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Clark Simpson – Clark Material Handling His job is so interesting that the New York Times recently interviewed him for one of its “Preoccupations” workplace columns. Clark Simpson, sales engineer, is a 41-year veteran of KAM Member Clark Material Handling, the fork-lift manufacturer, in Lexington and definitely qualifies as one of KAM’s “Cool People in Manufacturing.” Why was the New York Times interested in Simpson? The writer was looking for someone who constantly interacts with people in other countries and cultures while doing business in the global economy. That description fits Simpson to a tee. On the day KAM interviewed him for this article, he had been on a long phone call with someone in Germany. “We have a minor problem because the software program that controls our forklift dashboard operation is written in German , and the only guy who can explain it is the English speaking German who wrote it,” he explained. Fixing problems is nothing new for Simpson, who has solved hundreds of problems for Clark Material Handling customers, some with the help of his “15 or 16” patents. “We worked with one customer in Florida who needed us to help him get boats out of the water and into one of those indoor storage facilities where they put boats into these vertical bays, using a forklift,” Simpson says. Most recently, Simpson helped engineer a forklift to allow the carpet industry to more easily move large rolls of carpet around their giant warehouses or retail locations. But Simpson’s travels around the world, especially to his company’s production facility in South Korea, have resulted in some amusing stories. One involved his extraordinary height of 6’8”. Simpson was in a restaurant and a young boy of about 11 or 12 who had been staring at him came over to his table, introduced himself and invited Clark to join him and his mother for dinner. The boy was fixated on Clark’s height. “It turned out he was a huge basketball fan and just wanted to talk to someone tall,” Simpson says. “He was telling me about his favorite players and he was doing best to speak English. His mother spoke very little.” Simpson says the South Koreans “are all workaholics, but when the work is over the really let go and have a good time. When they party, they PARTY,” he says. “When the work is over they have a few drinks, sing and are party hounds. They took me out to a karaoke place one night and I’d never done that in the U.S. It’s not my style. But they gave me a mike and you can’t really refuse to join in. It was a fun time.” When Simpson’s not solving engineering problems or dealing with cultural or language challenges, he spends time with his children and grandchildren in his home state of Michigan where he hunts and enjoys a “cabin in the woods.” Editor’s Note: It’s easy to see why Clark Simpson is “cool.” Do you have someone at your manufacturing facility who loves his or her job and is “cool,” too? KAM wants to know so more smart, creative people like Simpson want to apply for the good jobs in Kentucky manufacturing. E-mail us at m.kish@kamanufacturers.com More Cool People: |
