News

Employees of the Year

2011 - Kerry Anderson

2011 - Michael Langton

2011 - Patrick Virgil

Employees of the Month

February 2012 - Gary Gasper Gary started working as a Cab Detailer on May 4, 2009, and quickly started to lern how to fuel trucks, work in the wash bay and aiding where ever he can. Gary steps up to the plate to assist in any area that we need covered in the Yard. During the 2011 flood Gary was asked to leave early on Wednesday, September 7th, upon learning employees were calling off due to the flooding. He punched out at 6:00 pm and went to his van to rest. He returned on September 8th, at 2:51 am and worked until 7:41 pm Thursday, taking only a half hour for lunch. He returned at 11:21 pm Thursday and worked until 9:30 am on Friday. Gary was instrumental in keeping things in order and a huge reason that we were all able to keep Willow Run Foods on schedule during this challenging time. Nominated by Clarence Clink

January 2012 - Stephen Brown Stephen has only been with Willow Run Foods since April 18, 2011. And in this short period of time he has proven himself to be an outstanding candidate for Employee of the Month. Stephen is a Professional Driver who came to us with limited driving experience. During his training period, you could certainly tell that this is an individual who takes great pride in what he does. "Excellent worker, catches on fast" and "very impressed" are just some of the comments from his trainers. Stephen is consistent, always gives 110% and quickly became one of our "go to" guys...someone you can depend on in critical, demanding and short notice requests. Stephen can be sent on some of the most demanding routes and will perform flawlessly, his customers are always satisfied and is friendly towards everyone he comes in contact with. Stephen is an invaluable resource to our Transportation Department and our company. Nominated by Leonard Basso

December 2011 - Steven Ellis Steve started working at Willow Run Foods in April of 2009, as a Truck Checker, in the Night Warehouse. Typically we try to fill checking postions with existing employees due to their knowledge of our freight. We did not have anyone available at that time so we filled the position with Steve. Steve picked up on checking with ease. He has become very valuable in catching mis-slots and other issues with product so wrong items are not shipped to our customers. After some time of checking only dry product we asked Steve if he could begin checking freezer and cooler freight. Again, Steve took on the challenge familiarizing himself with a whole new realm of product. He has excelled in all areas of checking, in the warehouse. Steve has caught thousands of errors over the years, saving the company alot of money and ultimately ensuring that our customers receive the product they need. Nominated by Dale Yoder Jr.

November 2011 - Dennis Ciborowski Dennis started his employment with Willow Run Foods in December of 2010. Dennis's position as Yard Jockey is never limited by what his title is. He has covered within the Transportation Department to the best of his ability at a moments notice. He continues to do an outstanding job with his every day duties. Dennis assists in the Wash Bay and Fuel Island as well as rescues drivers. He often helps out in maintenance and is always aware of any new damages that have occurred with the trucks or trailers. He is flexible with his schedule and covers any shift when asked. He is the perfect example of how an employee should conduct themselves. His excellent work ethic and dedication have earned him the Employee of the Month recognition. Nominated by Clarence Clink

October 2011 - Kyle Anderson When Kyle started working for Willow Run Foods 15 years ago, nearly all selectors started out as Dry Pickers. Kyle was both extremely accurate and very quick. His work habits soon earned him a promotion and he was given a cooler position. He did very well for years as a Cooler Picker. When an opening as a Receiver in the Day Warehouse became available there was no doubt, because of his performance on nights, that Kyle was the best candidate for the job. A few of his daily tasks include unloading, receiving and documenting product, put away and rotation of product and stripping out returning trailers. Kyle performs these tasks dependably and accurately. When shorthanded, even if it means getting back to his roots and picking orders for shipping, Kyle doesn't hesitate to help his fellow employees. His attitude and happy demeanor make him a great ambassador for Willow Run Foods and because of this he is well respected amongst his peers. Nominated by Eric Zollbrecht

September 2011 - Christopher Lown Chris started his employment with Willow Run Foods in September 1996 and has worked for several departments through out the fifteen years of his employment. He has many great qualities and should be recognized for the exemplary work he puts in and often volunteers for. Chris's position as Fuel Island Attendant is never limited by what his title is. He will cover any position to the best of his ability, at a moments notice. Chris has made his career here number one in his priorties and continues to do an outstanding job with his everyday duties. Chris's conscientiousness, work ethic and dedication have earned him the Employee of the Month recognition. Nominated by Clarence Clink

August 2011 - Joseph Kupst Joe started his employment with Willow Run Foods on May 29, 2005 as a Night Receiver. Joe was brought on to help with the set up of the Quizno's cooler weights, which at the time amounted to nearly ten thousand cases a week. He became very proficient in unloading, checking in, put away, rotation and stripping trailers. After a couple years working second shift he moved to days, taking on the challenge of being a Cooler Receiver. Cooler Receivers have the extra challenge of short shelf lives. Joe takes care and pride in his put away and stocking to ensure proper rotation. He is also responsible for the set up of the first batch of cooler and freezer catch weights, and managing the cooler damage that accumulates through out the week. His primary responsibility is the cooler and not only does he do a great job with his entire cooler task but also helps out in our freezer with what ever needs to be done. Joe comes in to work everyday, sees what needs to be done and does it. Nominated by Patrick Virgil

July 2011 - Anthony Snedeker Anthony started working for Willow Run on May 31, 2008 as a Dry Picker. Soon after starting we knew that he was going to be one of the best dry pickers we have, since he made very few errors and was one of the top selectors as far as cases per hour picked. Over the past couple years Anthony has become more and more valuable because he has maintained his low error rate and increased his cases picked per hour. Anthony has excellant attendance; we can count on him to be at work and on time everyday, and whenever asked if he can switch his days off to help cover a day that we are shorthanded, he is always willing to help. Anthony has a great attitude and is exactly the kind of employee that we look for in the warehouse, he does whatever is asked of him with a smile on his face. Nominated by Dale Yoder Jr.

June 2011 - Clarence Clink Clarence began working for Willow Run Foods in December 2008 in the position of Yard Manager. As a former driver for Willow Run, Clarence understands the importance of the daily functions that need to occur in the Yard each and every day. His responsibilities include supervising the fuelers, yard jockeys and washers, plus many other special projects and tasks. He never knows what is waiting for him at the beginning of his shift, yet always displays versatility and determination to keep up with the demands of the Yard. Clarence has an excellent attitude and is always ready to take on new challenges. His orginazation has become a tremendous assest in improving the efficiency in the Yard. He is a team player and always gives his best effort. Clarence's dependability and attention to detail make him an excellent choice for Employee of the Month. Nominated by Robert Mckay

May 2011 - Craig Rowe Craig started his employment with Willow Run Foods as a Professional CDL Driver on October 29, 2006. From the beginning Craig has proved time and again just how dedicated he is to his job. Craig has always volunteered to help in any way he can, whether it be an extra run, a line haul or rescuing another driver. Craig is a very valuable part of our Transportation Department. He has two assigned routes that he consistently runs at 99.3% with no damage and average case count of 29,000 per quarter with 14,611 miles driven last quarter. He takes his job seriously and is one of the most hard working employees we have who is always in uniform and reports to work well prepared to perform his job in a professional, timely, effecient manner. Craig is dedicated, professional and truly a great example of Professional Willow Run Foods Driver. Nominated by Steven Zelenyak

April 2011 - Eric Tuma Eric Tuma started working for Willow Run in January 1998 as a dry picker. Within months, he became one of our most dependable selectors whose accuracy and speed put him amongst some of our best performers. After a few years of dry picking there was an opening for a let-down position and Eric decided to give it a try. On any given day Eric’s job is to try and keep up with 10-14 dry pickers. Not any easy task since it involves coordinating with the inventory department on any product changes, replenishing all of the warehouse slot locations that are being emptied by the pickers and keeping the product rotated. Inventory is constantly praising Eric’s efforts in helping prevent an error from getting out and reaching our customers. Not only does Eric letdown, he is always willing to help out with checking the trucks for order accuracy and is always happy to pick trucks if needed. Eric’s attendance is excellent; we can count on him to be at work and on time every day. Nominated by Dale Yoder

March 2011 - Joe Hastings Joe began his employment here in the Yard in October 2004. He was hired as a Fuel Island Attendant. During the time Joe has been here he has displayed a sense of “job dedication” you can really appreciate. Joe takes the initiative to be an efficient worker. He always uses his time wisely and in turn is able to lend a helping hand to his co-workers when he has completed his own tasks. He has, time and again, proven to have excellent attention to detail and takes pride in his hard work. His attendance is completely flawless. On top of never missing any time, he will come in to cover other shifts at any given time. He works well with his peers due to his positive attitude and eagerness to get to work. He is a model employee. Congratulations Joe! Nominated by Clarence Clink