As fleet services manager for Toyota Material Handling USA Inc (TMHU), Ed Somand, 51, is often on the road.
When he's not visiting customers in the field, Somand works from home. A typical day at his home office involves replying to emails, participating in conference calls and researching and preparing customer presentations.
Before joining TMHU, Somand worked for Kentucky-based Clark Material Handling Company as a major account salesman. For most of the 1990s, he worked at Clark, specialising in all-inclusive leasing.
The job sparked more than his interest in the materials handling industry. Somand met his wife, Laura, while working at Clark.
"I met my wife in the industry. She's sexy, does that count?" Somand joked when asked if he thought the industry was sexy.
In 1999, he left Clark to join Brambles Equipment Services, the US equipment rental operation of Australia-based Brambles Industries, as district sales manager. He was responsible for more than 30 members of the sales team. When Brambles sold the US division to Chicago-based NES Rentals in 2002, Somand was promoted to general manager of the fleet management department.
Somand said customers were increasingly interested in fleet management systems.
"Customers are striving to drive down operating costs and raise efficiency to compete in a global economy.
"Driving costs down is not a new concept. But the use of new tools and technology, a movement to consolidate vendors and concentrate on core business, heightened awareness at management level, and other things, have increased interest in fleet management."
The hard-working father of two said he saw no obstacles for success in his career. "I don't perceive obstacles for success, perhaps challenges, which pertain more to the direction I take than the industry," he said.
Somand's recipe for success includes hard work, planning, training, attitude and talent. He enjoys travelling, Thai food, and books by the authors Jim Harrison and VS Naipaul. After a long day at work, Somand unwinds by walking his Standard Schnauzer, Sterling.