Welcome to our latest interview with recent Employee of the Quarter Winner Jeff Creel, Service Parts Planner. Jeff has been a part of the KION North America family for 22 years and has experienced professional growth through his varied roles while witnessing our organization’s vast growth and capabilities.
Enjoy getting to know Jeff a little better by reading his interview below as we delve into the life and experiences of an exceptional teammate.
What is your most proud accomplishment at KION North America?
I’m most proud of longevity and progression through the company. I began in the manufacturing warehouse in 2001 and by taking on new tasks and overcoming obstacles eventually became the sole planner for all of service parts and maintaining a fill rate often above the industry standard for our dealer network.
What do you think makes an employee stand out in an organization?
There are a couple of factors I believe help employees stand out: Being willing to take on challenging assignments to learn and master new things even when they are outside your typical work tasks. Also, showing others that you are willing to work with them to achieve a common goal makes one both liked and respected among coworkers.
What motivates you?
I’m motivated to discover and implement new ways to improve processes and be more efficient to maximize our success.
What is it about the culture at KION North America that makes you excel in your position?
KION North America’s culture of connectivity between employees has been most helpful in many respects. I regularly communicate and rely upon people who, like me have worked in multiple facets of the company and are understanding of what I need and can in turn, come to me and receive mutual respect and input.
What do you think it takes to be an exceptional teammate?
There are several things it takes to be an exceptional teammate, some of which I touched on in standing out in an organization. Open communication – offering as much accumulated knowledge as possible to coworkers, allowing them to see details and nuances that are only gained from experience. Also, willingness to work with others to the degree that you understand how your jobs, often in various departments, relate to one another which will allow better workflow, understanding, improvements and foster further cooperation.
Which KION Group shared value resonates most with you? Integrity, Courage, Collaboration, or Excellence?
If I had to choose one, it would be Excellence. For our organization to continue to grow and develop, all aspects will need to be performed with a sense excellence so that the smallest to the largest job is done well.
Looking to the future, what are you most excited about?
I’m most excited to see where KION North America is going to branch out to next. In my time here I’ve seen the company grow significantly in size and expand into large manufacturing projects that were unthinkable in the past.
