Chris Gajdostik

Chris joins the Grainger Center after working as a marketing analyst at the Manitowoc Company, a Wisconsin-based manufacturer of industrial cranes and commercial food service equipment. In the commercial food service equipment division, Chris assisted the product manager with marketing plans and new product development, working closely with engineering on application requirements using Six Sigma tools. He also assisted in sales reporting and monitoring product-line profitability. He improved quality and accuracy of monthly and quarterly sales reports while reducing reporting time by 25%. Chris established product pricing on several new product lines based on industry demand and margin requirements. In his time at Manitowoc, he piloted a process for new product introduction and field testing. Most recently, Chris worked closely with sales and engineering to create the specifications for an industrial-capacity ice machine, a completely new market for Manitowoc. He played an integral role in positioning Manitowoc as a participant in the Energy Star® program, which was introduced to the ice machine industry in 2008.

Chris graduated magna cum laude from St. Norbert College in DePere, Wisconsin, with degrees in international business and Spanish. As an undergraduate, Chris spent a semester abroad in Valencia, Spain, and he took several leadership roles at St. Norbert, including serving as co-president of Discoveries International, a nonprofit import business managed by international business students. In 2005–2006, he led the organization to a year-over-year sales revenue increase of 51.9%. Outside of school and work, Chris enjoys many sports, including baseball, football, and fishing.