Foodservice Equipment & Supplies magazines is an industry resource connecting foodservice operators, equipment and supplies manufacturers and dealers, and facility design consultants.
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54 • FOODSERVICE EQUIPMENT & SUPPLIES • MAY 2015 advantage Clark Associates offers pro- spective employees is the opportunity to advance their careers quickly. "If you are good and work hard you have the opportunity to get fed addi- tional responsibilities," Leaman points out. "It's one thing to say that but in my time with the company we have had people move up with us and it provides credibility to when we say that to new people joining the company." Take Groff, for example. Roughly 10 years ago Groff, who was about to graduate from Penn State University with a degree in logistics, crossed paths with Fred Clark by chance. Naturally, when Fred Clark invited him to learn more about the dealer- ship, Groff became intrigued. "I knew a little about the business having known Fred and his family before but really had no idea all this business entailed," Groff says. After learning more about the burgeoning company and Clark's plans, Groff saw a fast-track opportunity for growth and development and seized it. "The internship I had in college was a great experience but I also realized how long it was going to take me to get where I wanted," Groff recalls. "I don't think I have ever had a day in this job that is boring." While others in the foodservice industry bemoan the lack of young people in their business, Clark Associates takes a more proactive approach to recruiting them. "Working with young people is a challenge because they are so smart and use technology so much," Fred Clark says. "So working with them means staying on top of it as much as I can." Clark Associates looks for people via colleges and, naturally, the company uses job-oriented web sites. "Dave, Steve and myself — we have all worked job fairs," Gene Clark says. "I am more than happy to work a job fair because it shows people we are serious about who we hire. Nobody grows up wanting to sell foodservice equipment. Why would you? But when you think about it, there's a lot of opportunity." "We are viewed as an edgy, Millennial-friendly company. There is a fuidity to who we are," adds Leaman, who is fast approaching his second anniversary. Leaman came to Clark Associates from the healthcare indus- try, where he worked in an administrative role. With his company going through some consolidation, the time was right for Leaman to make a change. Understanding how someone's personality impacts their role really helps Clark Associates function as a dynamic and cohesive team. "It really comes down to a strategy about how to work with people. The dominant person understands that the analytical person might need some reas- surance from time to time," Weaver says. "Our associates have to work smart and know how to work together. It is important that we are comfortable with each other because we will work better together." Given the unique nature of the construction world the 11400 crew features more task-oriented types. "We are not a bunch of salesmen," Stephens says. "When reps meet us and try to treat us like salesmen by chatting us up, they fnd we don't respond well and they get shut down. But to have a successful company you need all personality types." In addition, the company's IT department has developed a proprietary hiring system that allows managers to view all the open positions within the company. "Let's say someone submits an application for a purchasing position but they might be better suited to work in one of the stores. I can send that application over to Steve for consider- ation," Weaver adds. "We are all team Features such as the ping pong table (seen here), gym and even the popcorn machine help create a unique environment in the building that houses the WebstaurantStore, the IT department and other parts of the business. This environment makes Clark Associates more appealing to younger employees and helps create a sense of community for the fast-growing company.