Meet Chuck Sterling: November 2024 Employee of the Month

If you’ve ever been in a band, you know everyone has to be playing the same song to sound good. When voices and instruments clash, everything sounds disjointed. But when they come together to play the right notes, harmonies, and beats, people start nodding their heads. In the same way you can’t listen to Pearl Jam without Eddie Vedder’s growling vocals, KrisTech's production team simply wouldn’t run the same way without November’s Employee of the Month. This month's winner happily takes on new challenges while consistently helping the production team stay on beat. That’s why November’s Employee of the Month is none other than Chuck Sterling!

Hitting the Right Notes

Since becoming a Team Leader, Chuck has been instrumental in helping the production team find its new groove. “Chuck has proven to be in the right seat on the bus,” Director of Operations Eric Pietrowski said. “He has gone above and beyond in his new role, and embraces all our recent changes, including tier meetings, 5S, supermarkets, and other lean principles. Chuck is building relationships with his team and leadership.” Another phrase that comes to mind when people think of Chuck is “servant leader.” According to the Greenleaf Center for Servant Leadership, it is defined as “a set of behaviors and practices that place the primary emphasis on the well-being of those being served.” At its base, this leadership style prioritizes the needs and growth of the overall team over the leader’s own interests. “This is just what Chuck has been doing - building the future of KrisTech,” Team Lead Nathan Sharron explained. “By embodying these principles, servant leaders create a positive and productive work environment where team members feel valued and motivated. Chuck will take on any task with a positive attitude and promote that positivity throughout his shift.”

Staying In Tune

New standards and processes can sometimes lead to sour notes, but Chuck approaches his day-to-day work with an infectious attitude. “Chuck has overseen vast improvements throughout the factory,” Director of Operations Larry Reed said. “We recently rolled out new standard work forms for the team leads. These forms help ensure people have what they need and that we hit our KPIs. Chuck has set the example on these and is making a positive impact on his team.” Not only has Chuck jumped in feet first to implement changes to improve KrisTech's operations, but he’s also always looking for new ways to keep the company moving forward. “Chuck is constantly using the Andon board and notifying individuals about opportunities throughout the factory floor,” Reed said. “He embodies all our values and truly lives the KrisTech Way.”

Celebrating All Our Nominees

Chuck Sterling is our last 2024 Employee of the Month winner, but we would be remiss if we didn’t mention this month’s other amazing nominees, including: Kelly DeRochie – Kelly exemplifies the KrisTech spirit, building strong relationships with every new customer. She confidently handles collections and cash flow and is incredibly impressive while discussing billing with our partners. Most importantly, she always does the right thing, even when it’s difficult. There you have it! Eleven months, eleven winners, and eleven finalists for KrisTech's 2024 Employee of the Year. Check back in a few short weeks to see who goes home with this year’s hardware! Want to catch up with this year’s other Employee of the Month winners? Click any of the linked names to learn more about Nadine, Sabrina, Nathan, Steve, John, Griffin, Steve, Kelsey, Ashley, and Christina!