I’m not much of an artist. My handwriting is below-average and my 6-year old daughter’s portraits put most of my drawings to shame. You likely won’t find me on a date with my wife attending a Paint Nite, and my least favorite class in college was Art History. Yet, what does excite me is reflecting on the past and painting a picture for the future.
When I started at J&D Foodservice in the summer of 2009, I was excited to learn a new industry and become part of the team that would eventually become JDFood. During my first week I was presented with a career-defining assignment; vacuuming the warehouse. Dressed in slacks, a nice button down shirt, and dress shoes I likely haven’t worn since, I was asked if I could vacuum the dry warehouse because a co-worker had run into a fire extinguisher with a forklift, causing the powdery substance to cover the greater part of the area currently zoned as the newest production room at Certified Meat Products. It was in this assignment I realized my greatest potential was to serve in any capacity asked of me.
Our roles within the company are often fairly structured; office, warehouse, drivers, production. But what makes JD & CMP unique is the ability to play a role in whatever need there might be at any given moment. In the past few weeks multiple people have spent their days cleaning the freezer, coolers, and warehouse. The goal communicated to me from day one was very simple be willing to help whenever possible, with a positive attitude, and treat others as you would like to be treated. I truly believe living with this mindset – and working alongside others who share the same goal – is what separates CMP/JD from many other companies.
Fast-forward 7 ½ years later and I’ve been blessed to have experienced working for both CMP and JDFood. I’m encouraged when I look at past paintings; expanding CMP production into 3 processing rooms, relocating the JD Dry Warehouse multiple times, expanding delivery regions, and building the brand new facility across the street to name a few. But I also look forward to the masterpieces we will create in the future. It’s an exciting time to be part of JD & CMP and I look forward to partnering with a team committed to the success of both companies.