We are celebrating our 20th anniversary by highlighting our 20 most tenured employees!
First up is Mark Gordon, the Director of Logistics Operations here at Jarrett. Read his answers below to find out more about Mark and his experience at Jarrett throughout the years!
Describe your job in 20 words or less?
Support our team in providing the absolute best service offering and value proposition for our customers.
Favorite memory at Jarrett so far?
I have many favorites, however one such favorite was the summer of 2012, where I sat in a Quad downstairs at 1347 with Chris Palazzo, Brad Klotzle, and Josh Barden. Walking in the office on Monday morning to hear the weekend recaps was the hardest I have laughed in many years, always a sign of a favorite memory.
What is your favorite quote?
Favorite quote is tough, but here are a couple:
It is amazing what we can accomplish if we don’t care who gets the credit. (Truman)
Don’t go where the path may lead, just go where there is no path and leave a trail. (Emerson)
What is your biggest goal right now?
We have an amazing team, and I am constantly challenged with how to successfully remove obstacles for our team, and ensure everyone enjoys their time at work, while maintaining our growth and success by delivering an exceptional service.
Why did you decide to join and stay with Jarrett?
Something to know about me is that when I’m faced with a really important decision, I place a lot of value on ‘feel’, because I believe some of the most important aspects of life and work are very difficult to articulate or calculate. In moving back to northeast Ohio from Columbus, Jarrett Logistics had a feel that couldn’t be replicated at other employers. The feel aligned with my values, and the people were those I wanted to work beside. Not many people are so lucky to find that, and it’s something I am grateful for.
Which employee perk does Jarrett offer that you enjoy the most? Why?
The Wellness Program. The ability to use my wellness dollars for a gym membership is an awesome perk. It is great to walk across the street for a lunch workout (not as often as I should, of course), while socializing with others on our team.
Who has been a mentor for you here at Jarrett? How have they helped you?
Matt Angell. There are honestly so many ways as a friend, boss, and mentor, however he is a very knowledgeable, intentional, and direct supervisor, with whom I share an adventurous spirit. He has an amazing drive to make Jarrett the very best in our industry, while valuing the importance of having fun and enjoying ourselves inside and outside of work.
What advice would you give to recent new hires?
Don’t take for granted the opportunity before you. Engage in your role, work hard, be curious, and don’t be afraid to ask a ton of questions.
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your time at Jarrett?
The incredible importance of always assuming the good intent of one another; our peers, supervisors, team, etc. We are all inherently good people, with different strengths and opportunities, working extremely hard in a variety of different roles, all for a common goal. We’re not always going to agree, but we must assume good intent and respect one another, even within disagreement, if we want to be the very best.
How have you seen the organization and/or industry change over the course of time that you’ve been at Jarrett?
Dramatically, change is the only constant. Change can be inherently challenging for most of us; however, I think it’s incredibly important to control our natural fears and challenge ourselves to recognize the fun and excitement that often lies in change as well.
How does your team provide value to Jarrett clients?
In countless ways that constantly are evolving and improving. We have an amazing team!
How has technology evolved in your time at Jarrett?
Whew, that’s tough to even describe. We now have so much information at our fingertips, and are continuing to uncover and present more new and useful information every day.
How does Jarrett and their employees serve the community?
The company has many ways to get involved and support our community, which is fantastic! However, I think the most important community involvement takes place before and after work in a variety of local organizations, sports clubs, social activities, churches, etc. by our team members giving up their valuable time. It is awesome to be surrounded by great people who follow their own passions inside and outside of work to make a difference and support our community, especially in a world where such involvement is sadly increasingly rare.
How would you define Jarrett’s success?
An incredible story of true entrepreneurship. So much has already been accomplished by so many great people here at Jarrett, which is amazing! In the long term, I believe this will be viewed as one of the great starting points in the 3PL industry, demonstrating to our community and the world how an organization can be wildly successful while maintaining it’s integrity and living it’s values every day.
How has the client experience changed?
Immeasurably. We keep improving our service every day.
What do you envision Jarrett looking like in the next 20 years?
It has been an amazing period of growth, and despite that, I still feel like we are building the foundation of what we can accomplish together. We’re not perfect. We are a team of people who work very hard, have incredible successes, and make mistakes. We have an amazing team at all levels of the organization, and that makes me very excited for the future. I don’t even know how to speculate on 20 years from now at Jarrett Companies.
What lessons have you learned in the past 20 years that will impact the next 20?
As a proud father of an 11 and 8-year-old, I have many lessons yet to learn, I assure you. Amongst the many personal lessons, one business lesson I’ve learned from Mike Jarrett is that growth solves a lot of operational challenges within an organization, which couldn’t be more true. Growth provides opportunity for our awesome team, as well as resources for our customers, that allow JLS to continue to innovate. There are always challenges, however when we are confident we are doing those things well, many less challenges exist.
What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Believe in yourself, get over yourself, and be who you were born to be.
What was your favorite song when you were 20?
Mayonnaise (Smashing Pumpkins)
What job did you have when you were 20?
I worked for Wittenberg’s Office of Advancement when I was in college. I mostly filled and stamped envelopes, or used notes to put together initial drafts of letters to alumni, sometimes on a typewriter (I wish I was kidding).
We are grateful to have Mark here at Jarrett. If you are interested in being a part of our team, visit our careers page.
For more Employee Spotlights, check out our blog!
