Gary’s Spotlight – Derrick – Assistant Production Supervisor
Gary’s Spotlight
Derrick – Assistant Production Supervisor
Front and center, Derrick’s desk stands at the head of Gary Platt’s warehouse. Many different drills, bits, and screws meticulously organized for all the upcoming projects he’ll see. From afar, Derrick is hammering, drilling, or manipulating one of Gary Platt’s many different chairs. He is known as the go-to man for all the odds and ends of projects. Starting at the bottom, Derrick has worked his way up the ranks and made himself a vital player to the Gary Platt team.
For almost 6 years, Derrick has been with Gary Platt working hard to make a career for himself. Before working with Gary Platt, Derrick had worked a wide variety of jobs from retail at Game Stop to setting up for concerts at event centers. In fact, Derrick spent time working with another chair manufacturer getting his feet wet in the chair manufacturing industry. With no plan or vision at this time, he was introduced to a similar role at Gary Platt. It wasn’t until then that Derrick was given more opportunities to advance and work towards more meaningful goals.
Starting in two entry-level positions, upholstery and glue, Derrick gained traction in getting to know the ins and outs of Gary Platt’s process. After getting his hands dirty and building his extensive knowledge of all things chairs, he showed potential in leading others in crafting unsurpassed comfort. Evolving out of time, Derrick was given the opportunity to grow into an assistant supervisor role.
In his current role, he oversees 20+ people and watches over the multi-part process of building casino chairs. No day may be the same, but Derrick remains flexible in the face of his different duties. This includes everything from building chairs from scratch, helping new employees learn the ropes of Gary Platt, and even taking out the trash. In this role, Derrick has found it rewarding to supervise the employees under him while watching them grow in the same areas that he learned in.
“I’ve always enjoyed working with my hands, but I never went through school in the respect that I got to learn a trade. Gary Platt is very entry-level friendly, and you get to learn how to use a variety of tools in the different work areas we have. I’ve gotten to use tools and learn about them enough to be able to work on things at home. I like being able to come in here and getting my hands dirty.” Said Derrick.
Being given the opportunity to learn these skills has shown Derrick the value that Gary Platt has for their employees. All of the time and effort invested into him learning hands-on trades and leadership skills has given him a sense of pride and accomplishment. This is not the only way Gary Platt shows their appreciation for their employees though. Derrick said, “As a company, I appreciate how we treat people. There are no questions asked when people need to take time off to care for others and their family. A lot of jobs I’ve worked in the past would let me go if I told them I needed a week to go see my family and I appreciate that Gary Platt understands that stuff happens.”
Gary Platt has been unsurpassed as the leading casino chair manufacturers for over 20 years. The process has been fine-tuned from beginning to end and it is all thanks to our dedicated employees. Try our handcrafted perfection today and check back for our next employee spotlight!
