The mission of The McDonald Group, Inc. is to help clients improve marketing effectiveness and operations profitability. We strive to maintain state-of-the-art expertise in four critical areas:

CRITICAL PROFIT VARIABLES

Although virtually every McDonald Group project provides an element of executive learning, our significant strengths are in the development and presentation of customized supervisory, technical and executive training workshops and seminars. Since 1975 Walter McDonald has created and conducted over 2,650 Dealer training sessions. Clients give us the crucial performance issues and we work with them to determine if there is an appropriate training solution. A unique capability of The McDonald Group, Inc. is our ability to structure training effectiveness measurements within the curriculum design to help ensure clients optimize the return on their training investment. Ask for our curriculum guide.

Our strategy work begins with expertise in traditional market research, market assessments and customer perception study methodologies. In addition, we have a strong worldwide background in information technology management, customer satisfaction evaluations, competitive benchmarking and competitive cost/value analysis. We have extensive primary field research capabilities, utilizing Computer Aided Telephone Interviewing (CATI) technology and SPSS data analysis software for larger projects.

We utilize our highly effective McDonald Group management discussion leadership techniques to help client managers assess the findings and implications of our studies. Then, we help build an appropriate strategic response or remedial action plans. Over the years we have developed a substantial list of "blue chip" client case histories and references.

For more than thirtyfive years we have worked to establish expertise in issues related to profitable, effective Aftermarket Product Support. Professional dealer parts and service management and even customer service is often a neglected stepchild in many dealer organizations. We approach professional aftermarket management from the perspective of providing tools and techniques to direct profitable business centers as integral parts of the Dealer Principal's key man team. Concerns are for current and useful cost-justified methods to improve people and resource productivity, effective marketing and sales, and comprehensive programs to retain and build long-term customer relationships. Similar programs are also now available in the Used Equipment Management areas.

Complete details on any of these McDonald Group capabilities or services, resumes of our Principal consultants and reprints of recent client project abstracts are available upon request.

Biographical Data Sheet WALTER J. McDONALD, CMC Walter McDonald is founder of The McDonald Group, Inc., a private consulting firm focusing on marketing and business strategies, executive education and development. For the past thirtyfive years, Walter has been a highly respected material handling equipment, construction equipment, forestry equipment and heavy duty truck industry seminar leader. In addition, he has worked on numerous business consulting assignments for manufacturers and distributors helping improve distributor operations, market share and profitability. Walter has published more than 50 articles in the MHEDA Journal, Material Handling Business and Construction Equipment Distribution, including topics on distributor growth strategy, sales and marketing management, manufacturer-distributor relations, product support, rental-used equipment, and customer satisfaction and retention. Walter is a popular industry guest speaker and specializes in customized in-company training programs. Since 1975, Walter has conducted well over 2,650 management seminars and workshops throughout North America, Europe and the Far East. Topics include business strategy, marketing and sales management, executive selling skills, key account management, dealer operations improvement, product support sales and management, rental/used equipment management.

Our McDonald Group adult education and business consulting clients have included the Associated Equipment Dealers (AED), ASTEC Underground, Bobcat, Bobcat Europe, Bobcat Far East, CASE, Caterpillar, Caterpillar Compact Equipment Division, Caterpillar Europe, Deere Construction Equipment, Ditch Witch, Ingersoll-Rand Construction Equipment, Jacobsen, JCB, Komatsu Construction Equipment, LBX Link Belt, Pettibone, Timberjack, Valmont Industries, Vermeer, Vermeer S.E. Asia, Vermeer Australia, the Material Handling Equipment Dealers Association (MHEDA), Linde, Komatsu, HYSTER, Hyster Big East, PON North America, NISSAN Forklift, Yale Materials Handling, Crown, Raymond, TCM-Mitsui Machinery, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift America, Mitsubishi Caterpillar Forklift Europe, Freightliner, Peterbilt Motors, Kenworth Truck, Volvo Truck, Mack Truck, Thermo King, Emergency One Fire Trucks, Pierce Fire Trucks, Ingersoll-Rand Tool Division, Trimble Navigation Ltd., Karcher Industrial Cleaning Equipment and, numerous independent industrial equipment Dealers in North America, Europe, Australia, Indonesia and the Far East.

Walter and his team have pioneered easy-to-use distributor development software programs used in his various distributor workshops. For example, "what if" is the tool to test the profit impact of management actions in new, used, parts and service operations. These programs are now being used by equipment distributors in Walter's workshops and consulting engagements. Prior to his 30-year professional management consulting career, Walter held several industrial sales, marketing and general management positions at the senior level including Vice President and General Manager of a $160 million company. Some of his earliest career experiences were in prospecting, selling and installing business computers. Walter received his Management Consultant Certification (CMC) from the Institute of Management Consultants in New York. He graduated Cum Laude from Louisiana State University with a BA in Economics, attended M.I.T.'s Sloan School of Management in Cambridge Massachusetts and pursued graduate studies in marketing and finance at the University of Chicago's Graduate School of Business.

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