We are celebrating our 20th anniversary by highlighting our 20 most tenured employees!
Next up is Katie Miller, Senior Accounting Coordinator here at Jarrett. Read her answers below to find out more about Katie and her experience at Jarrett throughout the years!
Describe your job in 20 words or less?
Where did the money come from? Where did the money go? Answer ALL random question people have.
Favorite memory at Jarrett so far?
The day the managers joined us at CrossFit.
Why did you decide to join and stay with Jarrett?
I started at Jarrett during college because I was looking for an intern experience close to home. I had known a few other individuals who had worked for Jarrett/PackShip who had good experiences in their roles. I’ve stayed because I LOVE it. The people. The company. The work.The experiences I’ve had. The way I’ve been pushed to grow. Also – I don’t like change. But why change a good thing?
Which employee perk does Jarrett offer that you enjoy the most? Why?
People who are willing to answer questions & explain things to me. Because until I understand the “why” of doing something, it’s difficult for me to run with a project or process.
Who has been a mentor for you here at Jarrett? How have they helped you?
Steve Dotterer has been a mentor to me. He’s always been available to ask questions, talk through frustrations, brainstorm on new processes/how to handle the latest change in company structure. It has been an incredible learning opportunity to witness the growth of the companies over the years I’ve been here. To see companies like Jarrett scale & grow to new levels. To see acquisitions of Jeanneret & Independent Trailers. To see start ups of the restaurants. I can’t imagine another place where I would have been exposed to such a broad spectrum of experience. Steve has graciously allowed me to see parts of the steps along the way and answered my questions. We’re also able to converse about non-work related things in our lives. From family & friends, to church, to involvement in non-profits, and life in general… it’s not just about work.
What advice would you give to recent new hires?
Ask QUESTIONS!
What is the biggest lesson you’ve learned in your time at Jarrett?
I don’t know that I’ve actually learned this completely yet. But over the past few years, I’ve been working to remind myself constantly that people are people – and they have feelings. People aren’t just data points – or sources of data. And that I need to treat people as the individuals that they are. Even if I’m frustrated.
How does your team provide value to Jarrett clients?
One of the main ways that the accounting department provides value to our clients is maintaining accurate records. From properly recording customer payments to minimize confusion in the collections process to paying freight bills on time so the carrier doesn’t reach out to them… the more we do right, they less they know we exist. Which from an accounting perspective, usually means everyone is happy.
We also complete credit application requests as well as verify information requests when our customers are under going internal/external audits.
How has technology evolved in your time at Jarrett?
I believe we have continued to push improvements to jShip to provide a better user-interface for both internal & external users. Employee files are now maintained electronically. In the accounting department we have SIGNIFICANTLY reduced the amount of paper received & manually processed due to 210 invoicing.
How does Jarrett and their employees serve the community?
Well there are the obvious answers… like Mike & Diane’s commitment to the Orrville & greater Wayne County area – supporting various nonprofits both financially & by serving either at events or on boards. And things like the economic impact of employing over 200 – most of whom live in the community & support the community. And hosting events like CF4CF & the Firecracker 5K.
Then there are things like jeans day for charity & providing gifts for children at Christmas-time & canned food drives. Allowing employees the opportunity to serve at The Salvation Army during lunch breaks.
And then each employee has the ability to serve as he/she chooses in the community. The support of Jarrett for each employee allows each employee to then support various organizations/causes in the community.
How would you define Jarrett’s success?
At the end of the day, I think success could be defined as being able to uphold expectations – our expectations of our performance outlined in the vision/mission statements; our customer’s expectations of our service – and ultimately still turn a profit.
How has the client experience changed?
eShip has been revamped since I started at Jarrett To the point that it is actually fully integrated into jShip instead of the intermediary process that used to exist. We’ve also allowed for new methods of submitting orders – upload files, 204 tenders, etc. to fit the customer’s needs. Customer visibility to shipments is also more timely with 214 statuses & API tracking updating our system as the carrier updates theirs rather than waiting for a manual track to be completed by the coordinator.
What do you envision Jarrett looking like in the next 20 years?
Forecasting is not my forte. I often get so bogged down by details that I struggle to dream of the “what could be”. Luckily, we have a whole cast of dreamers who work here. I trust that they will dream big, plan well, and set the Jarrett family of companies up for continued success and growth.
What lessons have you learned in the past 20 years that will impact the next 20?
Well, in the last 20 years, I’ve learned quite a lot. I’ve learned how to type. How to pack my own lunch. How to do my own laundry. I’ve also learned more about relating to people who I may not get along with well – and still be able to work with them.
What advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
Ask lots of QUESTIONS! And stick with Jarrett. It’s a good place to be.
What was your favorite song when you were 20?
Probably anything by Taylor Swift or One Direction.
What job did you have when you were 20?
Well… during the summer & over Christmas break, I was interning at a company called Jarrett Logistics Systems. During the school year, I was tutoring fellow classmates in college, mentoring incoming freshmen to develop positive school/life/work balance habits, leading review sessions for Econ courses, and grading for professors.
We are grateful to have Katie here at Jarrett. If you are interested in being a part of our team, visit our careers page.
For more Employee Spotlights, check out our blog!
