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16 | www.cedmag.com | Construction Equipment Distribution | April 2014 A Closer Look There is heavy iron and tempered steel – and then there is Musya Tumanyan. It is appropriate to mention Mrs. Tumanyan in the same sentence with ferrous metals and alloys because they all share some characteristics. Tough. Stress- resistant. Resilient. "I learned to be very straight forward," she says of her reputa- tion as a savvy negotiator and no-nonsense sales executive. "I learned to say what I mean and mean what I say. I learned from an early age that if I say something, to say something valuable, to be of value." As senior vice president of international sales for Hoffman Equipment, Musya (pronounced Musha) Tumanyan has been saying and doing valuable things for 25 years. The Piscataway, N.J., construc- tion equipment dealer has a large footprint overseas, and Tumanyan is one reason why. Moldavian Heritage Tumanyan was born in the Molda- vian Soviet Socialist Republic (now Moldova), which sits between Ukraine and Romania. Breezes off the Black Sea foster warm summers and mild winters, which have nurtured produce, grape-growing and winemaking industries in Moldova for many generations. But in 1977, Tumanyan and her family turned their backs on this pleasant and picturesque climate and emigrated to the United States. Already a university graduate, Tumanyan entered an international trade and marketing program in New York City. She spoke Russian and German and quickly added English to her stable of languages. (She since has mastered Italian and is working on French.) Upon graduation from the NYC program, Tumanyan started at the bottom with a trading company and parlayed her global background Don't Mess With Musya She isn't what males of some foreign nations might have been expecting, but by dealing openly and honestly with global customers the senior vice president of international sales at Hoffman Equipment has won trust – and business. By Giles lamberTson (continued on page 18) 16_Hoffman_Export_feature_KP.indd 16 3/27/14 4:24 PM