Joe McAleese has long list of accomplishments for 25 years at Bendix
Joe McAleese listens as Fred Andersky, Bendix marketing manager for electronics, discusses the company’s Adaptive Cruise Control product at the Mid-America Trucking Show at Louisville earlier this year.
The Trucker News Services
10/10/2007
ELYRIA, Ohio — What can a leader achieve during 25 years of service to an organization and an industry?
If he’s Joe McAleese, president and CEO of Bendix Commercial Vehicle Systems LLC, its remarkable revenue growth, significant market penetration, seamless merger activities, high levels of employee satisfaction and a consistent reputation for safety.
McAleese joined Bendix Sept. 10, 1982, shortly after graduating from Ohio’s Bowling Green State University where he earned bachelor of science and master’s degrees in accounting.
During his tenure with Bendix, the company has continued to build upon a legacy as an industry pioneer and has maintained its market position in the North American commercial vehicle safety and braking system technologies.
From his beginnings in the Bendix corporate audit department to his current role charting the strategic course for the company, McAleese’s financial training has been a vital component of his success.
Since his selection as the company’s president in 2001, and following its acquisition by the German-based Knorr-Bremse Group in 2002, Bendix sales have more than doubled.
McAleese added the CEO role in 2003, and the company is on course to realize $1 billion in revenues by 2009.
Growth in revenue has been bolstered by leveraging the combined Knorr-Bremse/Bendix product technologies to achieve significant market penetration in both the OE and aftermarket businesses, with particular focus on expanding the acceptance of air disc brakes, stability control, and other active vehicle safety systems.
Bendix has achieved this growth despite challenging dynamics in the commercial vehicle industry, including the current decrease in tonnage, weakening utilization, a general decline in aftermarket replacement demand, and an OE truck build that has been down 40 percent or more. The company’s ability to overcome these challenges illustrates the strength of the Bendix product line and the industry’s confidence in the company’s ability to provide effective, economical solutions to help improve highway safety.
Throughout his tenure, McAleese has been an influencer of positive change for the company. Referred to as the Bendix “change agent,” McAleese has helped spearhead a string of seamless merger activities that have impacted growth.
Most notable was the formation of the company’s first joint venture – Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake LLC. In less than three years since launching the venture with the Dana Corp., Bendix Spicer Foundation Brake has already grown its sales by more than 15 percent.
The joint venture is a single, complete source for foundation brake system research, design, manufacturing, hardware and support for all foundation brake components and actuation systems for medium- and heavy-duty commercial vehicles.
This month, the company, which operates testing and R&D facilities in both Elyria, Ohio, and Kalamazoo, Mich., will open its first dedicated foundation brake manufacturing facility in Bowling Green, Ky.
The move is the next step in the organization’s overall manufacturing site strategy.
“Joe is an especially effective change agent, both within our organization and in the industry. The depth and breadth of his experience gives him accurate insight to evaluate business and technology trends; and the strength of his leadership makes good things happen,” Robert S. Oswald, Bendix chairman, said. “He is a great asset to Bendix, to the Knorr-Bremse Group, and to the commercial vehicle industry overall.”
McAleese said he recognizes that a strong team results in a successful company.
According to senior management at Bendix, the satisfaction of the company’s employees under his leadership is evident in a variety of employee-driven programs and a positive corporate culture that stresses work-life balance.
Bendix invests in its employees’ health and wellness through initiatives such as its newly launched “Target Your Health” program, which assists employees in reaching personal wellness goals such as weight loss, stress reduction, and smoking cessation. And Bendix employees are encouraged to get involved in the communities in which they live, consistently recognized as top supporters of organizations like United Way. The engagement of the Bendix team has earned the company a variety of awards, including four consecutive NorthCoast 99 awards, which recognize top Northeast Ohio employers, as well as two consecutive placements among the top four “Best Employers in Ohio” according to the Ohio Chamber of Commerce and the Ohio Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM).
McAleese has positively influenced not only his company, but also the commercial vehicle industry.
The Bendix reputation for safety has impacted industry regulation, as well as key industry issues. Through its Genuine Bendix initiative, Bendix has emerged as a leader in the fight against the entry of counterfeit and knock-off parts into the market from overseas, an issue that has gained increased visibility both inside and outside of the transportation industry.
McAleese and other Bendix leaders have been invited to share the company’s experience in various public forums, such as Senate subcommittee hearings and intellectual property protection conferences, alongside such companies as Louis Vuitton, New Balance and Cisco Systems.
A supporter of industry collaboration and advancement, McAleese also plays an important role in the associations that are helping to shape the agenda for the commercial vehicle industry for years to come. He currently serves as vice chairman of the board of governors for the Heavy Duty Manufacturers Association (HDMA), as well as a board member of the Motor & Equipment Manufacturers Association (MEMA).
After achieving so many milestones during his first 25 years with Bendix, what will he do during his next 25 years of service to Bendix and to the transportation industry?
McAleese said he intends to continue the company’s focus on highway safety, its customers, and the talented team of Bendix employees across North America.
“I’m proud to lead a company that is in existence to make our highways safer,” McAleese said. “During the next 25 years, Bendix will continue to provide the technology and solutions that reduce the number of fatalities and injuries that come as a result of commercial vehicle-related accidents. We’ll deliver those solutions to our customers in an affordable, economical package that provides them with an attractive financial payback. And we’ll continue to support, invest in, and recognize our key differentiator – our innovative and dedicated employees – in order to attract and retain the industry’s top talent.”