Trevor Benford
Cottage Grove,WI
Summary
Accomplished technical sales and applications engineer with a demonstrated ability to generate and execute profitable business opportunities. Proficient in B2B sales, excelling in dynamic environments to provide solutions that elevate customer satisfaction and stimulate business development. History of driving measurable results through innovative sales strategies and customer-focused approaches.
Overview
1
1
Certification
15
15
years of professional experience
Work History
Technical Sales & Applications Engineer
Isthmus Engineering & Manufacturing
Madison, WI
07.2024 - 08.2026
- Develop machine concepts aligned with user specifications to fulfill customer automation needs.
- Produced technical proposals detailing functionality, technologies, components, and pricing for informed decision-making.
- Created concept presentations outlining design considerations, assumptions, and budgets for customer review.
- Researched and evaluated technologies and vendors for specific project applications.
- Cultivated strong relationships with customers to assess current and future automation requirements.
- Participated in multiple trade shows annually to engage prospective customers and generate business opportunities.
- Collaborated with cross-functional teams to facilitate the transition of newly captured business to project management.
Sales Manager
Madison-Kipp Corporation
Madison, WI
03.2022 - 06.2024
- Cultivated strong customer relationships to enhance satisfaction and loyalty.
- Managed daily sales activities and addressed commercial issues to drive team performance.
- Collaborated with VP of Sales on annual forecast budgets to align financial goals.
- Supervised sales program managers and reviewed new business proposals for target margins.
- Oversaw quoting activities and captured new business to support growth targets.
- Interacted with various departments to resolve customer complaints effectively.
- Trained and mentored new sales representatives on company products and techniques.
Senior Sales Program Manager
Madison-Kipp Corporation
12.2019 - 03.2022
- Managed day-to-day commercial interactions with 6+ Tier 1 automotive customers representing $55M+ in annual revenue.
- Negotiated program contracts with new and existing customers, securing favorable terms and strengthening relationships.
- Work closely with buyers to understand near term and long-term opportunities and trends to better position our company for sales growth.
- Initiated new product launches and managed full product life cycle for assigned products, enhancing market readiness.
- Led Value Add / Value Engineering meetings between MKC and customers, driving competitive pricing and optimizing manufacturing processes.
- Work with production planning to validate product forecasts for accurate operations scheduling.
- Performed job responsibilities outlined in prior roles.
Estimator & New Product Launch Coordinator
Madison-Kipp Corporation
06.2013 - 12.2019
- Manage multiple cross-functional teams simultaneously to ensure new product launches meet customer defined milestones, requirements, and budgets.
- Generated timely quotations by leveraging die casting, machining, and manufacturing expertise alongside engineering team insights.
- Negotiated favorable terms and conditions for new business opportunities, enhancing sourcing potential.
- Managed engineering change processes to ensure adherence to company, industry, and customer compliance standards.
Production Supervisor
Boumatic
Madison, WI
10.2011 - 01.2013
- Supervised 10+ union employees across fabrication, machining, and injection molding departments, ensuring adherence to safety and quality standards.
- Prioritized jobs in fabrication and machine shop based on completion dates and resource availability, optimizing workflow and resource allocation.
- Developed and implemented standard operating procedures for equipment, facilitating cross training of employees and enhancing operational efficiency.
- Promoted workplace safety protocols through training sessions.
- Dairy farming equipment manufacturer
Education
BS - Industrial Technology Management
Univ. Wisconsin - Platteville
Platteville, WISkills
- Technical proposals
- Sales analytics
- Competitive analysis
- CRM Utilization
- MS Project
- Solidworks
- MS Office (Word, PPT, Excel)
- ERP System Fundamentals
Certification
Lean Six Sigma Green Belt -September 2015, Project Management -November 2017, Leadership and Management -November 2018
Hobbies
Competitive Volleyball, General Aviation, Drone Building & Flying, 3D Printing, Car Customization & Fabrication
Timeline
Technical Sales & Applications Engineer
Isthmus Engineering & Manufacturing
07.2024 - 08.2026
Sales Manager
Madison-Kipp Corporation
03.2022 - 06.2024
Senior Sales Program Manager
Madison-Kipp Corporation
12.2019 - 03.2022
Estimator & New Product Launch Coordinator
Madison-Kipp Corporation
06.2013 - 12.2019
Production Supervisor
Boumatic
10.2011 - 01.2013
BS - Industrial Technology Management
Univ. Wisconsin - Platteville