MARY BUERKLE-GRANT
DON’T BE SHY ABOUT
COMMUNICATING
CAREER
ASPIRATIONS AND
ACCOMPLISHMENTS.
M
Regardless of a woman’s career-choice, when it comes to
success Buerkle-Grant, a VHEDC Board Member, urges, “Seek
out classes in your field. Keep up to date with developments
in your industry at a level equal to or ahead of your peers.
Don’t be shy about communicating your career aspirations and
accomplishments. Utilize mentors. And, remember a career is
never assured nor guaranteed. Overcoming adversity is part of
the normal career progress.”
Buerkle Honda-Hyundai Company, Vadnais Heights
buerklehonda.com; buerklehyundai.com
ary Buerkle-Grant, of Buerkle Motor Group – which
includes Buerkle Honda-Hyundai Co. in Vadnais
Heights – is in an exclusive group: In the U.S. auto
industry, few women are executive officers or company owners.
So, how did Buerkle-Grant arrive where she is today? Well, for
one thing, she grew up in the industry. She and her brother,
Dave, inherited their company – a family-owned business since
1953 – from their father, Bill.
Buerkle-Grant says, “In 1982, I graduated from Hamline
University with the goal of being an urban planner, but those
jobs were scarce at the time, so I began working for my
father as a cashier in the service department. I progressed in
administrative positions, the expected career positions for
women in that industry. Being an extrovert, I wanted to be
on the floor with customers, who I loved, so I told my father
I wanted to sell cars. He had to think about it; back then,
women didn’t sell cars. My mother was my cheerleader … She
convinced him to let me do it as ‘an experiment.’
“This was a time of growth for fuel-efficient, imported cars, and
I was very successful. When we opened a second operation
in Brooklyn Park, I became the sales manager. I learned to
hire and manage people and work in the context of a new
business, which is more ambiguous than a highly-established
business. That role enabled me to advance as a manager. I also
participated in numerous training and development programs
locally and within the industry – including the General Motors
Institute, which did not enroll very many women then.”
Buerkle-Grant is proud of her many professional
accomplishments, including the continued expansion of
her company in revenues, building, locations and increased
personnel. She says her greatest leadership strength is being
collaborative: “I like to work with a team, get input from
varied team members and engage teams in whatever process
we’re involved in. I’m especially proud of our company’s
ability to develop and retain employees; we have many
managers with 20-plus years of experience, as well as many
dedicated employees – including numerous second-generation
employees.
“We’ve received numerous recognitions for service and
business excellence from Honda, Acura, Hyundai and, in the
past, from General Motors. Of particular note is the Honda
President’s Award. Additionally, we’ve been recognized since
2015 with the Honda Environmental Leadership Award.”
JACKIE O’CONNELL
COLLEGE INTERN
WHO QUICKLY
ROSE TO THE
VERY TOP
J
ackie O’Connell, President and CEO of IPS CRANES –
formerly IPS Worldwide – in Vadnais Heights and Duluth,
grew up on a farm and had an affinity for tractors and
large equipment. As a young child, she was self-sufficient, had
a creative imagination and was a problem-solver. She began
attending college classes when she was in high school. At
Augsburg College, she majored in International Business with a
concentration in Japanese language.
The summer before her senior year in 1995, she interned for
IPS, quickly impressed her boss and was offered a part-time
position during the school year. Most likely, she would’ve
progressed to working full-time days for IPS after graduation …
except she received a Fulbright Scholarship to study in Japan.
After that, she worked for an import-export company which
satisfied a desire for travelling abroad.
A year later, O’Connell began her ascent to the top of IPS,
when the owner Tom Holly, founder of IPS, called her with an
offer she couldn’t refuse … to return to IPS and eventually
become his successor. In 2001, O’Connell worked on the
company’s first major acquisition – purchasing the American
and Ohio Locomotive Crane assets of Ohio Industries,
which made IPS a full-line OEM manufacturer and service
provider. O’Connell was instrumental in the growth of the
company, leading the way for business development as well as
acquisitions. By 2013, she was the President and CEO of IPS
Worldwide.
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