“He is currently atop the autostocking productivity chart. Recently, on our slower days, he has also been helping out receiving at night doing put away. Jose is always read to lend a hand if someone needs help, from wrapping pallets to providing answers if someone has a question. Jose likes to learn new skills and we have plenty of opportunities for him to do so,” adds Dave.

Jose enjoys the variety his job provides him, making the chances of boredom unlikely. At the start of his shift, 3:00pm, he turns on his music, Spanish Reggae to start because it gets him focused and the right frame of mind (Gondwana is his favorite band in this particular music genre), and dives into his tasks. By the end of his shift he tends to switch from Reggae to Spanish Rock (Soda Stereo is his favorite) for more energy to finish out the day.

A running theme with interviewees when asked what they love about working for Houston’s is “great atmosphere and the people” and Jose is no exception to this. He loves the group of people he works with, and that he is allowed to listen his tunes, both of which make his job enjoyable.

When asked what a typical day looks like for him, Jose laughed, “it really depends on the day.” There are always orders to pull, trucks to load, product to receive, and product to put away. But Jose is also part of a rotation with two other employees to work on the Hotlist, meaning that every 3 weeks he will work off a list of product that needs immediate restocking on the shelves. For example, if an order puller finds that a pick slot if short on product necessary for their current order, that item pops up on the hotlist and Jose (or one of the others on rotation) will pull the product and restock the shelf so the puller can fill the rest of the order.

When you see Jose around the warehouse or office be sure to say hi and ask about his latest Max ride down to the Waterfront just to enjoy the scenery or who his favorite Doctor is on the BBC show, Doctor Who.

Congratulations, Jose, on being chosen as Employee of the Month for January 2018, and thank you for all you do!

The post We Are Houston’s: Jose Valdez appeared first on Houston's Blog.

Jose Valdez, Material Handler with Houston’s since 2015 (Image: Courtney Stroup)

Jose is a member of the swing shift team in the warehouse and really enjoys working with his coworkers. He says, “we have a good crew and try to keep it fun.” Jose is new to working in a warehouse and really enjoys riding the forklifts when he helps load the trucks. Before starting at Houston’s he had never used a rider before, one of the things he likes most about Houston’s is his ability to learn a lot from his coworkers and managers.

About three years ago Jose used Google to search for the “best places to live in the US” and choice Portland from the list. He loaded up his Smart car and drove across the country from Texas by himself. Before moving from Texas Jose worked for the Hard Rock Casino in the Dominican Republic for 6 months, which inspired him to get a college degree in Tourist Administration from the Universidad del Valle in Mexico.

When he’s not at work he enjoys riding the MAX into downtown Portland to walk along the river and into Pioneer Square. Sometimes Jose even meets his coworkers downtown to hang out; though, one of his favorite things to do downtown is get a treat at VooDoo Doughnuts and then go have sushi nearby afterwards. Yum! What a delicious appetizer followed by an even more delicious meal!

He also enjoys watching sports particularly soccer and baseball. He likes the Timbers and the Mavericks and hopes to go see the Blazers if those tickets would stop selling out. When at home and relaxing he plays XBOX, games such as The Division, Seven Days to Die, and Rainbow Six. He looks forward to seeing more of Oregon, going back to the Gorge, and skiing on Mount Hood.

Congratulations, Jose, on being selected Employee of the Month for January. We greatly appreciate all that you do for Houston’s!

The post We are Houston’s: Jose Valdez appeared first on Houston's Blog.