31 MAR 2022

17 MAR 2022 · At 17, Chris Winfield started at Premier, stuffing inserts in vacuum cleaner packages in a former tobacco warehouse. Today, he’s Vice President of Sales. Chris talks about his career progression, from his favorite job (forklift driver) to a management decision he’d make differently in hindsight. Chris is proud of Premier’s growth and culture, where heartfelt, friendly conversations between employees are the norm. He, Billy, and Zach also “circle back” to “take a deep dive” into business cliches.

3 MAR 2022 · What makes a good salesperson? Glen Clements, a Premier Supply Chain Specialist based in Georgia, says it’s important to listen more than you talk and focus on how you can help the customer. With Premier, “you always have something to offer, some solution to provide. You can always bring value,” Glen said. How does he handle those times when he doesn’t make a sale? “For every fail that I have, I need get two more shots up. It’s all shots on goal to me … You don’t put the shots up on the goal, you’re not going to score.”

17 FEB 2022 · Patty Stoff wisely “hung up” on her pay phone company job and joined Premier as an accountant. In a decade, she has worked her way up to Director of Customer Service and Procurement by asking questions, finding a mentor, and being a team player. Patty went to college on a bowling scholarship and has bowled two perfect games. What’s her secret? “You gotta know how to throw the ball.”

3 FEB 2022 · Rebecca Okken, a dispatcher at Premier’s Indianapolis Distribution Center, is unstoppable. Whenever she was told she couldn’t do something like drive a semi because of her gender or size (4’-10”), she did ‘em anyway. Rebecca talks about her remarkable career progression, including supervising 7 drivers for Premier and the satisfaction of “getting it done” every day for a company that’s like family: “I used to design what went on the (printing) machine, now I’m hauling what comes off the machine.”

20 JAN 2022 · The statistics are startling: 1 in 10 packages arrive damaged. Cohosts Zach Pearson and Billy Watkins discuss why damages occur during shipping and how you can ensure your package—and more importantly your product—arrives in good shape: right-sized packaging, protective void fill, and Premier’s ISTA-certified lab testing. We design boxes to pass the highest hurdles they’ll face in transit. Also: Why you should never buy a “Weasel 78” computer mouse for work.

23 DEC 2021 · Three years ago, Ellie Kramer knew little about packaging. Today she is Customer Service Manager for Premier’s North Central Division, working closely with our different divisions and our vendors to find solutions for our customers. In a laugh-filled interview, she talks about her career progression, why she loves Premier’s culture, and getting through the craziness of peak (“OK, I deserve a Gucci bag for that”). And why she suspects her previous job was working for the Russian mob.

9 DEC 2021 · Premier Power Hour, Premier Packaging, Podcast, Premier Packaging Podcast, Premier Podcast, Packaging Podcast, Supply Chain Podcast, Job Progression, Career Progression, Sustainability, Career Growth, Packaging Supplies, Packaging Equipment, Automation, Service & Maintenance

25 NOV 2021 · As a college junior, Joe Cox began working at Premier when the company consisted of 15 employees in a gloomy tobacco warehouse. (His “job interview”: “When can you start?”) Twenty-six years later, he’s Corporate Resources Director of Premier, which has grown to 900 employees in more than 90 locations. In this interview, Joe reflects on serving in a variety of roles at a company where employees are pushed “really hard” while also being patted on the back. His advice to Premier newbies: Work hard, listen to your peers, and avoid the question “What happens when you hit this button?”

11 NOV 2021 · The explosion of e-commerce during the pandemic has coincided with supply chain issues making it more expensive to ship product. Billy and Zach interview Ryan Benningfield, Director of Corporate Operations for Premier, about the causes of high freight rates and how to lower them. Ryan recommends planning better, packing as much as possible on each truck, and turning to Premier’s extensive distribution network, since local shipping costs less than over-the-road. And if high freight rates aren’t scary enough—how about some “dad jokes” too?