more.
“It’s my job to create resources that help the branch staff understand the products we have that can help their customers. There are plenty of branches that have industrial market potential in their area, and I want to help them tap into their full ability. It’s been an exciting endeavor.”
10 years of change, consistency, & culture
While Ellison and his team continue initiatives for industrial control systems, Ellison says his personal growth and the growth at TAMCO are a testament to the hard work of others around him.
“My team is phenomenal. They have positive attitudes, and they put me in a great mood. We work together a lot, and I’m so proud of them. We have accomplished a lot; I appreciate the way they take ownership of their work, and their drive to continue to do more.”
As time has gone on, CES and TAMCO have continued to grow. While some might consider a decade of working with one company a long time, Ellison explains that time has flown by. What’s kept Ellison enjoying his time with TAMCO? He credits the people and culture created.
“It doesn’t feel like I have been here for 10 years because each year has been so different,” Ellison said with a laugh. “In our industry, there are shifts in demand all the time. Opportunities for change have always been given to me in my job, and everything stays interesting. Every year I have been here, I’ve been able to take on different roles and challenge myself.”
However, his favorite part of his work isn’t the work itself.
“My favorite thing about TAMCO is the people I work with, and that hasn’t changed since I’ve been here. I genuinely enjoy their company, and it feels like a family. One of TAMCO’s greatest strengths is the morale instilled in their team members, and I’m so thankful for that.”