Gina Wheeler is hardly a new face here at Wheeler Machinery Sales, Inc. Wife of Dan Wheeler, third-generation owner and current president of the company, Gina has been part of Wheeler Machinery by association for decades…ever since the couple started dating back in college.
And while Gina has fully supported Dan in his efforts to grow the Wheeler Machinery brand through the years, she has also focused on forging her own path, a journey that included an earned doctorate degree in public health and a successful 20 year career in sales.
All that changed, however, with Dan’s cancer diagnosis. “After his recovery, Dan had a lot of trouble with neuropathy; a by-product of his aggressive cancer treatment. He was having a lot of pain and would need her help at the shop.”
Knowing that Dan needed family support, Gina thought hard about making a long-term change. “I was trying to manage so many things: supporting my family, our business, and my own career,” she said. She felt compelled to let something go so Gina leaned into her faith for an answer.
“My husband, two teenagers, and youngest child needed me more than ever; I needed to be present with my family,” she said. “God was putting it on my heart to take a new path with my career.”
So in June of 2021, she did just that. Leaving her longtime sales position, she joined the family business, where she handles the bookkeeping, accounts receivable and payable, insurance, etc…“all of the office duties,” she said.
She believes that it makes Dan more comfortable knowing that she’s a part of the day-to-day operations at Wheeler Machinery Sales. “My presence gives him the freedom to do more of what he’s good at, which is building on the Wheeler Machinery legacy. I also think he just likes having me around,” she laughed.
Gina says “Dan works hard to make Wheeler Machinery the go-to machinery place on the west coast.” And with Gina by his side, he’s on track to continue to build the Wheeler Machinery brand—a vision that’s possible in part because of Gina’s dedication to faith and family; giving him the freedom to pursue the dream.
