08/09/2013

Leadership Q&A: FPDA Board Member Andrea Tysdal, Owner of JEM Technical

FPDA In Motion spoke with FPDA Board Member Andrea Tysdal. Tysdal is owner and vice president of JEM Technical in Long Lake, MN. 

FPDA: Tell me about your background and how you got into this industry. 

Andrea Tysdal: JEM Technical is my family’s company, so I’ve been in the industry for most of my life. As children do, I had dreams of doing something different. I went to college and received my bachelor’s in health education and athletic training. After college, I worked in the sports medicine field for a while and decided that I wanted to do something different. During this exploration stage of my life I took a part-time job with JEM, and I never left. I decided to go back to school to learn more about the industry and earned an associate’s degree in fluid power technology at Hennepin Technical College. I’ve grown with the business, and I’m very blessed that I’ve had that opportunity. 

FPDA: Tell me about JEM technical. What is unique about your company? 

Tysdal: JEM Technical is unique in that it’s a manufacturer but also a distributor. We partner with excellent manufacturers, to provide value-added solutions to our customer base. In many situations, we design custom valve assemblies utilizing our distribution product and our engineering and manufacturing capabilities. I think this is where the industry is headed, and it’s been fun to be on the leading edge of it. 

FPDA: Are there challenges or opportunities in the fluid power industry today that weren’t there 10 years ago? 

Tysdal: Absolutely. I think 10 years ago, companies had more experts on staff that were educated in fluid power. I think what challenges the industry now is that these customers don’t have a whole lot of time and the time they do have is spent developing and studying broader technologies affecting their own products. The opportunity for JEM is we bring the fluid power design expertise to our customers. 

As far as other opportunities, they always exist in this industry - that’s why I really enjoy working in it. Most of them come from finding unique companion technologies that we can utilize and integrate into our offerings. There’s always opportunity, especially when you look at things in a creative light. 

FPDA: How did you get involved with FPDA, and what do you think are some of the greatest benefits of being an FPDA member? 

Tysdal: My parents were both members, so I’ve just naturally gotten involved through being exposed. It’s been fun to get to know people, and I really appreciate the advice that I’ve received from veteran members along the way. FPDA offers members an opportunity to communicate with other members about important issues or opportunities facing the industry. The information FPDA provides, like the Snapshot Survey, Profit Report, compensation reports and Cleveland Research reports, all contain very important industry information that our members can use to assist in managing our businesses. 

FPDA is a great network of people, and I look forward to the meetings every single year. It’s a great association to be a part of. 

FPDA: What do you hope to contribute to the organization as a returning board member? 

Tysdal: I want to better understand what our membership needs to better position themselves in their space. I’d also like to look for ways to better utilize some of the tools and information that we already have access to and to more effectively generate interest into our industry with the upcoming younger generations.