Remember story problems from grade school math class? Here’s one for you:
A warehouse foreman needs to prepare 150 tires weighing a total 8400 pounds for one client to send 1,100 miles for a three-day trade show. How many feet of masking tape do you need to make sure the tires look perfect when the painting is done?
Give up?
Don’t worry. Actually, chances are there’s only one person who knows the answer: Jason Robinson, CEI’s Goodyear warehouse foreman, who is celebrating his fifth anniversary with the company.
“Last year, we went through 1100’ of masking tape to prep tires for Goodyear’s dealer conference,” shares Jason. “We also went through 600 towels, 50 gallons of thinner and 10 gallons of paint.”
And he’s got the paint-stained hands to prove it.
Although getting tires ready for shows is only part of Jason’s job, he knows the importance of making sure they are prepared to the highest standards. “Tires are what Goodyear sells, so we know how important it is to make them look great for every show and event,” said Jason. “CEI made the investment in our own tire mounting/dismounting equipment and tire paint booth supplies to make sure we had complete control of the quality.”
At any given moment Jason needs to be ready to locate any one of thousands of items stored in Goodyear’s warehouse, so organization and attention to detail are the keys to success.
“It takes an incredible amount of detail to get ready for a tradeshow,” Jason explains. “For every tire that’s displayed, there’s usually a tire stand, stand graphics, a tire center or wheel – and that’s just the beginning. What ends-up as a conference room in the exhibit hall starts in the warehouse as wood panels, bolts, screws, laminate skins… We handle everything from the carpet padding on up.”
When Jason isn’t at CEI keeping track of the warehouse, he’s busy at home with his new son, Jaden, who was born July 1, 2010. “He’s our first child,” Jason said. “It’s been an amazing experience.”
Congratulations on your anniversary, Jason. (And here’s hoping that Jaden doesn’t mind a little black paint on Daddy’s hands every once in a while!)
