Jim Shephard is president of Shephard’s Industrial Training Systems, Inc., Memphis, TN. After a four-year tour of duty in the United States Navy serving in Vietnam, Shephard was a real estate broker then owned and operated a John Deere Dealership. He eventually accepted a position as a Sales Representative for a Caterpillar Dealership in their Powered Industrial Truck Division. For his success and accomplishments in1982 Jim was recognized by Caterpillar Tractor and featured in Caterpillar’s worldwide Dealer magazine for his sales efforts, marketing strategies and strong values toward customer service. In 1984 Shephard took the Regional Managers position for Long Reach and Rol-Lift Manufacturing Companies (a manufacturer of special material handling attachments for heavy equipment) a subsidiary of Anderson Clayton Company. He provided Consulting Services to 250 plus dealers. Primary duties were to assist clients in obtaining special material handling equipment that would increase productivity and improve safety. In 1986 he founded Shephard’s Industrial Training Systems, Inc., which became one of the first, if not the first, consulting companies to focus its resources on developing and implementing customized operator training programs for industries. Since then he has focused his company’s efforts on providing “Site and Equipment-Specific Operator Training and Certification Programs.” His company hasexpanded its customer base throughout North America and the Caribbean in industries such as: Paper, Forestry, Steel, Aluminum, Lumber, Logistics, Landfills, Chemical, Plastics, Equipment Manufacturers, Maritime, US Government, and more. In 1991 the Occupational Safety and Health Administration in Washington, D.C. invited Shephard to assist in rewriting the Powered Industrial Truck Operator Training Standards for General Industries. He completed this task in 1999, when the new regulations were passed into law.