Skip to content
English
All posts

On the Spot Awards - September 2026

By   ·  9 minute read

The On the Spot Award was created to empower every employee to recognize and celebrate those who consistently go above and beyond. It shines a spotlight on individuals who demonstrate our core values in meaningful, everyday ways through moments of excellence, dedication, and positive impact that strengthen our team.

  • 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. 

We’re proud to highlight a number of colleagues in this edition who have truly exemplified our company values through their actions and attitude. Congratulations to the following individuals: 

Nikie Keenan, Customer Service Representative II in LaGrangeville, NY – Recognized by Amber Girardin for Sweep the Floor and Communicate

Nikie Keenan was recognized for demonstrating the core values of Sweep the Floor and Communicate. Following recent personnel changes, Nikie stepped up to take on the workload of nearly 1,000 customer RFQs, helping to keep operations running smoothly during a period of transition. She also did an outstanding job keeping the team informed of her progress, ensuring colleagues had the information needed to effectively manage customer expectations. Her willingness to jump in, support others, and maintain clear communication throughout the process made a significant positive impact and helped the team navigate a challenging transition successfully.

SkyGeek Procurement Team in LaGrangeville, NY – Recognized by Nikie Keenan, Nichole VanWormer, and the CSR Team for Sweep the Floor and Commit to Quality

Over the last month, the Procurement team has been an incredible partner to Customer Service. During a period of transition, your dedication to Sweeping the Floor and Commitment to Quality helped us process more than 300 customer quotes while maintaining the speed, accuracy, and transparency our customers expect. Every member of the team stepped up to support one another, Customer Service, and our customers. Your responsiveness, collaboration, and willingness to help made a significant impact during a critical time. On behalf of the entire CSR team, thank you for your partnership, hard work, and unwavering support. We truly appreciate everything you do.

Heather Tenney, Account Specialist in Carson, CA – Recognized by Lee Shoulders for Commit to Quality and Focus on Relationships

During an interview for a Customer Service Representative role at SkyGeek, a candidate who works for one of GracoRoberts' and SkyGeek's customers spoke highly of her experience working with Heather as her Account Specialist. The candidate specifically highlighted Heather's responsiveness, exceptional level of service, and consistent ability to exceed expectations.

Heather's positive impact was so significant that it influenced the candidate's perception of the organization and increased her enthusiasm for pursuing an opportunity with the company. Through her dedication to building strong customer relationships and delivering outstanding service, Heather has not only strengthened customer partnerships but has also enhanced the company's reputation. Her professionalism, commitment, and customer-focused approach make her an outstanding ambassador for both the team and the organization.

Rachel Mattingly, Warehouse Operations Lead in Wichita, KS – Recognized by Deborah Kleist for Sweep the Floor

A huge shout out to Rachel for always going above and beyond! She consistently gives my urgent requests the attention they need and takes quick action to help keep things moving. Her communication is fast, clear, and professional, and she maintains an outstanding attitude even in stressful situations. Rachel has helped me get many AOG orders out the door, making a direct impact on customer satisfaction. We are incredibly grateful for her support, dedication, and teamwork!

Manny Batres, Warehouse Operations Clerk in Carson, CA – Recognized by Maggie Mendoza for Sweep the Floor

Manny Batres was recognized for demonstrating the core value of Sweep the Floor. During a period when the Carson shipping department was short-staffed, Manny consistently stepped up to support the team and help keep operations running smoothly. His reliability, strong work ethic, and willingness to do whatever was needed made a meaningful impact on the department's success. Throughout this challenging period, he remained a dependable source of support and stability for both his teammates and the operation as a whole.

Manny's dedication, commitment, and team-first attitude have not gone unnoticed and are truly deserving of recognition. His willingness to go above and beyond to support his colleagues has made a positive difference every day. The impact of his hard work, dependability, and continued commitment to the team is greatly appreciated.

Jana Reece, Accounting Clerk - Account Receivable in LaGrangeville, NY – Recognized by Hayley Haroldson and Nicole VanWormer for Sweep the Floor

Jana demonstrated exceptional teamwork by willingly stepping in to learn a new process that helped the Customer Service team, addressing a backlog of locked tax tasks. Her positive attitude, willingness to support others, and commitment to accuracy and quality are making an immediate impact.

Jana consistently approaches new challenges with a team-first mindset and a determination to get things done right. These qualities make her a tremendous asset not only to the Accounting team but to the organization as a whole.

Tiana Butler, Warehouse Associate Receiver in LaGrangeville, NY – Recognized by Carlo Labianca for Commit to Quality

Tiana Butler was recognized for demonstrating the core value of Commit to Quality. Over the past month, she has consistently shown exceptional attention to detail in the non-conformance processes she supports. Her thorough documentation, particularly the high-quality photographs she captures of damaged products, has significantly reduced the need for follow-up and helped accelerate resolutions with vendors and freight carriers.

Tiana's dedication to continuous improvement, attention to detail, and commitment to quality have had a measurable positive impact on team workflows and overall efficiency. Her proactive approach and focus on doing things right make her a valuable contributor and highly deserving of recognition.

Kayla Stuart, Account Manager in Miami, FL – Recognized by Mike Santangelo for Commit to Quality and Focus on Relationships

Kayla consistently goes above and beyond for her customers. She communicates clearly, solves problems quickly, and takes ownership in a way that builds real trust. One customer recently said she is "BY FAR the best" vendor they work with and that they "love working with her" because she genuinely cares about what she does. That same customer is now shifting future POs to Kayla based solely on the level of service she provides. Her commitment to quality and relationships makes her a standout on our team.

Mike Macias, Business Applications Manager in Arlington, TX – Recognized by Chris Curtis for Solve Problems and Sweep the Floor 

Mike's outstanding support of Pacific Coast Composites over the past several months exemplifies the GracoRoberts values of Solve Problems and Sweep the Floor. His urgency in installing applications, troubleshooting system integrations, and configuring user access across the GracoRoberts and PCC networks helped keep the project moving forward. Mike's willingness to support the team across time zones, including during early mornings, late evenings, and after-hours data backups, was invaluable. His contributions played a key role in successful testing, go-live, and post-go-live support efforts.
 

Caitlin Thomas, IT Service Desk Analyst in Wichita, KS – Recognized by Chris Curtis for Sweep the Floor

Caitlin's dedication and flexibility over the past month have made a meaningful impact on the team. By assisting with GR Crescendo support tickets, she helped ensure employees received prompt support while resources were focused on PCC post-go-live efforts. She exemplified the GracoRoberts value of Sweep the Floor through her willingness to take on tasks outside of her primary responsibilities, creating capacity for the team to support another business unit during a critical time.
 

Scott Gius, Senior System Analyst in CITY, ST – Recognized by Chris Curtis for Solve Problems

Scott's dedication and expertise have played a key role in supporting Pacific Coast Composites throughout its transition to a new system. He exemplifies Solve Problems by turning team requests and visions into meaningful reporting tools that drive efficiency, increase accountability, and support faster customer response times. From leading critical data migration efforts to helping build new business processes, Scott's contributions continue to have a significant and lasting impact on the team's success.
 

Chris Curtis, Senior Business Analyst, Rachel Bryant, Senior Pricing & Bid Manager, and Kelly Powers, Sales Analytics Manager in Arlington, TX – Recognized by Chris Herrero for Sweep the Floor

The dedication and teamwork demonstrated by Chris, Rachel, and Kelly played a key role in supporting Pacific Coast Composites following the Crescendo transition. By stepping in to help clear the PCC backlog, they exemplified the GracoRoberts value of Sweep the Floor, taking on important tasks such as part number creation and order entry. Their willingness to help wherever needed contributed significantly to stabilizing the business unit and ensuring continued support for customers during a critical time.
 

Melissa Arp, Pricing & Bid Specialist in Arlington, TX – Recognized by the Business Analyst Team for Passion for Growth 

Melissa's efforts over the past several weeks have made a significant impact on the team's ability to support the business during a critical period. As Rachel shifted her focus to clearing the PCC backlog following the Crescendo transition, Melissa stepped up to help manage an increased large-bid workload. She demonstrated Passion for Growth by taking on new challenges and successfully costing and sourcing more than 2,000 line items across numerous bids while the team was short-staffed. Her initiative, adaptability, and focus on delivering results helped the team continue meeting customer needs and maintaining momentum during a demanding time. Melissa's contributions have been instrumental to the team's success and are greatly appreciated.
 

Renee Carlson, Corporate Compliance and Improvement Manager in Arlington, TX – Recognized by the Business Analyst Team for Sweep the Floor, Solve Problems, Commit to Quality, Focus on Relationships, and Data Driven 

Renee's contributions to the GracoRoberts Spec Clean-Up project were instrumental in keeping the initiative moving forward during a critical period. When the team unexpectedly lost a key QA resource, she quickly stepped in and helped address a backlog of more than 4,500 specifications in a short timeframe. Her adaptability, attention to detail, and ability to deliver results under pressure helped keep the project on track and positioned the team for success as it moves into the next phase of the Marketplace (IDSR) initiative.
 

Keonna Crump, Intermix in Wichita, KS – Recognized by Alfred Ziccardi for Sweep the Floor and Commit to Quality

Keonna has been recognized for demonstrating our values of Sweep the Floor and Commit to Quality. Throughout a colleague’s first six months with the company, Keonna served as a valuable resource by sharing her knowledge of Intermix and providing ongoing support to help them stay organized and successful in their role. Her willingness to assist others, answer questions, and share her expertise made a meaningful impact and contributed significantly to their development and success.

Keonna’s commitment to helping others, combined with her dedication to quality and teamwork, exemplifies the values that make a positive difference across the organization. Her support, knowledge, and collaborative spirit are truly deserving of recognition.
 

Michael Easton, Warehouse Operations Clerk in High Point, NC – Recognized by John Welch for Sweep the Floor

Mike demonstrated our value of Sweep the Floor by coming in on his day off on 8/15/26 to ship a critical order for Silmid. This is the second time in six weeks that Mike has gone above and beyond to ensure a customer in need received timely support. His willingness to step in when needed and take ownership of customer needs reflects a true commitment to service and teamwork. Thank you, Mike, for consistently putting our customers first and making a positive impact!

Andy Smith, Warehouse International Packer - Warehouse in Silmid, UK – Recognized by Kelly Sirrell and Sarah Hull for Commit to Quality, Sweep the Floor and Focus on Relationships

 Andy always makes himself available to support any urgent queries and orders for our export shipments. Andy’s extensive knowledge, attention to detail, and high standard of work make him a trusted and invaluable colleague. Andy is a genuine team player who is always willing to help others and contribute to the success of the wider business. Thank you, Andy, for your continued dedication and support. 

Andy recently received his second On the Spot Award for demonstrating our values of Commit to Quality and Sweep the Floor.  Sarah Hull recognized Andy for the quick, reliable, and outstanding support he consistently provides through the warehouse chat, helping the team respond to customer queries efficiently. His commitment to supporting colleagues and delivering excellent service makes a real difference every day. Thank you, Andy!

Shan Wilkins, Account Manager - Internal Sales in Silmid, UK – Recognized by Michael Neumann for Commit to Quality and Focus on Relationships

Shan demonstrated exceptional cybersecurity awareness and sound judgment by immediately recognizing a potential scareware threat, isolating her device, and seeking assistance from IT without delay. By placing her computer in airplane mode, disconnecting it from external communications, and promptly reporting the incident, she helped protect her coworkers and the company from potential cybersecurity risks. 

Thank you, Shan, for your vigilance, professionalism, and commitment to safeguarding our organization; your actions set an excellent example of responsible cybersecurity behavior and deserve recognition. 

Kieran Mansell, Key Account Executive - Internal Sales in Silmid, UK – Recognized by Leah Kaur for Focus on Relationships, Sweep the Floor and Passion for Growth

Following a recent team restructure, the unassigned pipeline experienced a significant increase in ticket volumes, creating a backlog that required immediate attention. Kieran proactively stepped in to support the team, taking ownership of numerous tickets and working diligently to help reduce the backlog. His willingness to go above and beyond demonstrated a strong commitment to both the team and the wider business. Kieran's positive attitude, collaborative approach, and readiness to help wherever needed make him a fantastic example of teamwork.

Kane McBain, Account Manager - Internal Sales in Silmid, UK – Recognized by Sarah Hull for Commit to Quality, Sweep the Floor and Communicate 

Kane consistently meets and exceeds his KPIs, demonstrating a strong commitment to delivering exceptional results. In addition to his own performance, he regularly offers to support colleagues with their workloads. Kane is also proactive in sharing his knowledge, providing training and guidance, which contributes to the success of our team. Thank you, Kane! Your willingness to go above and beyond for both customers and colleagues does not go unnoticed and is greatly appreciated. 

Kieran Barrett, Warehouse International Packer - Silmid, UK – Recognized by Michelle Cummings for Sweep the Floor

A huge congratulations to Kieran Barrett for demonstrating one of our core values Sweep the Floor. During a period of staffing shortages in the warehouse, Kieran consistently stepped up and went above and beyond to support operations, helping to maintain shipment volumes and ensure continuity of service. His dedication, strong work ethic, and willingness to jump in wherever needed have made a significant impact, not only within the warehouse but across the wider organization. Kieran's commitment and team-first attitude have helped keep the business on track to exceed its monthly goals, making this a fantastic example of what can be achieved when we work together. Thank you, Kieran, for your outstanding contribution and support.