Copper and Brass Sales is celebrating Black History Month, in part, by spotlighting members of our staff whose exemplary work and inspiring stories further our mission and values. Stay tuned as we spotlight inspiring employees of Copper and Brass Sales throughout the month.
Today, I would like to spotlight Rob G, one of our warehouse leads. Rob has been with Copper and Brass Sales for about seven and a half years and was brought into the business through a temp agency.
Assignments through the temp agency that Rob was working for were often “blind” assignments. That means that the employee isn’t told where they’re going to interview at until they’re on their way to the assignment. When Rob found out that he was interviewing with Copper and Brass Sales he was unsure if things would pan out because he had applied and interviewed here on his own once before.
When asked what made the difference the second time around, he said it wasn’t really the influence of the agency but it was his preparedness for the interview. The first time he interviewed on his own, he didn’t research the company and wasn’t prepared. Through that interview and some additional exploration, Rob learned more about Copper and Brass Sales and was able to showcase his knowledge and readiness to meet our needs when he came in that second time. That’s a pretty solid life lesson!
Rob worked hard in his role as a temp, and was eventually brought on as a full time Copper and Brass Sales employee. He spent two years in the non-processing department and was ready to branch out and learn more. He was transferred into receiving and was able to gain some additional experiences, including being trained to operate a side loader.
In talking with Rob about his growth during his time with Copper and Brass Sales, it seems clear he’s pretty well respected and seen as a natural leader. When the position of Warehouse Lead opened up two years ago, his colleagues within the business encouraged him to apply for the role. There’s something to be said for motivation and happiness when those that we’re surrounded by see us naturally fitting into a role that would help to guide and provide. Rob sees himself as a team player and truly wants everyone to succeed. He helps out anywhere he can and focuses on closing loopholes and providing leadership where it’s needed. He’s not the type of leader that gets angry when mistakes are made, but finds more success by helping guide and solve problems as a team.
One of Rob’s most challenging experiences began in 2020 when the pandemic got into full swing. There were sometimes numerous employees unable to work due to COVID-19 exposure or illness. Rob had to help find a way to keep operations flowing without any loss to the business. It was a true challenge to find the right people to put into the right spots and then position himself to fill in appropriately as well. He and everyone there learned to wear a lot of different hats. Rob was always willing to get his hands dirty and help where he could. Wanting to lend a hand to anyone he could was something that stood out throughout each of the experiences we talked about.
As Rob and I discussed his career, he shared his interest in marketing. It was neat to hear some of his “back in the day” stories where he took part in producing music, but then was also in charge of promoting and marketing it. In more recent years, Rob took his marketing know-how to the streets of Milwaukee with his cousin. Rob’s cousin runs a foundation that helps today’s youth and teaches them about black history. Rob helped his cousin organize and promote a picnic where a police representative from each district was invited to meet the people from the neighborhoods that they served. This meet and greet helped to initiate a relationship and a bond between the community and the police – something Rob sees as having been lost since his childhood. He recalled when growing up, police in his neighborhood used to know all the kids and all the parents. If you were caught doing something wrong, the police would take you home to your family and explain the story instead of taking you to jail. Rob really wants to bring some of that back because involvement saved a lot of people he knew, while others didn’t end up as fortunate.
Rob’s work and personal history detail a man who likes to work hard, help others, and give back. Copper and Brass Sales is fortunate that Rob joined us for that second interview and that we’ve had the chance to get to know him and share his inspiring story with you through our celebration of Black History Month.
Leave a Reply