What made you choose to work for Nestlé Purina? What makes you stay at Nestlé Purina?

I have to admit, I never imagined myself working in the pet food industry right out of college. After I interviewed on-site and realized the complexity of the plant and the challenges the position offered, I was sold. I could tell while I was interviewing that the management training program is something that was very well established and has worked for many years. I have stayed with Nestlé Purina because the opportunities for job growth and potential are seemingly endless.

How has Nestlé Purina helped you grow professionally?

I work with many different teams within the office and the plant and this has improved my communication skills. Not everyone interprets information the same way so I have learned how to communicate the same message in multiple ways to different groups of people. My ability to efficiently solve problems has also improved. This has been important for me because I run into many different types of variance issues that can require extensive investigation to discover the problem. I realized it is easier to solve an issue when you have a systematic approach that you can apply in many situations. The amount of time I spend investigating variance has been greatly reduced because I have learned who to contact first and where to look to solve the problem. This has allowed me to free up more time to get other tasks completed.

If you knew then, what you know now, what's one piece of advice you would give to someone coming into the company?

Keep an open mind and learn as much as possible. There are a lot of things happening in the plant on a day-to-day basis and having a good understanding of the manufacturing process from start to finish can prove to be very beneficial in the long-run. Not everyone will agree on everything and it can be hard to understand someone’s point of view if you haven’t put yourself in their shoes during your training.

What's something about working with Nestlé Purina that has surprised you?

There is a lot that goes into producing and marketing pet food. I attended the New Associate Orientation for all the new trainees which was held in St. Louis six months after I started working in the plant. This week long orientation introduced us to the research & development, marketing, and corporate side of the business. I never realized just how much work goes into changing an existing product or launching a new product. Every detail counts and quality is not sacrificed at any step along the way.

What are some perks at Nestlé Purina that you enjoy?

The benefits are very competitive and out-of-pocket health care costs are very reasonable. I would also consider job security as a perk of working at Nestlé Purina. The company has continued to grow despite harsh economic conditions. It is a relief not having to worry about losing my job from layoffs or downsizing.

What is the most exciting thing you are involved in outside of work?

I train Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu four days a week. Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu is a martial arts and combat sport that focuses on grappling and ground fighting. I have competed in multiple tournaments with a 1st place finish.

What items in your office could you not live without?

Tea

What is the most listened-to song on your iPod?

"Sublime - Santeria"

If you weren’t doing your current job, what would you be doing?

I would flip houses. I just recently bought a house that I work on during my free time. I enjoy the transformation that happens from demolition of an old space to completion of the new space. I especially enjoy remodeling kitchens and bathrooms.

What’s the most thrilling vacation you ever took?

I went on a month-long snowboarding trip to Colorado during one of my winter breaks in college. During that time I went to four resorts and experienced some of the best snow. One of the weeks we got over 5 feet of snow which made for amazing backcountry riding. My friends and I put together a video of various tricks, jumps, and falls that we filmed during the trip.