Leadership

Andy Goggins is the owner of NorthGate and leads the vision and strategic planning of the company.

Andy joined the family business in 1993, committed to learning the vision of his father and company founder, Jack Goggins.  Now as the owner, Andy leads NorthGate to even greater heights.  Andy’s “Big Picture” mindset comes from his years of invaluable experience working and leading within every department of NorthGate: assembly, operations, logistics and sales.  Exceeding Customer Expectations is of the utmost importance to Andy; he has driven company trucks, assisted in assembly, sparked new innovative designs, and delivered out of the box solutions.

Andy is dedicated to serving his local community and is deeply committed to the future of education and faith in Flint. He served as a board member for ten years on the relocation committee for the development of the new state-of-the-art campus for Powers Catholic High School. Additionally, he is a member of the Strategic Board of Directors for the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce. Andy is supported by his wife of 26 years, Sarah, and together they have two children, Drew and Lily, who are now part of the family business. 

George, as the CEO of NorthGate, plays a pivotal role in shaping the company's vision.

Prior to joining NorthGate in 2017, George was Group Vice President with the Flint & Genesee Chamber of Commerce, where he oversaw the Economic Development, Shared Services, Grants, Communications and Marketing, and the Convention and Visitors Bureau business units. Other past positions include Chief Operating Officer and President of Walker International Transportation, and Vice President with Dana Corporation. George also served as a General Motors executive for Global Logistics, with responsibility for its $5.7 billion global logistics supply chain.

George holds a Bachelor in Business Management from Southern University and a Master of Science in Administration degree from Central Michigan University.

George believes strongly in leading and serving his local community. He currently serves as pastor of Word of Life Christian Church (WOLCC), which he established in April of 2007 in his hometown of Flint, Michigan. He also serves on many local boards, including Hamilton Community Health Network, United Way of Genesee County, YMCA Foundation, and the Child Health and Development Advisory Board. George previously held the position of Board Chair of the Community Foundation of Greater Flint from 2017-2019. George was instrumental in the development of the Moving Flint Forward Fund, which provided the Flint-area business community with grants totaling over $900,000 during the Flint Water Crisis.

As the President, James Distelrath, CPA, is responsible for the successful integration and operational leadership of all departments. 

Prior to joining NorthGate in 2020, Jim held numerous executive-level finance positions, primarily at community banking institutions. Jim started his career as an auditor at Crowe Chizek in 1996. 

Jim was born in Detroit, MI and has lived in Michigan his entire life including earning a Bachelor’s Degree in Accounting from Michigan State University. He is active in the community, serving as the chair of the finance committee for Church of the Holy Family, the State Director of Convention of States – Michigan, and the past president of the board of Family Promise of Genesee County. 

Mia Turner is the Vice President of Human Resources at NorthGate. In this role, Mia provides strategic direction and operational leadership for the total landscape of human resources and serves as a member of the Company’s Leadership Team.

Prior to joining NorthGate in 2021, Mia was with Toyota (TMMI) as a Sr. Project Manager in Production Control. Earlier experiences included Senior Commercial Training Officer for the Bank of Oklahoma, overseeing training and development for Treasury Services Division in a four-state market area. She also held the position of City Clerk of the City of Pauls Valley, Oklahoma, serving as the City’s Human Resource Manager.

Born and raised in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, Mia earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Public Administration from the University of Oklahoma and a Master of Education degree in Training & Development from the University of Central Oklahoma. She is active in ministry and the community and is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc., a community service organization.

Nicole leads the operations of NorthGate’s Supply Chain Services division, providing direction and execution of the overall vision of NorthGate, working closely with the customer to maintain our strong partnership along with execution of continuous improvement initiatives. She is also responsible for the NorthGate Information Technology (IT) department, where she manages and deploys new technical projects designed to help the organization achieve its business goals.

Nicole has built a career of vast and diverse knowledge within the Supply Chain Services industry, with more than 17 years at NorthGate. Prior to becoming the Director of Supply Chain Services, Nicole has held positions of leadership within multiple NorthGate departments including: Safety, Quality, Purchasing, with a primary focus in Operations and IT.

Born and raised in Flushing, MI, Nicole earned her Bachelor of Information Technology degree at Baker College in Flint, MI. She also holds a Masters in Science with a concentration in Database and Knowledge Management from Boston University.

Nicole specializes in leading teams in the design and execution of custom solutions with precision and agility, building customer satisfaction and confidence. With her broad multi-disciplinary experience, Nicole is passionate about creating holistic solutions that are customer focused and aligned with the vision and mission of NorthGate.

Steve brings over 35 years of multi-faceted experience to NorthGate. His previous roles include Executive Leadership in Sales & Marketing, Operations, as well as Manufacturing. Industries served range from Automotive to the Paper industry.

Throughout Steve’s career he has learned that servitude is the core to building both teams and companies. It is his belief that without the core value of servitude, leaders can run astray of their purpose as a company’s leader. By incorporating the value of servitude, Steve has been able to build and sustain true and valued relationships with employees, suppliers, and customers; many of whom are now lifetime friends.

Being of service to others is also reflected outside of his business role’s. Steve serves as President of the St. Vincent de Paul Society at St. Augustine’s where his team provides food, shelter, and other needs to over 500 “neighbors” every year. He also serves on the Board of Directors of God’s Love Foundation (GLF). GLF provides an awareness of Hope and God’s love for people, via helping with their financial needs, miscellaneous services, and through prayer.

Steve is married to his lovely bride, Karen, a proud dad of 5 wonderful children, and a grateful Grandfather to 4 grandchildren.

As VP of Finance and CFO, Brian Kita, MBA, is responsible to build and manage the finance and accounting team, while working with the leadership team to ensure compliance,  provide financial leadership, and stimulating change across the organization.

Prior to joining NorthGate in 2023, Brian was the Director of Finance at Capital Steel & Wire located in DeWitt, MI.  Brian began his career as an auditor with Deloitte and Touche in 1993 and he has held various executive level finance and operations positions, primarily in the healthcare sector.

Brian was born in Flint, MI and has resided in Michigan his entire life earning both a Bachelor of Science Degree in Accounting and a Master’s Degree in Finance from the University of Michigan. He has been a high school football official for over 25 years and spent many years coaching boys’ and girls’ youth sports in the community.