On the Spot Award Recipients (October)

The On the Spot Award was created to empower every employee to shine a spotlight on colleagues who consistently go above and beyond, embodying our core values in everything they do. This award is a way for us all to recognize and celebrate those everyday moments of excellence, dedication, and positive impact that make our team stronger. Those recognized with the On the Spot Award exemplify what it means to live our core values;

• Sweep the floor. Do whatever it takes.
• Solve problems. Offer creative customer solutions.
• Commit to quality. Do it right.
• Passion for growth. Everyone owns our success.
• Communicate. Share information with transparency and frequency.
• Focus on relationships. Stakeholders matter.
• Data driven. Make better decisions.

Click here for program details for US employees, and click here for program details for UK employees. 

Celebrating those who bring our values to life—congratulations to the following individuals.

Maria Zervou, Key Account Manager at Silmid Limited  –recognized by Lynne Ward for Sweep The Floor & Focus on Relationships.

We found ourselves in a situation where we needed to drop a vehicle to a repair shop, but we were shorthanded. Maria was on hand and eager to help in her own time, no problem and still with a smile on her face as always.

Lauryn Reid, Account Specialist in Arlington – Recognized by Ed Pham for Sweep the floor, Solve problems, commit to quality, Passion for growth, Communicate, Focus on relationships, and Data driven.

Lauryn has truly stepped up in supporting both myself and our customers, even as she continues to familiarize herself with her newer accounts. One area I want to specifically highlight is her exceptional communication with our key accounts. Each week, Lauryn provides an Open Order Report, which outlines what’s coming in, when it’s expected, and proactively opens the door for further discussion if any support is needed early on. This consistent communication has been instrumental in strengthening our customer relationships and ensuring smoother operations.

Sherri Palm, Accounting Manager at SkyGeek – Recognized by Alonna Gray for Communicate

Sherri helped me with an International Wire Transfer that was more complicated than I had experienced before. When I reached out to her, not only did she help me, she set up a Test Transfer and sent me screenshots of exactly what I needed to do!

Barbaro Pineiro, Manufacturing Manager in Carson – Recognized by Gilberto Oceguera for Sweep the floor, Slove problems, and Commit to quality.

Barbaro spent his entire weekend at our production facility to ensure the mechanic for the Jaygo mixer could complete the repairs and make us operational. This included finding fittings, small parts, and having some items welded and machines which was not part of the expected/planned scope. Incredible dedication.

Tasha Jackson, Payroll and HRIS Administrator in Arlington – Recognized by Melissa Goebel for Sweep the floor and Commit to quality.

At the last minute, Tasha offered to help her coworker who was going out on vacation, with fixing a video. Tasha dug into the technology only to discover the video was not repairable. Tasha jumped into action to recreate what was built – only to redo it a second time to incorporate updates. The result: a better video and it was ready for launch – on time. Thank you.

Darnell Ransome, Warehouse Operations Clerk and Anson Blackburn, Warehouse Operations Clerk in Arlington – Recognized by Janvier Hammonds for Communication and Commitment to quality.

The ease of our interaction with them enables the purchasing teams to do their jobs efficiently without having to go back and forth, digging for additional information. Sincere thanks to the guys for their help.

Thomas Grogan, Shipper / Receiver at SkyGeek – Recognized by Carlo Labianca for Commit to quality.

Filing a FedEx claim can be a hassle, especially if you don’t have all the necessary pictures to provide proof of damage. Thomas goes above and beyond as he provides not just multiple pictures, but the right kind that FedEx is looking for. Less back and forth leads to a quicker resolution and hopefully a full reimbursement.

Tony Evans, Account Specialist in Wichita – Recognized by Deon Gichoga for Focus on relationships.

Tony consistently brings positivity and smiles to the office, and thanks to him, the Wichita ‘corner store’ is back – keeping us stocked with snacks and sweets for those afternoon pick-me-ups. Tony, we hope you know how much we appreciate everything you do for our team, and our bellies!

Renee Carlson, Corporate Compliance and Improvement Manager in Arlington – Recognized by Yulia Rozenfeld for Sweep the floor, Communicate, and Focus on relationships.

I would like to recognize Renee Carlson for an On-the-Spot Award for her exceptional dedication to both our customers and the company. Even while on PTO, Renee has gone above and beyond, making herself available to support the team, drive sales, and help us close the month strong. Her commitment is truly inspiring.

Renee consistently exemplifies our core company values:

• Sweep the floor – She jumps in wherever needed, no task too small.
• Communicate – Clear, proactive, and always collaborative.
• Focus on relationships – She builds trust and connection with both colleagues and customers.

Renee, you are an incredible asset to our organization. It’s because of people like you that we are able to deliver outstanding service every day. Now go enjoy that well-earned PTO, you more than earned it!

Renee Carlson, Corporate Compliance and Improvement Manager in Arlington – Recognized by Rodger Gant for Sweep the floor, Solve problems, and Passion for growth.

Renee was an important part of our property and casualty insurance renewal because our broker was vetting potential new carriers who needed to become familiar with our business.  Renee gladly provided tours of our Arlington facility and jumped on numerous virtual calls to answer any and all questions.  Our broker stated that Renee was very impressive during this process, and she was able to get these new carriers comfortable with an aerospace chemical distributor (which isn’t easy to do!).  In turn, this helped us lower our rates for this upcoming year!!!

Thank you, Renee, for always being a huge asset to GracoRoberts!

Dario Calderon, Manufacturing Lead, Ivan Sandoval, Manufacturing Lead, Olga Pena, Manufacturing Lead, Shaun Sobkowski, Manufacturing Clerk, Ery Munoz, Manufacturing Clerk, Nancy Romero, Manufacturing Clerk, Mario Cardenas, Manufacturing Clerk, Jaime Rodriguez, Manufacturing Clerk, Marcus Williams, Manufacturing Clerk, and Juan Padilla, Manufacturing Clerk, at Carson – Recognized by Gilberto Oceguera for Sweep the floor.

On the Monday we came back to work, about 2-3 weeks ago, we found out that the freezer where all the RF material is kept went down. This of course would be a very expensive economic loss in raw material if we let the material continue to sit at room temperature.  I sounded the alarm to all our staff, and they all dropped what they were doing and came to Olga’s rescue. With the help of everyone present, we were able to move all material in record time. What would have taken Olga and another person about 2 hours to do by themselves, took the team about 15 minutes working together. All material was moved to the larger working freezer hence the team saved the material from expiration. The reaction was very impressive, and I hope that this will continue if an emergency ever occurs. Great job from everyone present.

Jolene Peoples, Account Specialist in Wichita – Recognized by Alisha Hull for Sweep the floor, Communicate, and Focus on relationships.

Jolene is an invaluable member of the GracoRoberts family. Her commitment to delivering exceptional customer service truly stands out. She consistently goes the extra mile—she consistently is “sweeping the floor” and doing whatever it takes to ensure her customers are satisfied.

Jolene exemplifies our core value of “focusing on relationships” every single day. She treats everyone with genuine care and respect, and her communication with the team is always clear and effective. Even when her queues are full, she’s proactive in seeking support while continuing to push forward and meet her responsibilities with professionalism and urgency.

Her interactions with customers are consistently courteous, thoughtful, and solution oriented. Jolene’s dedication, teamwork, and positive attitude make her more than deserving of this recognition!

A recent example that stuck out to me was when Jolene’s queue was overwhelmingly busy. She maintained professionalism when it would have been easier to panic and stress out. She reached out to the team and asked for assistance but still kept her head in the game and worked hard to take care of all of the requests that day! She stayed late to give even more effort to meet her customer’s needs. This is a perfect example of “sweeping the floor” and “communicating” her needs, all the while, she “focused on all relationships” involved. Her priority of doing whatever it takes and building relationships with those around her are strengths that shine with Jolene!

Brandon Price, Warehouse Operations Manager in Fife – Recognized by Alyssa Smallwood for Sweep the floor, Solve problems, Commit to quality, Communicate, and Focus on relationships.

I had three separate spec label issues for Boeing Mesa. The NCRs were processed and I reached out to warehouses for assistance, but Boeing pressed for a quick turn around on new labels. Brandon quickly responded via teams and was able to assist. The labels required corrections and manual adjustments for the correct ship date, and Brandon provided great communication along the way. He reached out to me for approval of the spec label to ensure we supplied it right the first time! Brandon's assistance was greatly appreciated!

Hector Zaragoza, Warehouse Operations Clerk in Carson – Recognized by Derek Needham for Focus on relationships.

Hector helped Isaiah fulfill a late, priority, dry ice order that required additional labor.

Hector Zaragoza, Warehouse Operations Clerk in Carson – Recognized by Yulia Rozenfeld & the Account Services Team for Sweep the floor, Communicate, and Focus on relationships.

Thank you, Hector, for your sense of urgency, responsiveness, transparency and willingness to help, especially with the demanding priority list requests. We appreciate you more than you know.

Jaime Rodriguez, Manufacturing Clerk in Carson – Recognized by Gilberto Oceguera for Sweep the floor.

 As one of the newer employees, Jaime has demonstrated that he is a valuable member of the team. Jaime has been helping anyone and everyone. We want to thank him for his enthusiasm.

Mark Contreras, Warehouse Operations Lead and Sergio De La Torre, Warehouse Operations Clerk in Arlington – Recognized by Cristina Burnett for Sweep the floor, Commit to quality, and Passion for growth.

Mark and Sergio consistently go above and beyond to help me prepare for trade shows—a process that often requires retrieving and organizing materials stored high on warehouse pallets. With multiple events this season, I have relied heavily on their assistance, and they have never hesitated to step in. They not only ensure my materials are safely and efficiently brought down, but they also take the time to teach me the best ways to pack pallets properly.

Their attention to detail and commitment to timely, accurate shipments reflect their dedication to “Commit to Quality.” I can always count on them to make sure pallets and packages are shipped on time, and they consistently follow up to confirm deliveries arrive as expected.

Mark and Sergio’s reliability, teamwork, and proactive approach make a meaningful impact, and I strongly believe they are deserving of this recognition. Thank you so much, Mark and Sergio! 

Martha Hanks, Temporary Buyer and Jef Larremore, Quality Engineer in Arlington – Recognized by Teresa Pepperell for Sweep the floor and Commit to quality.

Martha has been working with Jef on getting the specs cleaned up as she gets confirmation back from the vendor. She makes sure the specs are listed correctly in Crescendo based on the supplier’s paperwork. I would like to add she has been a huge asset to our purchasing team. She came in and hit the ground running. She does what it takes to get the job done.

Jef is very committed to quality. He has worked with Martha on making sure the specs are corrected, and that the paperwork is done correctly. He is really good at communicating exactly what is needed to resolve any issues.