Meet Rita, Our October Employee Spotlight
If you are ever headed out to the Wisconsin area, you may be lucky to interact with Rita, the Purchasing Manager for MATHESON’s Southeastern Wisconsin, Illinois, Eastern Minnesota and Eastern Iowa regions.
Rita began working at MATHESON in 2011, but has been a part of the welding industry since 1996 with over 25 years of experience in the business. Her daily responsibilities as a purchasing manager include a variety of tasks such as supporting MATHESON’S retail stores, assisting in creating purchase orders for welding hard goods, helping with shipments, and doing physical inventory.
An aspect of her job that Rita particularly enjoys is inventory management and making sure all stores are properly stocked. Rita works diligently with our site managers to make sure our customers get the products they need as soon as possible. “We have a great team of site managers and purchasing managers; we all work very well together and support each other whenever necessary. It is so great to be a part of a team where we all feel like family.”
In Rita’s years of experience, she has picked up a few life lessons along the way, one of which is “knowledge is power.” She loves learning and is always taking additional courses to help her grow professionally. By doing so, Rita is able to assist her coworkers when they need support and uses those lessons she has learned to not only help her at MATHESON but in her everyday life, as well. “I have been involved in so many areas of MATHESON; it is nice to have that experience and knowledge to help me make informed decisions and help my teammates.”
Here at MATHESON, our company culture revolves around helping our customers. Rita strives to continually learn new skills that will ultimately help our patrons, whether it be making product suggestions or knowing the customer’s buying behavior in the different regions she manages. Even when Rita’s work does not require her to directly interact with customers, she is still helping them from afar, and MATHESON as a whole.
If you were to run into Rita during her personal time you may find her reading the latest fantasy or science fiction novel, listening to the albums of anything by C.F. Kip Winger, or relaxing with one of her favorite hobbies…photography. “I really enjoy photography, especially wildlife photography. It is a pretty relaxing activity and because I have to wait to watch the wildlife come out and do something interesting, it also helps teach me patience.” If you want to be a part of the MATHESON family, visit our career page to find a job opportunity near you:
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Meet Chris, Our Bulk Driver of the Year and September Employee Spotlight
Since October of 2016, Chris has been a part of MATHESON’S Carrollton, KY location. Chris is a Driver Training Supervisor whose job entails delivering gases to our customers as well as training and mentoring new MATHESON truck drivers.
Chris’ work ethic, positive attitude, and thirty years of driving experience laid the groundwork for him to be the winner of the MATHESON Bulk Driver of the Year Award for 2022. The Driver of the Year program recognizes MATHESON’s best drivers for their dedication to safety, on-time delivery and customer service, and the Bulk Driver of the Year Award is the most prestigious award presented to the “best of the best” of all bulk drivers. “I was honored and surprised when I found out I won. I was honored that my name was in the running and surprised because I was doing what I have done for the last thirty years.”
Chris’ honor does not come as a shock to those who know him well. His hard-working attitude is infectious and has helped create a bond with his co-workers at MATHESON. “A lot of us have similar interests, goals, and work ethic. We all are very focused on getting the products to our customers in a timely and safe manner.”
Chris’ passion for his job can be seen daily and he passes that enthusiasm on to the new employees he is training. “Our manufacturing process is fascinating to me and to know that we help support so many different industries provides me with a sense of ownership in helping not only our customers but also helping people throughout the region.”
When Chris is not working, he can often be found spending time with his kids, kayaking, and hosting karaoke parties. Chris’ selflessness is not only seen at work but also in his personal life where he enjoys spending time giving back to his community, whether it be through volunteering for his local fire department or helping in his neighborhood.
Chris has been a leader throughout his career and exemplifies what it means to be MATHESON’S Bulk Driver of the Year and September’s Employee Spotlight. Learn about how you can start your career at MATHESON: