Her Story
About Gina
Gina Yates is an experienced business development professional specializing in electrical distribution, industrial instrumentation, electrical services, client relationship management, and sales. She currently serves as Business Development Manager at CONTECH CONTROL SERVICES, where she focuses on developing client relationships and promoting the company's instrumentation, electrical, analyzers, engineering and design, construction, fabrication, and heat trace services. Prior to joining CONTECH, she spent approximately eight years as an Account Representative with Houston Controls, where she developed relationships and sold instrumentation and electrical services to industrial clients. Her career also includes experience in inside sales, project quotations, and project management. Yates began her professional career in the electrical distribution industry in 2000 as a project secretary supporting more than 25 salespeople. Through experience and professional development, she advanced into project specialist, project management, quotations, and outside sales positions. As a Project Manager with Crawford Electric Supply, she managed more than 60 projects, monitored project progress, handled change orders, coordinated billing and purchasing requirements, managed expediting activities, and worked closely with customers to maintain satisfaction and encourage future business. She later served as a Project Quotations Specialist with Summit Electric Supply, where she prepared industrial lighting and switchgear quotations, worked with customers and internal teams, managed pricing and inventory information, and used SAP to support project quotations and orders. Throughout her career, Yates has emphasized relationship-building, communication, visibility, and personal connection as essential components of successful business development. She credits her outgoing personality, strong public relations skills, work ethic, and ability to build genuine client relationships as key contributors to her success. She also recognizes the influence of the leadership at Contech, whose guidance reinforced the importance of being present with clients and making meaningful professional connections. Outside of work, Yates supports the Epilepsy Foundation and enjoys watching her son play football, who has also committed to play for Army West Point. Although family comes first, she also enjoys gardening, outdoor activities, and hunting. Her career reflects a progression from project and sales support into client-facing business development leadership, built largely through experience, persistence, and strong interpersonal skills.
Her Interview
Ten minutes with Gina
01What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to building genuine relationships with my clients and having strong public relations and communication skills. I make it a priority to stay present and engaged with clients and to build relationships that extend beyond the immediate business transaction. I believe my outgoing personality and natural ability to communicate with people have helped me connect quickly with individuals from many different backgrounds.
02What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
One of the most important pieces of career advice I received from a former boss, who pursued me professionally for several years and eventually became an important mentor. He taught me the importance of always being in front of the client because things can change very quickly in our industry. His advice was to never be afraid to introduce yourself, shake someone's hand, and take the time to understand your audience. You never know who you are talking to or what role that person may eventually play in your business. That lesson reinforced for me how important personal relationships, visibility, and genuine connections are in business development.
03What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
My advice to young women entering this industry is to always be present with their clients and learn to manage their time effectively. Things move quickly in our industry, so it is important to stay connected, follow up consistently, and remain visible.
I also encourage women to introduce themselves, shake hands, and make genuine connections. You never know who may become important to your business or career in the future. First impressions matter, so professionalism, confidence, and the ability to build relationships can make a significant difference.
04What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The chemical industry is currently facing economic challenges as well as uncertainty related to overseas issues. Many clients have postponed projects into the 2027–2029 timeframe, which has created a slower environment on the engineering side.
As a result, business development professionals have to be more proactive about finding opportunities. For me, that means increasing direct outreach and doing more door-to-door prospecting to identify new work and maintain a strong pipeline. While the current environment presents challenges, it also creates an opportunity to strengthen client relationships, identify new prospects, and remain proactive rather than waiting for projects to return.
05What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
A strong work ethic is extremely important to me. I believe in working hard, remaining persistent, and not taking "no" for an answer. I also believe that experience speaks volumes and that the ability to connect with people is particularly valuable in sales and business development. I value being outgoing and maintaining strong relationships with the people around me. Outside of work, I enjoy football, working out, gardening, spending time outdoors, and hunting. My kids are my world and being a Mom always comes first, of course! So learning to juggle both can be challenging, but is always so rewarding!
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