Getting to Know Your Customer Service Representative: Francesco “Frank” Tullio

Francesco Tullio, better known as Frank, began making an impact on the concrete products industry over two years ago when he came to work for Besser. He’s a bundle of positive energy with a can-do attitude and zest for knowledge.  The beneficiaries of these traits are producers in Quebec, the Maritimes and Atlantic Canada, his fellow Besser employee-owners, and his family.  Frank holds dual roles at Besser, one is in the Montreal office as a Customer Service Representative assisting producers via phone and the other is in the field providing hands-on technical support.  Frank confirms that he thrives in a team environment, “Our teams in Montreal and Alpena are the best. We look after each other and help each other out in any way we can to satisfy our customers.” In addition to having a great team, working with molds definitely intrigues him. “I like working for a company that's on the move; that’s why I enjoy working for Besser. The research and development we’re doing - especially with materials - is very exciting.  And there’s a logic to Besser molds. Every part easily falls into place and they’re going to last a long time. The way they’re engineered, the quality of the raw materials, and the attention to detail during machining, all add up to a high quality product.”  With Frank's enthusiasm for Besser products, it looks like we can add budding salesman to his long list of talents! Frank was born in the countryside of Rome, Italy and immigrated with his family to Canada when he was six. He’s fluent in Italian, French, and English thanks to his schooling in Montreal and knows enough Spanish to “defend himself.” He earned a three-year mechanical design drafting degree and completed several courses at Mc Gill and University of Montreal Polytechnique including a specialty class in tribology material science of friction, lubrication, and wear. He spent 16 years as a mechanical draftsman and later a design draftsman in the pulp and paper industry before moving onto the aerospace industry. Determined to learn sales techniques from the best of the best, he attended Xerox’s intensive two week professional course in order to gain more experience on the selling side.  He spent his 25 years before coming to Besser as an industrial power transmission specialist for multi-national companies. He’s contributed to such notable projects as the human centrifuge that’s used to test pilot suits at 7x the normal gravity rate. Frank has designed and installed new machinery for crusher mills in gold extraction mines and was the instigator of a manufacturing contract for the intercar linkage system of the Las Vegas monorail. As a self- employed consultant, he travelled around the world signing part fabrication agreements for Bombardier Recreational Products which include Ski-Doo, Spyder, and Canam. On the personal side of life Frank focuses on family. His daughter Stefanie and her children, Justin (6) and Charlotte (3), live nearby along with his girlfriend Aline’s family which includes three grandchildren. Frank enjoys his role as the primary caregiver for his 87 and 85 year old parents who live independently in condo near his home. He’s been a license holding Ham radio operator since 1994, enjoys golfing, and fishing for brook trout. [caption id="attachment_3919" align="alignnone" width="600"] Frank (right) is pictured with Mario Richer in charge of production at Permacon, Anjou, Quebec.[/caption]