Servicing three CHEF’STOREs, Don has made several key contributions over the past quarter. He worked closely with his manager on the buy-in of Torani syrups prior to a price increase, while maintaining alignment with strategy and supply levels.

He keeps a close eye on seasonal shifts, too, making necessary adjustments to ensure products have the proper shelf space based on sales.

“Don also stepped up and covered two Kerry vacations in high volume stores,” said Bob Baldwin, Project Manager.

It’s clear that Don consistently demonstrates a focus on finding solutions, while building and maintaining relationships with coworkers, vendors, and customers alike. He has a willingness to do what it takes to get the job done, and find workarounds wherever possible.

Instead of telling a customer we’re out of a particular product, Don will transfer between stores to fulfill a customer need.

“I have been approached on numerous occasions by customers telling me Don does an excellent job getting them what they need,” Bob added.

The Vancouver CHEF’STORE, which Don services, is the No. 2 store in syrup sales. Managers attribute a large part of that to Don’s effort in keeping product stocked and available for customers.

It’s a good example of the way in which Don has grown since he came on board as a part-time Merchandiser with Houston’s in 2014. He eventually went full time to servicing his three stores.

Runners up for the quarter are Gwen Green (first runner up) and Jo Irwin (second runner up).

Congratulations! This recognition is well deserved.

Read about our other recently recognized team members on the Houston’s Blog.

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Gary is the Houston’s Information System Technician. To sum up what this entails, using Gary’s own words, “I
fix things.” Computers, network issues, phones, printers, etc… there is always something new to work on, trouble shoot, or upgrade and that is what Gary loves about his job, the ever changing needs of the company that keep his job from getting stale.

“Gary was chosen as the Employee of the Quarter because of his tireless dedication to the company both as a business and as people,” says Jordy Simpson, IT Manager, “He always does his best to please everyone and keep things up and running, going above and beyond when there is a need for it. I don’t know what we’d do without him!”

If you haven’t yet met Gary, you’re sure to have heard some of his random animal noises – he often imitates various birds – as he travels around the building. When not at work (which he does find himself working from home at times, too), he loves spending time with his wife, 3 grandkids, and 4 great grandkids. Gary’s youngest great grandson is really into Legos and Thomas the Train at the moment, and he and Gary spend plenty of time building things. Gary and his wife also have 3 fur babies- Buddy, Chion (Spanish for crybaby), and Kane who are a miniature Aussie, miniature Dachshund, and a Shih Tzu Chihuahua respectively. If Gary had a hobby it would be video games, as he is currently working on Fallout 4 but his all-time favorite game is Mario.

When asked to give one interesting bit of information that people may not know about him, he said that after 25+ years of smoking he will be smoke free for one year at the end of March and is very happy about this.

Thank you again for all you have done and continue to do, Gary! And congratulations on becoming Employee of the Quarter for the first quarter of 2018.

The post We Are Houston’s: Gary Pierce appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Jacob Dick, January 2017 Employee of the Month

We are proud to announce the January Employee of the Month for the Kansas City warehouse.

Jacob Dick joined Houston’s in June 2016 as the Lead over the shipping departments, which includes FedEx, Will Call and freight shipping operations. “This has been a great opportunity to utilize my previous experience, continuing in a leadership role” commented Jacob about joining Houston’s. Prior to coming here, Jacob spent the past four years in the Army, including assignments in South Korea, Kuwait, and Oman learning warehouse operations as an Automated Logistics Specialist. Upon returning the United States, Jacob finished his enlistment in Fort Riley Kansas, where he married his wife. Together they have a son and are expecting a daughter later this year. When Jacob isn’t busy with college classes that he started last month, he enjoys spending time watching classic and new movies. He is also a pretty good darts and pool player.

Congratulations, again, to Jacob. His supervisor, Sherman Dodd, credits Jacob’s strong work ethic – “Jacob consistently shows initiative and flexibility in assisting wherever and whenever he is needed. He is a good role model”

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Meet Alaina Roberts.  A Houston’s employee since January 2015, and 2016’s fourth quarter Employee of the Quarter.

Quiet, compassionate, and fun are the words Alaina might use to describe herself.  I would add charming, engaging, kind, friendly, and likeable to her list.  When Alaina is seen around the office, whether in passing or stopping to talk with others, you can count on two things:  one, she is smiling, and two, she will take time to acknowledge you, to simply say hello or to offer assistance if needed.  She loves her coworkers, and in fact, they are one of the reasons she enjoys her job so much.

Alaina works in our Purchasing Department as a buyer.  Specifically, her job is to purchase merchandise for us to sell to our customers.  She works with the vendors she is assigned to, from the time the Purchase Order is placed, through the time it is received in our warehouse, and even after, to ensure everything was received correctly.  And she loves it all!  She especially likes to play around with numbers, forecasting how much product we will need from our vendors based on the amount of product our customers are buying.  Alaina believes that her patience when working through issues and her acute attention to detail makes her good at what she does.  Her manager, Amanda Hackathorn, takes it a step further and says that she appreciates Alaina’s “team-oriented attitude” when it comes to work, and the fact that she is kind to everyone and is willing to help out wherever needed, including in other departments if they are short staffed.

When Alaina isn’t working at Houston’s she enjoys reading, hiking, and just spending good quality time outside with her husband and her dogs.  She loves the beach and visits the coast whenever she can.  In her down time, or when it is too rainy to go outside, Alaina loves to read.  Any genre will do, but she wants to read “Unbroken” and maybe eventually watch the movie too.  She has recently dived in to reading the Bible for the second time.  When she was younger she read the books out of order, bouncing around based on how she was feeling on any given day; now, though, she is reading it in order from the Old Testament to the New Testament, in hopes of learning how the story really fits together.

Congratulations on being chosen the Employee of the Quarter, Alaina!  Houston’s appreciates all that you do!!

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I like to ask our Employees of the Quarter what makes them excel at the work they do for Houston’s.  So often I find that there is an inner drive that motivates them to do well, a pride in doing things right.  Teresa is no different.  She is good at her job because she takes it personally.  It matters to her that the paper trail is correct, and she often goes to great lengths to play detective, to sort out problems and tackle them from start to finish.  In her words, she takes “pride [in her work] because what we do is important.”  She truly enjoys making sure that our vendors are paid the correct amount, in a timely manner.  Jasmine completely agrees.  She states that Teresa’s “enthusiasm to learn/take on new tasks, attention to detail, and willingness to help others has built a great foundation within the AP department.”

Before Teresa was hired at Houston’s she was a stay-at-home mom, and transitioning back in to work was a challenge for her.  With a newborn at home, a new full time job, and learning the ins and outs of the Accounts Payable position, she certainly felt the stress.  However, she tackled all the pressure with grace, and a desire to do well, and she has proven to be beyond capable of juggling her many hats.

Although Teresa loves her job in the accounting department at Houston’s, she would love to have more time to spend time with her three children and her fiance, chasing adventures and trying new things in new places.  She also is an avid reader, a swimmer, and a Jamaican Dancehall enthusiast.  If a genie would grant her just one wish it would be to have a small house by the beach where she could walk daily to the local market for fresh food.  It would be awesome if that same genie could throw in a couple of chickens and a goat!

Thank you for all you do, Teresa.  Houston’s appreciates you and all your hard work.

The post We are Houston’s: Teresa Petrin appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Aside from work, Angel enjoys driving, restoring and working on old, classic cars, as well as attending car shows. He enjoys pizza and Mexican cuisine – especially tacos and enchiladas. When asked to recall his favorite memory, Angel describes working long summer days in California, laboring in the hot sun from the wee-hours of the morning until dusk. He and his fellow co-workers would help pass time talking while picking grapes that would be made into wine.

Angel has recently been selected as Houston’s Employee of the Quarter for the second quarter of 2015. Angel’s supervisor, Nancy, says, “[he] is an outstanding employee. Angel is doing a great job here at Houston’s.” Confident in his skills and abilities, Angel attributes his excellence to his years of experience with Houston’s. We thank you for your commitment to excellence, Angel, and look forward to working with you for many years to come!

The post We are Houston’s: Angel Cervantes appeared first on Houston's Blog.

If you need something done, you can count on Jenny!

Jenny was hired in June 2013 in the Returns Department, but moved to Admin shortly after and she feels like she has found her niche.  She loves her job because it allows her to chat with everyone as she floats around the office doing different jobs—helping out in the file room and reception, making sure the Admin department runs smoothly, setting up new items or deleting obsolete items, and her latest feats in the office, recycling toner cartridges and working with a shred company to recycle office papers.  Chatting amongst co-workers is one of the many things that make Jenny happy at her job—and she truly does enjoy the people she works with.  Additionally, though, she enjoys the productive feeling she takes away from her job as the Admin Lead.  She doesn’t mind paperwork, and in fact, she derives great satisfaction from looking at a pile of work, tackling it, and seeing it through until the job is complete.  When I asked Jenny’s manager what makes her such a great employee I was told that Jenny is “very enthusiastic,” a team player, works well with other departments, and has a “willingness to wrap her arms around a project and run with it.”  With these attributes and more it is easy to see why Jenny is an incredible asset to Houston’s.

When Jenny isn’t at work, she loves to watch her son compete in his track and cross-country events, and exercising makes her feel good; she has a stationary bike and a treadmill, and she likes to walk out of doors as well.  She has played the piano for 32 years, and though mostly she plays at home, she does fill in at her church from time to time.  Jenny is currently saving her pennies to buy a digital keyboard!

I asked Jenny if she has a motto she would like to share, and her response really sums up the person I perceive her to be:  “Be positive and be happy.”  She said that she feels like our minds have “ruts,” and that sometimes we have to force ourselves to create positive thoughts.  Practicing the art of being positive, she said, could in turn make people happier in general.  Well said, Jenny!  And thank you, too, for leading by example!

Congratulations on a job well done!

The post We Are Houston’s: Jenny Johnston appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Courtney Stroup, Graphic Designer

C is for Capable. For Cheerful. For Creative. C is for Captivating, Competent, Cultured, Convivial. C is for Charming. And Cooperative. C is for Courtney!!

Courtney Stroup is Houston’s 3rd Quarter 2014 Employee of the Quarter, and for good reason. Since being hired as a Graphic Designer she has been responsible for many tasks in the Marketing Department. Catalog production, creating flyers and sliders for the website, filling customer marketing requests, designing and producing mini-catalogs, and processing images are just a scattering of Courtney’s responsibilities. And she does them exceptionally well, with a phenomenal attitude. Courtney is a self-proclaimed lover of pretty things, well-versed in graphic design, with an acute eye for detail. She is very visual and is able to look at the whole picture when coming up with designs. Combine these qualities with a deep-seated interest in design and it’s easy to see that she can’t help but excel at her work, and why she is a great value to Houston’s.

Courtney’s hobbies are as diverse as the material she designs. In her spare time she likes to travel, and has been to Spain but would also like to go to Australia and to somewhere tropical with warm beaches, sand, and water. Courtney loves to watch movies, and has seen all of the Wes Anderson films, as he is one of her favorite producers. She and her husband sometimes throw elaborate dinner parties for family (did I mention Courtney loves to eat?), and they have even featured Thai food as one of the meals they created. She also loves wine tasting and is a Starbucks coffee aficionado. Working out and doing yoga are a part of Courtney’s daily routine. And Courtney LOVES Michael Jackson!
If you haven’t met Courtney, or haven’t had any length of conversation with her, you certainly should make a point to do so—you won’t be sorry you did. Her personality is engaging, her laugh is infectious, and she is, quite simply, a fun person to be around!

Thanks for all you bring to Houston’s every day, Courtney. Your hard work is respected and appreciated!!

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