All posts tagged SJF

Summer Fishing Contest (2013)

by Kent Powell on May 30, 2013
Catch & Release Contest

SJF just announced the start of the summer 2013 fishing contest.  All employees and their immediate families are invited to participate in this catch & release contest.  The contest runs from May – October and will feature monthly as well as overall contest winners.

Winners will be determined using a point system based on the length & species of fish caught per month and over the entire time period.  In other words, you may not win a specific month, however you can still win by having the most points at the end of the contest.

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Material Handling Myths, Monsters & Secrets

by Kent Powell on March 20, 2013
Rhonda Remer

Hello, my name is Rhonda Remer, and being the newest addition to the SJF project sales team, I’d like to offer some inside perspective from the trenches. I have worked in online sales & support for 6 years and just recently started working in client project sales about four months ago. In my short time in direct sales, I have uncovered 2 simple truths. The first one, I had to learn. The second is a truth that I’d like my customers to learn.

First and foremost though, project sales is harder than it looks. And by hard, I mean time consuming. Don’t get me wrong, the lead opportunities are great at SJF. There’s no shortage of customer interest & quote requests. Whether it’s by phone or email, when I do speak with customers they don’t always know how to put into words what they envision in their minds. The back and forth translation of needs & wants takes a lot of time. There are days where I feel like a child on an Easter egg hunt with an eye patch and a broken hip. It’s not that we don’t have the equipment, (we have loads of equipment!) it’s just that with used equipment, having the exact material at the exact time a customer needs it can be a challenge.

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Featured Client: Central McGowan

by Kent Powell on February 21, 2013
Central McGowan Pallet Rack

Central McGowan, Inc. is a leading distributor of welding and industrial equipment, supplies, abrasives, safety equipment, automation and robotics. Serving industrial, medical, specialty, and beverage companies for over 60 years, Central McGowan maintains a commitment to provide high quality and cost effective solutions to clients in MN and beyond.

For several years, Central McGowan has relied on SJF  to prioritize efficiency and functionality in their ever evolving warehouse design. The latest project utilized a smaller floor space with higher ceilings. With less floor space, comes the challenge of keeping enough room between racks to operate a forklift while still getting the most storage out of the pallet rack system. SJF delivered uprights that fit the needs as well as assisting in planning a custom layout to optimize the space requirements. SJF also filled the order in a short amount of time by cutting down used beam material to make standard 8 foot beams that looked brand new, which also reduced the price.

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SJF’s Holiday Party – 2012

by Kent Powell on January 3, 2013
Holiday Party, 2012

On Friday December 21st at noon,  SJF Material Handling shut down operations to celebrate the past year with a Holiday Luncheon for all employees.

Sam Sterner, SJF’s lead buyer, proved he can track down more than just equipment by spear-heading the food acquisition which was catered by Dicky’s BBQ Pit out of Eden Prairie, MN.   All employees were in attendance, including SJF’s  Founding Father,  Gerald (Jerry) Sterner.

After everybody enjoyed their BBQ, several awards were presented.  Here’s a recap.

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A Christmas Poem for 2012

by Kent Powell on December 17, 2012
Holly

By Rhonda Remer.

Twas the month of December, I’ll soon leave my post,

So I got to thinking how I could help Sales the most.

 

Here’s a gentle reminder about whom to go to and when.

I penned this small poem hoping to help you again.

 

If your order is late, and you feel like crying,

Don’t ask Shawn or Mark, go to Joe Sr…or Brian.

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The Great SJF Chili Cook-Off (November 2012)

by Kent Powell on November 29, 2012
chili2012

The SJF chili competition was a big success!  We had three entrants this time around.  Lori Foster brought a red chili made with mostly home-grown ingredients.  Vance Haugen entered a delicious red chili, and Craig Fasching brought another small pot of excellent red.  Kent Powell brought home-made corn bread to compliment all of the entries.  ’Fixins were provided by SJF.

Vance

The Triumphant Winner

After all of the chili was tasted, the final vote count was as follows:

Vance Haugen: 9
Lori Foster: 4
Craig Fasching: 3

Making Vance the winner (…this time).

Congratulations Vance.

An Addendum: There were to be four entries in the contest this year, however one of the entries made it only as far as the front door of SJF.  A certain owner of the company (his first name rhymes with Tank) forgot about the tupperware bowl full of chili in his briefcase.  As he entered the building, briefcase in hand, he wondered aloud what smelled like chili before realizing that it was the entire contents of his bag.


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