Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/439904
w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m J a n u a r y 2 0 15 • I NSIGH T | 21 "I think as our industry has come out of the recession there are two types of dealer personalities: One is an aggressive growth position and the other, a wait-and-see type. Conger is more of the aggressive, get-it-done, growth- type mentality. ey exhibited that in the expansion of their facility at a time when others were reluctant to do that." Bursting at the seams W hen Anika joined Conger ToyotaLi, the company employed about 45; today it employs 92. is includes those who work in the Wausau location, acquired in 1994, and in Neenah, added in 2005, as well as the many technicians who work in the field or on the premises of larger clients with leased forklis. e company sells, leases, rents and services a wide variety of li trucks and related equipment, including forklis conveyer systems, sweeper scrubbers, aerial lis, scissors lis and boom lis. It also offers training to ensure those who use the equipment are safe and OSHA compliant. New forklis, which can weigh as much as 8,000 pounds and li as much as 5,000 pounds, cost about $24,000. When the company leases products, the financial arrangement is directly through their distributor, Toyota [ c o n t i n u e d ] » everything from sweeping and answering phones to taking orders and coordinating sales. Although her dad always said they would never create a position just for her, the opening in accounts receivable came at the right time. Within a couple years, new OSHA rules required training for forkli operators and the company saw it as a great opportunity to bring in new business. At 24, Anika was recruited to be the trainer. "At that point, I thought maybe I should have driven one first," Anika says with a hint of irony in her laugh. "I actually enjoyed it." Since then she has also updated computer systems and handled major account sales and marketing. Over seven years, she took business courses through Lakeland College and earned her MBA in 2007. "A lot of women don't know opportunities like this are out there, that they can be extremely successful," she says. "Going into it, 95 percent of my contacts were male. ey were hesitant to deal with me; they did not feel that I understood the workings of a fork truck, that this was a man's thing. But I proved to them that I knew my business." ose who work with her attest to her keen business acumen. "Anika is very refreshing to work with," says Bob Bosworth, vice president for sales and marketing at Toyota Material Handling, U.S.A., based in Columbus, Ind., where Toyota manufactures all its li trucks for the North American market. "She came in at a pivotal point — when the market was down — and it took some strong leadership to move forward. She exhibited all the traits of a strong leader and a great businesswoman. Anika Conger-Capelle, general manager, vice president and co-owner of Green Bay-based Conger ToyotaLift, has helped lead the company to record growth in recent years. Pictured with her are, from left, her father, Gary Conger, co-owner and president; her grandmother, Dorothy Conger, founder and former co- owner with her late husband, Lloyd; and her aunt, Tana Winkka, office and IT coordinator.