Shawn and Adam work together to stock the shelves and store back-stock at Cash & Carry.

The day started in the early morning, before traffic began, with snow still scattered across the ground. The parking lot was full of customers, loading their vehicles with piles of products. I stepped out of my car and took a long, cold breath bracing myself for the new adventure. This was no normal day in the office for me.

Walking up to the store I could see the trolleys lined up against one side of the building, and empty boxes stacked up on the other. I entered to a busy store but was still greeted by the closest cashier. I searched for Adam and found him sipping on coffee looking over a pallet full of boxes. Adam greeted me with a bright smile and we started the tour. He walked me around the back to a long and wide aisle, where the store kept the back stock of products. On the other side were the recycling and compactor as well as more back stock. Adam continued with the tour and we walked through the aisles that Houston’s stocked.

As we finished the tour we came back to the pallet of boxes. This pallet, as he explained, was referred to as a stack. Adam then briefly explained how our merchandisers work to develop relationships with each of the stores. In this instance Shawn, the merchandiser for this store, has built such a great relationship with the staff that they are willing to place the stacks within the store so he does not have to go back and forth to retrieve product. We proceeded to unpack the stack. Adam made a quick strategy so no time is wasted. Many of the merchandisers know their stores inside and out, which helps them make quick sorting decisions. The trolley was loaded perfectly, almost like Tetris, and we began taking product down aisles. While working on stocking a shelf we were also facing out other products that Houston’s stocks, making the product look presentable and accessible.

Challenger Glass is professionally merchandised by Houston’s at Cash & Carry.

The biggest aisle that we worked was the flavored syrup aisle. This is where I learned that our merchandisers do so much more than stock shelves. They must track the sales of the flavors and order accordingly, but this can be a real challenge. One day you can sell out of a Torani flavor and you will order up, but then it will not sell for a month. Not only can this cause the store to have extra inventory, but also it takes up space for products that are moving consistently. While we were stocking the bottles we had many customers come up and ask about different flavors. While I worked with him, Shawn was approached by a customer that who asked about product availability. It was a great experience to see that he had built such great rapport with these customers. As a trio, we were able to finish the flavored syrup aisle in half the time that would normally take. At this point I was somewhat exhausted, because the Torani and Monin cases are heavy.

Once everything was stocked, we came back to where we met and Adam explained another important step. The packing list, the form that came with the stacks, is looked over to ensure that everything came in and there were no discrepancies. The packing list includes each item ordered as well as the quantity. If something were missing then the merchandiser would have to investigate why it did not ship or where the product was. As Adam read the packing list to me, I checked off items. Luckily we were not any missing items.

The main thing I took away from this experience is that our Merchandisers wear many hats on a daily basis. They go into Cash & Carry representing Houston’s, but while on the floor they are also represent the store they are at. In one day, they fill the role of receiving, customer service, purchasing, sales and inventory control. Next time you are at Cash & Carry and happen to run into a merchandiser, let them know they are doing a fine job.

By Evan Castaneda, Inside Sales Rep

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Get to know Brandy Schrantz

This month on “Getting to Know You…” I’d like to introduce Houston’s Inside Sales Manager- Brandy Schrantz!

March, 2010 – Brandy got her start at Houston’s in Accounts Payable and from there moving to Purchasing before taking her accumulated skills and putting them to great use in our Customer Service department. She then used those skills to train and develop the department in ways to apply this information to current situations. This allowed more responsibility to be taken on and by doing so growing the team into what we now call the Inside Sales Team.

Brandy, along with her team, work to make the impossible happen; they get deliveries to customers in time for big events, and introduce customers to new and amazing products. When asked what her favorite part about working for Houston’s is, Brandy said, “I love how close knit the company is; everyone treats each other like family.”

When not at work Brandy loves spending time with her husband, two children, two German Shepherds, and Tabby cat. The family is very active in their congregation and they also love to spend time at home relaxing, doing house projects, hiking, camping, and checking off travel locations on the family bucket list! Brandy was even able to check off a personal item on her own travel list last year when she enjoyed a vacation with family in Scotland and Paris! She also has a love for coffee and British TV (Doctor Who being a favorite).

Make sure to say hi to Brandy the next time you see her and enjoy getting to know your managers!

Brandy and her kids hiking Ten Falls at Silver Falls State Park

Brandy at the top of the Arc de Triomphe soaking in the beautiful city of Paris

Brandy grew fond of this parrot during her visit to Mountainside Lavender Farm

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Congrats Kristin – Q1-2017 Employee of the Quarter!

to 2003, and returned to us in August of 2015 after a stint with Sysco. We’re so glad to have Kristin back with us and more proud to announce she has been selected as 2017’s first quarter Employee of the Quarter.

Kristin works in our Inside Sales Department as a Foodservice Specialist, “working with all the different customers and trying to help them with order issues and looking for that certain item.” After coming back to Houston’s from Sysco, Kristin has been entrusted to handle some of Houston’s largest customer accounts. The most satisfying part of her job she says is “working with everybody in the office and even some of the customers.”

When she’s not at work, Kristin enjoys shopping, and not just at the mall. While she admits it’s strange, Kristin enjoys grocery shopping. “I love to meal plan and cook recipes that you would get at a fancy restaurant. Italian food is my favorite!” When she does treat herself to a night out, she enjoys meeting friends at bar to catch up, or joining her family at various restaurants around town. “We’re a bunch of foodies.”

Aside from her love of food, Kristin also enjoys being outdoors and traveling. Her and her husband are both members of the Oregon Fishing Club, and can often be found fishing for trout on various private properties around Oregon. When she’s looking for more leisurely travel, Kristin prefers tropical – where she can enjoy a nice adult beverage, a book, and do nothing at all. When asked where she hasn’t traveled to yet, but would like to: “I would love to travel to Bora Bora… just so I could say I stayed in a hut on the ocean.” Us too, Kristin. Us too.

Many managers from multiple departments sited Kristen as personable and friendly with professional demeanor. Her willingness to go above and beyond to help her fellow employees and Houston’s customers is why Kristen was nominated Employee of the Quarter. “She works well with all other departments and those within her own department – taking the time necessary to show her customers and her coworkers what they need or to help them,” says one manager.

Congratulations, Kristin on being selected Employee of the Quarter! And thank you for all that you do for Houston’s!

The post We Are Houston’s: Kristin Gatto appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Brandy Schrantz, Inside Sales

For the second time since being hired by Houston’s in March, 2010, Brandy Schrantz is being recognized as Employee of the Quarter.  Brandy was chosen for the 2014 1^st quarter because she is efficient and detail oriented, is not afraid to ask questions, and will work on implementing changes to help the department run more smoothly.  Additionally—and equally as important—Brandy brings a lot of fun to the work day!

Brandy is a plethora of knowledge within Houston’s as she has worked in many departments.  Originally hired to fill an AP position, Brandy has also trained in the Returns Department, worked in Purchasing as a Purchasing Assistant and a Buyer, as well as in Inside Sales where she is currently the lead employee.  As a member of the Inside Sales team, Brandy takes orders and sources product for customers, gives quotes, sets up new items as requested, and works with the warehouse, accounting, and transportation department to ensure orders are timely.  The Inside Sales Lead position also requires Brandy to help train new employees, analyze reports, and work on any additional special projects as assigned.

Learning is enjoyable to Brandy, a self-proclaimed “nerd,” and she feels that wanting to absorb all she can about the restaurant industry, combined with a love of special projects, talking and exchanging pleasantries with customers on a daily basis, and taking a certain joy from the demands of multi-tasking—a huge requirement of her job—is what makes her so inherently good at what she does.  She is not afraid to ask “Why?” in order to gain a deeper understanding of the big picture, and this allows her to more easily answer customer questions and to help them to make decisions.

Brandy loves working in the Inside Sales Department, and she loves working at Houston’s in general.  The team dynamic within the company makes the entire day pleasant, rather than a chore.  While away from the office, though, Brandy likes to hike and camp, to take small weekend trips with her family and/or friends, to watch movies with her family while snuggling and eating popcorn.  She is currently training to run her first half marathon, and a recent new hobby is to see local areas where movies have been filmed.

Congratulations on being 2014’s 1^st quarter Employee of the Quarter, Brandy.  You are a valued employee and your hard work is appreciated!

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Lisa Randall, Inside Sales

Please join me in congratulating Lisa Randall, the fourth quarter 2013 Employee of the Quarter. For more than eleven years, Lisa has been an exceptional employee, dedicated to her work, to the other members of the Inside Sales team, and most importantly, to Houston’s customers.

Lisa started with Houston’s in September 2002 working for the FedEx department for two years before moving to Inside Sales, and finally to her current position, the FSA Foodservice Specialist.  Lisa prides herself on excelling at her job, and though she naturally strives to make her customers satisfied with her work by paying attention to detail and triple-checking for accuracy, it helps that she truly enjoys working directly with people and helping them to find solutions on a day-to-day basis. She is professional, always willing to pitch in, always willing to learn new things, and she is tolerant and helpful when working with new employees or other departments within Houston’s. All in all, Lisa has an excellent attitude and it shows in her work!

Lisa spends her spare time hiking or reading books, and she enjoys spending time with her family, especially her two grandchildren.
Thank you, Lisa, for a job well done!

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