Education foundation changed career, life

By Staff -- Modern Materials Handling, 2/1/2001

In its silver anniversary, the Material Handling Education Foundation Inc. (MHEFI) is still dedicated to encouraging and supporting materials handling education through scholarships.

The Charlotte, N.C. based non-profit organization expects to donate over $100,000 this year in honor of its anniversary, says Victoria Wheeler, executive director of MHEFI. Funds, however, were limited 25 yr ago with only two students receiving scholarships.

Last month, we talked to one of the original scholarship winners, Russell (Rusty) B. Rose.

The other original recipient, Stephen L. Parsley, P.E. is currently principle logistics engineer and Northeastern regional manager for automated materials handling equipment supplier Eskay Corp., Salt Lake City, Utah.

Parsley credits his initial materials handling career success to the Harnischfeger Corp. that funded his $3,500 MHEFI scholarship.

"After I was contacted by the faculty at Iowa State University, I realized something very special had happened and that my career and my life was about to change."

Parsley initially planned to return to the Maytag Corp. in Newton, Iowa (where he worked for 6 years previously) with an industrial engineering degree.

However, after receiving the scholarship he accepted a summer internship at Harnischfeger. His mentor, Wally O'Mally, who was instrumental in getting the MHEFI established, offered him insight into a supply side career.

After graduating, he decided to take a job with Harnischfeger's Material Handling Systems Division as a systems analyst. When he left in 1983 to work for competitor Litton Industries, he was manager of advanced systems engineering. At Litton, Hebron, Ky., he worked for 10 years in technical management positions.

He was working as a logistics and industrial consulting manager for Lockwood Greene Engineers in Cincinnati, Ohio in 1996 when Jim Allred, president of Eskay, approached him and suggested he come back to the systems side of the industry.

Having worked, spoken, and been published around the world, Parsley has a network of acquaintances almost everywhere he goes.

"The thing I am most proud of is the group of people that I've hired and introduced to this business who have gone on to successful careers in the industry."