Here to stay

“You have to come work for Balluff!” This is the advice that Kay Mullikin got from a friend and colleague, Linda Spitznagel, and that she put into practice: even though she had just graduated from Thomas More University in Kentucky, USA and was starting out in her previous job as an accountant, she joined the Balluff sales department. That was in 1995. Since then, she has been there for Balluff’s growth in North America every step of the way: the production site in Kentucky was followed by the location in Canada in 1998 and in 2001 by the site in Mexico. “Balluff has steadily evolved, and even from difficult circumstances such as the pandemic, we have emerged stronger as a company,” she explains.

Solution-oriented saleswoman

When Mullikin started at Balluff, she supported the sales department responsible for the eastern region from Boston and New York to Connecticut—an area known for its tough customers. Soon, she had the opportunity to also work internationally, both with colleagues in Germany and other markets in North America. Today, she is the head of the Inside Sales Team at Balluff. The 15 associates process incoming orders, take care of customer accounts and the allocation for the global accounts as well as the web shop. Her path to success? Where others may see an obstacle, she tries to find pragmatic solutions. In her view, process automation is a good opportunity: "Many processes in production and in the office can be automated. We can use the time because this allows us to invest time in our customer relationships and in personal contact, ultimately generating added value for the customer."

The goal: supplying customers in the best possible way

The entire sensor and automation industry has been facing a shortage of electronic components since 2021. Balluff was also affected, being unable to deliver some products as usual. This was a whole new situation for the company: the demand was there, the production capacities were available, but not all products could be manufactured. The ongoing pandemic and the disruptions in the global supply chain further complicated the situation. To ensure the best possible distribution despite these challenges, Balluff introduced a new global process. The goal: to provide customers with the best possible supply of existing products. In this global taskforce, Kay Mullikin is responsible for the North American market. "It's not an easy task, because every customer request is important to us and we want to supply our customers in the best possible way," Mullikin says.

Agile during the crisis

To improve the situation, Balluff implemented various measures early on, which included both the supply chain, development, and sales. The global Balluff purchasing team ran at full speed to ensure the best possible availability of electronic components. In addition, some products were redesigned to offer customers an alternative, and the supply of products to the various customers was reorganized. For this purpose, an international task force was set up, of which Mullikin is a member. “Being able to handle these kinds of situations in an agile way is what sets us apart from our competition. For example, we are able to offer alternatives, because we know our customers and their applications,” she explains the approach. “It may not be the exact product they wanted, but an alternative with which they can still realize the specific project with its respective requirements.” Coordinating internationally plays an important role in this, as it facilitates flexibly adjusting orders when they become available.

“We expect the situation to improve noticeably in terms of delivery capability in the coming year, as the volumes of electronic components coming from our suppliers such as chips will increase noticeably in the course of the upcoming year“, says Kay Mullikin, looking ahead to the coming year.

Part of a whole

When Kay Mullikin speaks about Balluff, she quickly mentions how the company lives its values. „You feel like a relevant part of something bigger, whether you're in customer contact in sales, working in logistics or development. Everyone is important and does an important job for our customers," she explains. “And even though we face challenges, we don't bury our heads in the sand, but work with focus to find a solution. This is also demonstrated by our approach in the task force. At the end of the day, we want to serve our customers as best we can and celebrate successes with them."

Balluff as a family business

Kay Mullikin lives in Walton, Kentucky, a small town with about 5,500 inhabitants located about ten miles south of the Balluff site—and Balluff is practically a part of the family. She laughs: “I’ve been with Balluff for so long that both my daughters were born during that time—which makes them Balluff babies. They worked summer jobs helping out in the warehouse. They know many of my colleagues. To me, that's also what makes Balluff special. It's truly a real family business." Mullikin’s third grandchild was born in October. The grandmother of three granddaughters is bursting with energy and doesn't sit still even on weekends. Whether it's at the Cincinnati Bengals stadium, hiking, or Englewood Beach, she loves to be out and about.