b'Gear Pioneer England, France and Germany, es-tablishing a tradition of interna-tional marketing that undergirds described as nobodys fool whenthe company to this day.it came to machine tools, becameThough customers appreciated the companys chief salesperson,Kates salesmanship, her younger traveling across the country to pro- brothers, who ran the manufactur-mote products. ing shop, did not take kindly to her In1893,duringaneconomicbusiness methods.downturn in the U.S., Kate decidedKate was a rather self-assured, to sail to Europe to fill her orderdomineering, hard-to-get-along-book. Some people were shockedwith woman, said Janis Gleason, at the 28-year-old single womanswife of Kates great-nephew. She decision to travel internationallyknew her customers. She listened without an escort and not knowingto them, and she understood their anyone at her destination. Gleason needs. She would come back to the Taking only $200, a black cash- Catherine Kate Anselm Gleason helpedshop and suggest that her brothers mere dress and several letters of in- shape the global cutting tools industry as abe a little more flexible, and that troduction, she boarded a steamersales engineer for her familys gear cuttingdidnt go over very well.for the 2-month voyage across themachinery business. Ultimately, the personality clash Atlantic, accompanied by 14 menwith her brothers came to a head. and some cattle. The men tookmade Gleason one of the first man- Kate chose to leave the company turns strolling with her around theufacturing companies to expandto which she had dedicated her life.deck for recreation. to Europe. Kate obtained ordersSoon after, she was given the The trip was a huge success. Itfor Gleason machines in Scotland,opportunity to manage another 60 MARCH 2018 Women.indd 60 2/15/18 3:29 PM'