Featured Business person: Mauricio Mendizabal

Mauricio Mendizabal, International sales manager for Latin America, Bunting Magnetics

Don't expect to see too much of Mendizabal in his new job with the Newton-based producer of magnetic products. He'll be on the road – the road in Latin America, that is – 75 percent of the time.

Mendizabal, 46, was born in Bolivia and moved to the United States with his family when he was 2 years old.

He graduated from high school in Olathe and studied psychology at the University of Kansas before going to work in sales for the construction division of Husqvarna, a Swedish company with offices in Kansas. He spent another couple of years doing the same thing for a Korean company before moving to Bunting Magnetics earlier this year.

“What they were looking for is my background exactly,” he said. “I did international sales in Latin America for 14 years.”

Bunting makes magnetic products for a broad range of uses. Mendizabal spent a couple of months in the company's Midwestern territory before assuming his new role last week.

He said he doesn't mind the travel.

“You kind of get used to it,” he said. “I enjoy making friends in all the different countries.”

Mendizabal and his wife, Jennifer, have three children, all boys, ranging in age from 10 to 27.

“I love cars – sports cars – and luckily my children like to play with cars too.”

Joe Stumpe

This story was originally published October 16, 2014 at 7:53 AM with the headline "Featured Business person: Mauricio Mendizabal."