JOHN MCBRIDE was Chairman and CEO of Don Blackburn & Company. He studied business and finance at Schoolcraft College and attended Northwestern University's Kellogg School of Business Management in 1990. John began his career at Ford Motor Company and later joined Don Blackburn & Company in 1965. During the Vietnam war, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force and was trained as a jet engine mechanic and eventually reached the rank of Staff Sergeant. John was honorably discharged in 1970 and returned to Don Blackburn & Company at that time. He was a member of the National Association of Wholesaler-Distributors and the National Association of Electrical Distributors (NAED) for which he has served in several leadership roles.