Baldwin Supply Legends - Katie Gordon

Katie Gordon joined Baldwin Supply in 1993 one year after current owner Dave LaRue purchased the company. Katie had a great reputation in the industry and was spoken highly of by many suppliers and peers around the Midwest. Baldwin was looking for a strong operations person to help run and organize the systems at Baldwin. It did not take long for Katie to start living up to her reputation.

Katie’s role was ever-evolving at Baldwin. From opening branches to training operations managers she truly wore every hat you can within the Baldwin Supply operations. Rick Raymond remembers the time that he and Katie were tasked with getting Baldwin up and running on a new computer system. 

“Dave told us that we’d oversee getting the computer system up and running…and, oh, by the way, we would go live in three months! Katie just let out that infectious laugh of hers, booked a couple flights to Dallas, and we got to work.”  It should come as no surprise that with Katie involved, the three-month deadline was hit, and the implementation went off without a hitch. 

“I remember how she saved the Sealmaster bearing line for us,” said Dave LaRue. “Because of her strong relationship with the regional sales manager, he decided to keep us authorized as one of the few Sealmaster-only distributors in the country! If we rated our team on loyalty and commitment, she would be number one!”

Katie has done it all over her career from customer service, purchasing, billing, auditing, and operations manager. She is a great organizer, trainer, administrator, and always had a focus on providing the best customer experience. When asked about Katie Gordon, current president of Baldwin Supply Rob LaRue said this: “Katie’s dedication, work ethic and passion have been the backbone of Baldwin Supply for 28 years. Her impact is immeasurable, and we would not be where we are today without her commitment.”

Katie has been one of the great mentors and leaders of the Baldwin Supply team over the years. Her leadership and business knowledge have played an integral role in our expansion from one location in Minneapolis to ten across the Upper Midwest. Katie retires this year from Baldwin as a true legend and we thank her for her years of service. Without her, Baldwin would not be the same company we are today. 

From everyone at Baldwin Supply we wish her the very best in her retirement. 

Thank you Katie!!