Meet Marshall. He is an MBA student at The Ohio State University and has been a part of our Supply Chain/Purchasing team for this summer. Here is a window into what a typical day has looked like for him here at Crow Works.
I stepped into the office for the first time this summer excited about the opportunities tied to working for a vibrant, growing business. As an MBA student at The Ohio State University’s Fisher College of Business focusing on Supply Chain and Organizational Behavior, I wanted to find a place that I would be able to make a lasting impact on the people, the company, and the entire community. I found that place at Crow Works.
6:00 am
I wake up to my alarm, thankful that my puppy did not wake me any sooner. After letting the dogs out and getting ready, I hit the road with a coffee and muffin in hand. Today I am heading up to our factory and distribution center in Killbuck. I get to split my time between there and our main offices in Johnstown. The drive up to Killbuck gives me time to make it through a new podcast and ease into the busy day ahead.
8:00 am
I meet with a couple team members and game plan for vendor visits that we have on our agenda. While Crow Works creates all our pieces in-house, we still rely on a strong base of vendors for some of the components needed to produce our beautiful furniture. With a relatively new and growing team, these trips are twofold. Our first aim is to build, develop, and enrich our relationships with these partners. Secondly, we touch base on lead times and specific orders so we can promise on-time delivery and fantastic service on the back end for each of our clients.
12:00 pm
After a few hours on the road, it is time for lunch. We make sure to stop at a local buffet and load up on (probably) too much fried chicken, mashed potatoes, and homemade pie. Since a post-meal nap is not an option, we head back to Crow Works campus for a busy afternoon.
1:00 pm
Construction is underway on our additional 40,000 square foot building that will connect to our current factory in Killbuck. This new space will include ten new trucking docks, more offices, and a new racking system to house a lot of our inventory. I am walked through the new space with Dennis Blankemeyer, Crow Works’ Co-Founder. With our hard hats on, he points out his vision for the space, and I have been tasked with creating a plan for the move into this space as well as a new layout for our inventory.
1:45 pm
Currently, our Distribution Center and all inventory are located 5 minutes away on the other side of Killbuck. The new move will create tremendous efficiencies for our operations. The most notable of these is the reduction of time and movement needed for product to move from our factory to our DC and vice versa. I am now at our DC to review current inventory levels. In addition to helping make our upcoming move quicker and easier, a reduction in inventory levels will help us operate leaner and provide quicker and better service for our clients.
3:15 pm
I head back to our factory and take advantage of our “free” vending machine. All team members get a monthly credit, which is plenty for me to get a drink and/or a snack whenever I am up in Killbuck.
3:30 pm
With a Snapple in hand, I am ready to start my first lumber training. Since I am new to the industry, I benefitted tremendously from this crash course. Dennis understands the value in every team member being knowledgeable when it comes to wood—our most used medium. For this reason, he brought in an outside expert teach us and to let us ask any questions we have. Wood is unique to work with since it is a living product. The more learning, the better!
4:30 pm
Every couple of weeks, I meet with my supervisor, Belinda, the CFO of Crow Works. In my time with Crow Works, I have been given a lot of freedom to make projects my own and find new initiatives and improvements to start. I make sure to touch base with Belinda to update her on what I have been working on as well as introduce any process opportunities that I have uncovered. After the meeting, I pack up my bag and hit the road for home!
