Thursday, May 14, 2009

Ch-ch-ch-ch-changes.

That title is misleading. I would like for there to be some ch-ch-ch-ch-changes, but no luck. Yet.

Eight years ago today I took a job working at GST for my parents. I promised them and Thomas that it would be short term and we would only stay for a maximum of two years. HA! I started out in the shop - I remember my Dad telling me I had to work my way up and start by getting my hands dirty. Apparently, this was only a requirement for his youngest child. My first 6 months in particular were spent wrapping pallets, driving forklifts, coming home sweaty and gross on some days and being immersed into a culture that was a far cry from the ultra political scene of the Campus Life office at ACU. Not that I didn't like ACU, but most of you know that working there really tainted my overall view of the university. That is another story for another day.

Anyway, so I started in the Shipping Department and then I worked my way into Purchasing, then Customer Service, then Accounts Payable, then Office Manager and now I am Corporate Controller. In the last eight years, my sister has come on officially full-time (after working on a part-time, but really more than that basis for many years), my brother came on and slid right into a VP role and we have expanded to three facilities. Thomas came on five years ago. In other words, what was once really just Dad, Mom and me (and Tonya on the fringe, but knowing a lot of the people and knowing what is going on) is now all of us. It is an interesting dynamic.

All of that to say - eight years is a long time. I really want to go on a nice, relaxing vacation.