The new CEO of the National Wooden Pallet and Container Association (NWPCA) Brent McClendon visited our Bartow headquarters today.

Brent just began his third week with the NWPCA. The first two were spent planning and attending the NWPCA Annual Leadership Conference. Thus, our Bartow plant was the first pallet plant he has visited since becoming our industry’s leader.

At the meeting in Orlando, Brent shared his tenets for success in leading an organization. Here is his advice:

1. Listen. Figure out what matters to everyone associated with the organization.
2. Focus on growth and improving operations.
3. Provide exceptional customer service.
4. Celebrate success, raise your organization’s profile and increase influence.

Listening must be sincere and steadfast. If you don’t stop to listen, you won’t learn anything new.

We have developed a real appreciation in recent years of the virtue of improving operations. Dire economic circumstances caused us to focus on execution. Today, we are managing inventory better than ever, producing more pallets and lumber per man hour, exhibiting more “lean” practices than ever before.

Our customer service is exemplary. I think we each recognize our responsibility to serve our customers whether internal or external to the organization.

Our ability to be solutions providers to our customers increases every day. With solutions comes the commitment on the customer’s part that they can rely on us and look to us without concern of being let down.

I liked Brent’s tenets and was pleased he shared them. As I listened, I found myself checking off the points with great satisfaction in the progress we are making.