Todd Ammerman

Meet Todd Ammerman

Todd Ammerman is a Drives Spare Parts Analyst at Yaskawa. He recently shared some insights on his tenure with us.

I was originally hired by John Buffone of Magnetek over 33 years ago, in February 1985, for a Field Service Engineer position in Chicago. At the same time, I was also offered a position in the AC Drive Applications group reporting to Jim Papez in New Berlin. Preferring Milwaukee to Chicago, I accepted that offer instead and was never disappointed in that choice. Ron Duncan and Ed Peterson (he of red “bat-phone” fame!) were my invaluable mentors during that time.

After spending several years supporting our Lancer I current-source drive and the Lancer Jr., a brand-labeled Toshiba PWM drive, Magnetek started a relationship as a channel partner for Yaskawa. Tom Doll assigned me the task of “Magnetek-izing” the HII and G2 products. While pursuing that support effort, I held various positions over the next three decades as assistant AC Product Manager, OEM marketing specialist, product integration engineer, and, ultimately, drives product manager.

I‘ve recently enjoyed a 1.5-year stint as a Level 2 Technical Support Engineer which provided me with invaluable insight into our aftermarket services capabilities. When Steve Reynolds retired about a year ago, I was eager to take his place as drives spare parts analyst. Now, I get to enjoy interfacing with our customers in a whole new way by helping them with aftermarket solutions, while simultaneously promoting Yaskawa’s extensive parts sales capabilities.

I originally expected to stay at the company for perhaps 3 to 5 years to learn the ropes, then to move to find a position as an audio engineer. But I quickly realized that I was part of a very large "family" that I loved to work and interact with. It would have been too difficult to leave them.

I consider many of the associates at Yaskawa (and at Magnetek before it) to be family. I've spent holidays together with some, met with others socially during business travel, hosted and attended dozens of parties for and with associates, welcomed new associates and their families to the area, watched them have children, watched those children grow, graduate, and have kids of their own, and taken vacations with a few. I even met my wife of 25 years when she worked as an HR temp at Magnetek one summer! I wonder if I spend more time with Yaskawa people and customers than I do with most of my own flesh and blood.

In my spare time, I try to convince myself I can still jump high enough to spike or block a volleyball. I enjoy playing all manner of games, spending time with my five grandchildren (ages 5 to 10), and attending and hosting beer-tastings. Someday I hope to try my hand at home brewing…but that probably won’t happen until after I can force myself to stop learning and growing alongside my awesome family at Yaskawa!