For a quarter of a century, Material Handling Wholesaler has produced an issue dedicated to highlighting the work of women in the industry. The issue, called “Salute to Women,” has highlighted numerous women in companies worldwide whose influence and expertise are driving the industry forward. Today, many material handling organizations and publications also honor these accomplishments.
This year, as Material Handling Wholesaler marks 25 years of the “Salute to Women” edition, the careers of several influential women in the business are featured. We asked the individuals participating about their career stories, business goals, and some of their favorite aspects of their work.
Tina Gelhaus
Gelhaus began her career with Crown Equipment 27 years ago.
“I started as a Level 1 secretary, and I was bored,” said Gelhaus, who set out to secure new challenges and opportunities with her employer.
She quickly amassed those opportunities, in one case designing a new program called SureSpeck for the TSP6000.
From there, she moved on to a variety of different roles, including help desk, the training department, and software training.
“Then I moved to the inflowing department and fleet management system,” Gelhaus said.
She moved to Tinnacity four years ago and currently works as a senior customer experience manager, helping customers from the initial point of contact through kick-off and go-live with the technology
“I love training technicians,” said Gelhaus, who breaks each training job into small sections. She added that she is a firm believer in creating an SOP for customers to follow for going live with the technology.
Dave Tinnerman, founder and president of Tinnacity, said Gelhaus provides “exceptional” service.
” Tina’s dedication is unparalleled; she treats everyone like family, consistently going above and beyond to ensure their success with her unique blend of industry experience and technological expertise,” he wrote in the nomination for Material Handling Wholesaler.
Tinnacity taps into over a century of industry and technology expertise to provide a field service mobile solution for material handling and industrial equipment. It offers a suite of web and mobile solutions and services, as stated on its business website. The company works with customers across North America as well as New Zealand and Australia, according to Gelhaus.
Gelhaus first realized her passion for technology when she crafted an anniversary video for her parents as an 8th grader, armed with a camcorder and cassette player. In the years since, she said her interests in the industry have often aligned with great instructors.
“I’ve had a lot of great teachers throughout my career,” she said, advising others working in material handling to harness their self-confidence.
“Don’t doubt yourself. Go for it. If you fail, you learn from it,” Gelhaus said.
Hannah Sprouse
Sprouse received her college degree in the area of merchandising and the science of textiles. After college, she landed a job in the material handling industry.
“Once I got into it, I was hooked. I truly love it,” she said, recalling how one of the first technicians she worked with spotted her aptitude for work in the industry.
“He said, ‘You’re going to be in this industry forever.’ And here I am, 13 to 14 years later,” said Sprouse, who is customer service sales manager for Southwest ToyotaLift. She covers all of the aftermarket with her team of nine reps.
Southwest ToyotaLift is a division of Southwest Material Handling, Inc., which was established in 1989, according to its website. The company has continued to “use innovative technology to serve our customers better while maintaining our family-oriented culture,” the site said.
Sprouse serves as a bilingual CSS Manager for Toyota Forklift Dealerships and earned the Toyota Aftermarket Manager of the Year 2024 award, according to her nomination.
“She built a team of CSS across four branches, launched a company playbook, and created and led major service growth initiatives,” the nomination for Sprouse said.
“Her leadership inspires future industry professionals (including the female sales reps on her team), fosters team advancement, and consistently delivers excellence,” the nomination said.
Sprouse said she enjoys the constantly changing nature of the industry and is pleased to see more women in positions throughout the business, including in leadership.
“The best part of my job is not only watching my team succeed, but the customers too,” said Sprouse, who said her approach to leadership is one of serving as a coach and mentor.
“I tell them, ‘I am only as good as you guys are,” she said.
Sprouse said she would like to continue her career in the industry.
“I want to continue staying in leadership. I love the aftermarket. That’s what I’ve been doing from day one, first as a rep and now in management,” she said.
To others in the industry, she advised learning the technical side of the business thoroughly.
“Find mentors. They’re the ones that saw the potential in me before I did,” she said.
Sprouse said she hopes to see more women get involved in the industry in the future and encourages those who are currently in the business to voice their thoughts.
“Speak up, even if you’re the only female in the room,” she said.
Brittany Byrne
Byrne, whose background is in industrial engineering, has worked at Seegrid for approximately six years as a principal application engineer.
Seegrid delivers customized AMR solutions that meet the changing needs of today’s manufacturing, logistics, and warehousing facilities, according to the business.
In her current role, Byrne said she serves as the primary technical point of contact for customers.
“We meet to understand material handling pain points and goals for automation,” said Byrne, who said she enjoys the problem-solving aspect of her work.
“I love solution design,” she said, adding that she particularly enjoys working on sites that are open to new opportunities and optimization.
“I really enjoy the diversity of the work that I get to do,” Byrne said.
Her nomination for Material Handling Wholesaler detailed how Byrne taps into her expertise to develop “sophisticated AMR solutions and deployments that maximize operational efficiency and bring industry-leading ROI.”
” Her talent for aligning advanced autonomous solutions with unique customer needs – and her unwavering commitment to quality and results – have earned her the trust of industry leaders, site champions, and facility operators alike,” the nomination from Seegrid said.
Byrne said she finds that aspects of her work that used to be daunting, such as the diversity of customer experiences, are now exciting.
She encouraged other women in the industry to ignore their self-doubt.
When she started in material handling, Byrne said she was quieter, hoping her work and “all of the numbers and calculations would speak for themselves.”
Since then, she has learned that presenting with confidence helps both herself and the customer.
“I try to lead by example. If you can go into conversations with excitement and confidence, it helps others feel the same way,” Byrne said.
Nancy Fateen
Fateen has over 25 years of experience in material handling, currently serving as President of Seizmic, Inc. and as founder of Submittal Services.
In her role, she has expanded national operations, launched new divisions, and established standards in compliance and safety, according to her nomination for the Salute to Women award.
Fateen is a board member for MHEFI and an active member of MHEDA’s Women in Industry group.
“Her career reflects enduring leadership, operational excellence, and a passion for empowering the next generation,” the nomination said.
Fateen said her father, Sal E. Fateen, founded Seizmic, Inc. from his home in 1985. In the years since, the company has grown to service the entire material handling industry.
Today, the business has over 75 employees. It assists in the design of equipment for most manufacturers, distributors, and users of material handling equipment nationwide, according to the company’s website.
Nancy Fateen joined the company in 1998 and has since worked in every department of the company. She served as operations manager from 2010 to 2020 and was appointed chief operations officer in 2020.
In 2021, Fateen became company president and now runs all four divisions.
Both of Fateen’s sons and her sister now also work for the business.
Her goals for the company include the ongoing establishment of the business’s inspection division to ensure that qualified inspectors are working in the industry, a focus on education services for customers, and overall streamlined services.
“We’re trying to optimize our internal system to make it seamless for customers,” she said.
On the manufacturing side, Fateen would like the business to grow beyond custom specialty products and also offer a catalog of products available.
Fateen said her favorite aspect of her work is problem-solving and working to find solutions. She is currently working to rebrand the company’s customer service department in this vein.
“I want them to make their primary core value to find solutions for our customers,” Fateen said. “We should be their Chat GPT.”
Fateen has built her education around her career and is currently pursuing a master’s degree in supply chain and logistics.
“I am a perpetual learner,” she said, adding that she aims to make herself available to customers and to help them learn, as well.
“I am always taking in as much information as I can and am sharing it with my team and customers,” Fateen said.
Erin Mitchell
Mitchell is chief operating officer at YMX Logistics.
The operation specializes in optimizing material handling through comprehensive yard logistics solutions tailored for enterprise shippers, according to YMX Logistics.
“YMX services are designed to enhance the efficiency, safety, and sustainability of yard operations, while leveraging cutting-edge technology to monitor and manage yard activities in real-time,” according to the business.
Mitchell has brought a “dynamic, growth-focused mindset” to the business, according to the nomination for the Salute to Women award.
Previously in her career, Mitchell spent over 22 years at Kraft Heinz, where she served as a logistics executive. Her work included a variety of enterprise supply chain projects until the merger between Kraft and Heinz in 2015.
“During the merger, Erin and her team focused on driving operational synergies, benefiting grocery customers, and driving cost reductions for the newly formed company,” the nomination said.
Following the merger, Mitchell led the North American warehouse distribution network for Kraft Heinz.
When YMX Logistics’ founder and CEO Matt Yearling presented Mitchell with the opportunity to help create an integrated yard management services company, she “jumped at the chance,” the nomination said.
Today, Mitchell’s role involves responsibility over the company’s service delivery organizations, customer solution development, fleet transformation and safety, information technology, human resources, and customer services, according to YMX Logistics.
Her team also works closely with customers to develop turnkey logistics solutions, according to the nomination.
“With a deep understanding of operational challenges and a sharp focus on efficiency, Mitchell has a proven track record of optimizing complex systems in material handling,” the nomination said.
Mitchell said her approach throughout her career has been to never say “no” to new projects and advised other women in material handling not to be afraid of taking on new things.
“I received that advice early on from a seasoned leader, who told me people were going to ask me to get involved with projects and lead initiatives that would make me uncomfortable – but that being uncomfortable means you are growing,” she said, in the nomination.
“I’ve made it a point not to say ‘no’ to those opportunities and as a result I’ve met great people and been able to help shape an industry,” Mitchell said.
Mitchell has been named a 2025 Top Women to Watch in Transformation by the Women in Trucking Association. She is the recipient of the 2025 Rock Stars of the Supply Chain award from Food Logistics, according to YMX Logistics.
About the Author:
Eileen Mozinski Schmidt is a writer and journalist based in the Greater Milwaukee area. If your company would like to be featured, email [email protected]
